As the largest single capital item in a sugar factory, bagasse-fired boilers are coming in
for renewed scrutiny to see if they can offer increased capaCity and/or reduced capital
cost. The feature of bagasse boilers that most differentiates them from other boilers is
the large and hence costly furnace space. Recent efforts have focused on the
intensification of combustion and the lifting of boiler efficiency by external drying of
bagasse. The potential gains are significant, but the need to dry bagasse introduces
additional complications and cost.This paper examines current pinhole grate furnaces to
see if significant gains can be made in combustion intensity, combustion stability and
radiative heat exchange without pre-drying the bagasse. It examines the fundamental
differences between bagasse and more common fuels and points the way to improved
designs of furnace to achieve more stable combustion and greater heat release per unit
volume.