Computational Investigation of the Influence of Fly Ash Silica Content and Shape on the Erosion Behaviour of Indian Coal Fired Boiler Grade Steels

Abstract

A mathematical model has been developed to characterize the erosion behaviour of fly ash on boiler grade steel surfaces incorporating various ductile erosion mechanisms. These mechanisms constitute cutting wear, repeated plastic deformation and effect of operating temperature on the mechanical properties of the substrate. Parametric analysis has been carried out to study the erosion response of some typical steel grades as a function of particle impact parameters such as particle impact velocity, angle of impingement coupled with the effect of temperature on the tensile properties. Further, effects of fly ash properties such as hardness (silica content) and shape (angularity) on the erosion response have been also investigated along with the ballistic parameters. These investigations show that a small increment in the fly ash hardness can considerably augment the erosion rate of the steel surface under a given particle impingement condition. This vindicates that hardness of fly ash is one of the most critical parameter which has a direct impact in enhancing the erosion rate of boiler grade steels. The effect of fly ash shape on the erosion behaviour is also studied in conjunction with the particle hardness. This shows that the composite action of these parameters augment the erosion rate significantly.