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Paper presents short review of research problems, applied methods for solving problems and main results obtained by the researchers in Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and Energy (LTE) of the "Vinča" Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia dealing with pulverized coal combustion processes and technologies for reduction of pollutions problems at thermal power plants in a period since 2000. The presented results were published in numerous studies realized for different users, Ph. D., Masters, and Specialist thesis, in international and domestic scientific journals and monographs, presented at numerous international and domestic scientific conferences, etc. Presented research projects and results of applied research projects realized at pulverized coal combustion thermal power plants clearly show that LTE team was involved in key activities of rehabilitation and modernization, including implementation of best available technologies for pollution reduction at thermal power plants, in the region of South East Europe. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III42010, Grant no. III42011, Grant no. TR33050 and Grant no. TR33042]

The paper presents an overview of the results of the investigations of the processes that take place in pulverized coal combustion boilers and power plants which, in a longer period of time, were realized in the Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and Energy of the "Vinca" Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The presented results were published in numerous studies realized for different users, Ph. D., M. Sc., and specialist thesis, in international and domestic scientific journals and monographs, presented at numerous international and domestic scientific meetings, etc. The main goal of the paper is to chronologically present the results of domestic research that at one time were at an enviable international level, with concrete practical applications for domestic users. This is especially important to contrast the present situation when domestic research in this area is scarce and when the energy sector relies practically only on imported technologies and foreign consultancy. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III42011, Grant no. III42010, Grant no. TR33018 and Grant no. TR33042] This article has been corrected. Link to the correction 10.2298/TSCI200127032E

Different scale tests to explore the influence of fiberglass mesh on the fire behavior of expanded polystyrene (EPS) have been conducted. Micro scale combustion calorimeter to measure the heat release rate per unit mass, heat release capacity, and the total heat release of EPS and as well as the fiberglass for milligram specimen mass has been used. Cone colorimeter bench scale burning tests with the EPS specimens and EPS-fiberglass compound specimens have been carried out. The heat release rate per unit area, ignition times, and the derived minimum igniting heat fluxes were determined. Comparative burning tests on the fire spread tendency of EPS and EPS-fiberglass compound specimens have been carried out. It was established that the fiberglass mesh stabilizes the EPS fire as a wick fire due to the adherence of the melting polystyrene adheres to the fiberglass mesh and this causes an upwards fire spread.

Oxy-fuel coal combustion, together with carbon capture and storage or utilization, is a set of technologies allowing to burn coal without emitting globe warming CO2. As it is expected that oxy-fuel combustion may be used for a retrofit of existing boilers, development of a novel oxy-burners is very important step. It is expected that these burners will be able to sustain stable flame in oxy-fuel conditions, but also, for start-up and emergency reasons, in conventional, air conditions. The most cost effective way of achieving dual-mode boilers is to introduce dual-mode burners. Numerical simulations allow investigation of new designs and technologies at a relatively low cost, but for the results to be trustworthy they need to be validated. This paper proposes a workflow for design, modeling, and validation of dual-mode burners by combining experimental investigation and numerical simulations. Experiments are performed with semi-industrial scale burners in 0.5 MWt test facility for flame investigation. Novel CFD model based on ANSYS FLUENT solver, with special consideration of coal combustion process, especially regarding devolatilization, ignition, gaseous and surface reactions, NOx formation, and radiation was suggested. The main model feature is its ability to simulate pulverized coal combustion under different combusting atmospheres, and thus is suitable for both air and oxy-fuel combustion simulations. Using the proposed methodology two designs of pulverized coal burners have been investigated both experimentally and numerically giving consistent results. The improved burner design proved to be a more flexible device, achieving stable ignition and combustion during both combustion regimes: conventional in air and oxy-fuel in a mixture of O2 and CO2 (representing dry recycled flue gas with high CO2 content). The proposed framework is expected to be of use for further improvement of multi-mode pulverized fuel swirl burners but can be also used for independent designs evaluation. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III42010 and Grant no.TR33050]

The revised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories recommends that more comprehensive and thus more reliable characteristics of the local fossil fuels should be used for the national GHG inventory calculations. This paper deal with the carbon emission characteristics of low-calorific lignite recovered from the Kolubara open-pit mine. The samples of coal were carefully selected in order to cover the net calorific value, ash and water content of the broad spectrum of the quality of the raw lignite supplied to the Serbian thermal power plants. Correlation analysis of the laboratory analysis data gave a linear dependency of the net calorific value on the combustible content in the coal samples. Also, linear correlation between the carbon content and the net calorific value was found. The regression analysis of experimentally determined coal characteristics implies that the carbon emission factor is dependent on the net calorific value. For the subset of raw lignite samples with the net calorific value Qdr = 6 ÷ 10 MJ/kg, that is most representative for current and near future use for power generation in Serbian thermal power plants, the linear dependency CEFr (tC/TJ) = 34.407 - 0.5891×Qdr (MJ/kg) was proposed. Regarding the net calorific ranges of samples examined, the raw Kolubara lignite carbon emission factor is considerably higher than those recommended by IPCC Tier 1 method of 27.6 tC/TJ.

A wind energy system transforms the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use. Mechanical energy is most commonly used for pumping water in rural or remote locations. Electrical energy is obtained by connecting wind turbine with the electricity generator. The performance of the wind power plant depends on the wind kinetic energy. It depends on the number of design parameter of the wind turbine. For the wind power plant the wind kinetic energy conversion depends on the average wind velocity, mechanical energy conversion into electricity, and electricity transmission. Resilience of the wind power plant is the capacity of the system to withstand changes of the following parameters: wind velocity, mechanical energy conversion into electricity, electricity transmission efficiency and electricity cost. Resilience index comprise following indicators: change in wind velocity, change in mechanical energy conversion efficiency, change in conversion factor, change in transmission efficiency, and change in electricity cost. The demonstration of the resilience index monitoring is presented by using following indicators, namely: average wind velocity, power production, efficiency of electricity production, and power-frequency change. In evaluation of the resilience index of wind power plants special attention is devoted to the determination of the resilience index for situation with priority given to individual indicators.

The results of equilibrium composition computation and total (including heat of formation) enthalpy calculation, in the temperature range of 1000 to 6000 and at pressure of 1 bar, for the Si-C-H-N system are presented in the paper. These data enable the determination and optimization of mass, temperature and energy parameters of the powder production process of composite silicone nitride + silicone carbide (Si3N4-SiC) by silicon powder evaporation in nitrogen plasma, followed by reactive quenching with cold methane. The way of using the system enthalpy, temperature interdependence for the prediction of temperature mass and energy parameters of the process, has been illustrated on the presented example.

Pulverized coal particles concentration distribution across the burner's distribution channels, especially where plasma torches are installed, is one of the key issues for efficient implementation of plasma system for liquid fuel free combustion support at the pulverized coal fired boilers. The possibility of pulverized coal particles concentration increase at the lower burner channels of TPP Nikola Tesla - A1 boiler using regulation shutters is analyzed experimentally and numerically. Subject of present work is two-phase flue gas-particles mixture flow in burner's distribution channels with regulation shutters installed at the TPP Nikola Tesla - A1 boiler. Aim of this work is to optimize position of implemented system of shutters to achieve desired concentration and velocity distribution in channels with plasma torches, using numerical modelling. Experimental investigation was performed for the verification of proposed mathematical model for the prediction of the analyzed two-phase flow. Based on verified model, numerical parametric analysis was done. Obtained results of gas phase velocity field, coal particles concentration field, velocity and concentration profiles clearly show the dependence between shutters position and the coal particles mass flow rate and concentration distribution at the outlet cross-section of the burner's distribution channels. According to the numerical optimization results suitable modification of the shutter system is proposed.

For ultrafine powder processing the linear D.C. plasma torch with are stabilization by swirling gas flow and additionally by magnetic field, has been investigated. Paper presents the mass, electric and energy parameters, experimentally obtained, with and without anode-shield insert. In those experiments plasma gas was nitrogen, mass flow rate 2,8 divided by 7 g/s, plasma torch electrical power was in the range of 15 divided by 90 kW, anode shield-insert diameter in the range 20 divided by 30 mm with angle of divergent part theta=0 divided by 30 degrees.

The results of equilibrium composition and total enthalpy computation in the temperature range of 1000 to 6000 K and at pressure of 1 bar, for the systems B-O-H-N and B-O-C-H-N are presented in this paper. These data enable the determination, and optimization of mass, temperature and energy parameters of the process for the production of ultrafine boron nitride powder by the decomposition of boric acid in a nitrogen plasma, followed by reactive quenching with cold methane.