Visualization Measurement of the Flame Temperature in a Power Station Using the Colorimetric Method

This paper presents a study on the measurement of the temperature distribution in a power station based on an optical flame/temperature visualization system. This system operates upon the colorimetric principle combining advanced optical sensing and digital image processing techniques. The system was calibrated using a blackbody furnace as standard temperature source. Experimental results are obtained from a 300MW power station boiler. As the measurement height changed, the temperature captured by the system also changed. The maximum temperature occurs on the upper level of the burners. The temperature decreased when the load went down and tended to be stable when the load remained steady. Experimental results also reveal that this system is capable of online measurements of the temperature distribution in a combustion zone. This system can potentially be applied to many areas such as power generation, metallurgy or chemical engineering.