Research on the Combustion Characteristics of Coal Piles and the Fire Risks of Closed Coal Bunkers

Closed coal bunkers emerged as a novel form of coal storage for coal-fired power stations. Nevertheless, heat builds continually in the storage process because of the constant oxidation of coal and combined with the impact of a confined coal bunker environment, it is difficult for heat to dissipate, resulting in frequent coal bunker fires. Consequently, research on coal pile combustion characteristics is crucial to the design of coal bunker safety. The experimental platform was set up in this study to conduct combustion tests of various specifications, and the burning rate, flame height, flame temperature, and heat radiation flux were analyzed to identify the critical parameters impacting coal bunker safety. First, the maximum burning rate of coal heaps during steady burning was calculated, improving coal pile combustion theory and providing guidance for coal bunker design. Second, the maximum flame height was determined, which can provide an important design guide for coal bunker height designs. In addition, it was discovered that high temperatures in flames, smoke, and smoldering coal might cause coal bunker buildings to collapse, so future designs should strengthen coal bunker fire resistance and keep the coal pile away from the load-bearing structures to prevent collapse from excessive temperatures. Moreover, the diameter of coal piles has an influence on the heat flow. For this reason, a coal bunker’s design must consider the coal pile’s fire separation distance from the coal bunker and avoid large coal piles. Consequently, the study gives recommendations and support for planning coal bunker safety and enriches experimental data for coal pile fires.