CHARACTERISTICS OF A POWER-STATION BOILER

An experimental investigation of the flow patterns in a model of a pow er station boiler has been carried out under isothermal conditions, to produce data for computational fluid dynamic code validation. Measure ments were made in three dimensions on a single swirl burner in isolat ion, in two dimensions on a bank of 12 burners in a 4 x 3 grid and in the model boiler with this bank installed. The single burner exhibited a central reverse flow zone with high levels of turbulence at its bou ndaries. The general flow pattern found in the single burner was great ly distorted when interaction with surrounding burners in the bank occ urred. Several unexpected secondary flows occurred. The model boiler d isplayed a complex flow arrangement with recirculation zones and two s tagnation points.