Plasma Ignition of Solid Fuel: Mathematical Simulation and Experiment

A thermodynamic analysis was performed using the universal TERRA program, which made it possible to determine the optimal parameters of the process of plasma ignition and stabilization of solid fuel combustion. Kinetic modeling of the process of plasma ignition and stabilization of solid fuel combustion was carried out using the PlasmaKinTherm program. Changes in temperatures, rates, and concentrations of high-temperature binary fuel components along the length of the plasma–fuel system were revealed. In experiments on plasma ignition of an air mixture of Ékibastuz coal, a stable torch was obtained, and its temperature, composition, and degree of carbon gasification were determined. A comparison of the experimental and calculated data showed their satisfactory agreement.