FLUIDIZED

COMBUSTION

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Fluidization phenomenon
Fixed bed Bubbling Circulating Pnematic
fluidized bed fluidized bed transport

dust

gas flow velocity

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 What does it mean fluidization
Fluidization is a two-phase process in which dispersed solid
material is suspended in a stream of gas flowing upstream through
the fluidized grate. The layer of solid body particles suspended in
flowing gas forms fluidized bed.
The fluidized bed is in the quasi-equilibrium state only in some
range of the velocity of the flowing upstream gas, depending on the
size of particles of bed.
The fluidized bed of a boiler contains mainly particles of an inert
material, like sand and ash, including particles of SO2 sorbent. The
coal content in a fluidized bed is not considerable, it is only from 3
to 5% of the whole mass of the bed.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Air flow velocity in boiler furnace vs. combustion pattern

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Fluidized bed-combustion features
a) direct contact of particles with intensive mass and
heat exchange,
b) uniform temperature in the fluidized bed
c) high heat capacity of fluidized bed making it possible
to burn fuels of low quality, wet and with high content
of ash
d) effectiveness of bed temperature control by supply of
fuel, air and heat extraction

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Major features of fluidized bed boilers
Advantages
Fuel flexibility
In situ SO2 removal
Low NOx emission
Good system availability
No slaging
Low corrosion rate
Easy sizing of fuel
Disadvantages
Higher power of air van
Larger cross-section of a
furnace
Higher surface loss of
heat
Higher carbon-in-ash
level
Higher erosion rate

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTION
SYSTEMS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Types of fluidized bed boilers

Concerning the structure of fluidized bed:

boilers with bubbling (stationary) fluidized
bed (BFB)
boilers with circulating fluidized bed (CFB)

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Bubbling fluidized bed BFB
flue gas

coal

water

ash

air
COMBUSTION AND FUELS
Circulating fluidized bed CFB

cyclone
steam
superheaters

steam
superheater
water
heater

circulation duct
secondary chamber
air

air
coal and heater
sorbent

refractory
chamber exhaust
primary
air
Bubbling and circulating fluidized bed boilers

Bubbling

COMBUSTION ANDCirculating
FUELS
 Types of fluidized bed boilers

Concerning the pressure in a furnace:

atmospheric fluidized bed boilers (pressure
approximately atmospheric) (ACFB),
pressure fluidized bed boilers (pressure much
higher that atmospheric) (PCFB).

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

ATMOSPHERIC FLUIDIZED BED
BOILERS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

BUBBLING FLUIDIZED-BED
COMBUSTORS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Bubbling
fluidized
bed furnace
(laboratory set)
Structure of bubbling fluidized bed

over-bed
I
zone

II
splash-zone
III
fluidized
zoe
fluidalne
bed

wgiel
coal
COMBUSTION AND FUELS
Burning of coal particles in
fluidized bed

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Mechanism of coal combustion
CaSO4
CaO O2
CO2 CO2
HO
CO2
2
SO2 CO2 HO
2
O2 CnHm splash-zone

CO CnHm CO2
CaO coal O2
particle
CO2 CO

CaO fines CO2

CO2
CO bed
CO
char
sorbent
O2 CO2
Sources of unburned coal in fluidized bed boilers

Very small particles of coal are blow-up from the bed

due to:

increase of porosity of coal particles due to oxidation

particles decomposition as a result of thermal
thermal tension in particles

collision of particles in a bed

friction of particles in a bed

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Decomposition of coal particle due to inner
oxidation and contact with particles of bed

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BED
BOILERS (CFB)

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Structure of circulating fludized bed

Falling flow

COMBUSTION
Raising flow AND FUELS
Types of boilers with circulating fluidized beds
1) 2)

cyclone

secondary air

fuel bed

primary air

Circulating fluidized bed boilers:

1 cyclone
COMBUSTION 2 inner
separator,AND FUELSseparator
CFB with cyclone separator

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Circulating fluidized bed boiler

flue gas

Circulating
fluidized
cyclone
bed boiler
coal ash CFB-670
with
cyclone
coal
separator
secondary
air

air air

flue
air to siphon gas

fluidizing air
Bottom of the CFB boiler
 Bottom part of the furnace
CFB-670 boiler

bed
press.

furnace (lined with refractory ) solids return

IR detectors

bed
temp.

air nozzles
Closing of the siphon of CFB-670 boiler

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Bottom of fluidized bed furnace CFB-670 boiler

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Air nozzles of the fluidizing bed

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Exploitation parameters of the CFB-670 boiler

Parameter Value
Stoichiometric ratio 1.1-1.2
Temperature of the bed, Tz 850-870 C
Burnout of coal 96-98%
Effectiveness of sulfur removal 90%
(Ca/S = 1.5-2.6)
NOx emission 200-400 mg/m3

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

CFB boilers with inner
separator

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Separation of bed material in inner separator

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

CFB 700
boiler
CFB 700
boiler
with inner
separator
INTREX
FUEL HANDLING IN FLUIDIZED
BEDS BOILERS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Systems of fuel handling

Underbed Intobed Overbed

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Bubbling bed: pneumatic handling of fuel

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Bubbling bed - worm-gear coal handling

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Circulating bed: overbed handling of fuel
Circulating fluidized bed: silos and coal feeders
coal silos

coal feeders
(4 pcs.)

long
cell/rake
coal feeders
(2 pcs.)
chutes with
air nozzles
(10 pcs.)

shorter cell coal feeders

(3 pcs.)
CFB: gallery of coal handling
SELECTED FEATURES OF
FLUIDIZED BED BOILERS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Effectiveness of combustion in fluidized beds

Coal Time of burnout, s Degree of

burnout, %
Lignite 20 30 93 96
Hard coal 50 125 86 93
Anthracite 200 300 78 85

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Advantages of fluidized bed firing over
pulverized-bed firing systems

Simplification of the fuel supply system,

Possibility of burning low-caloric fuels,
Possibility of flue gas desulfurization in the bed
Reduction of NOx emission due to the lower
temperature of burning.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Comparison of PF and fluidized bed boilers
Boiler Temperature Fuel Fuel sizing Ash/
slaging

PF High: Hard coal 31-33 Melted/

1100-1400 oC Lignite < 0.3 yes
mm

CFB Low: Hard coal, Not

800-900 oC lignite, biomass, 3-30 melted/no
wastes mm

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Comparison of thermal load of PF and fluidized
bed boilers
Type of boiler
Parameter CFB BFB PC

Surface thermal
load:
qA, MW/m2 1.8-2.5 1.2-1.5 3.0-5.5

Volume thermal
load
qv, MW/m3 0.2-0.4 0.1-0.2 0.08-0.2
COMBUSTION AND FUELS
 Comparison of PF and CFB ashes
Compound PF CFB

CaO 2-12 25
SiO2 40-55 26
SO3 0.5-6 10.8
Al2O3 13-30 9.6
Fe2O3 4-17 15.4
MgO 1.8-8 0.8
Na2O 0.3-0.7 0.4
LOI 0.7-15 2-12

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 Developing trends
Scale-Up and Some Key References
UNIT CAPACITY (MWe)
600
SECOND
550 GENERATION
DESIGN
500
Lagisza
450

400

350
FIRST GENERATION
DESIGN JEA
300

250 Turow 5
Turow 1

200
Nova Scotia

150 Vaskiluodon Voima NPS

Kajaani
100
Tri-State
50 Leykam Kokkola
Kauttua Kuhmo Thai Kraft
Pilot plant Pihlava Pilot plant
0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
YEAR OF INITIAL OPERATION
Supercritical once-through CFB,
PKE AGISZA 460 MWe PLANT
Comparison of Turw and agisza boilers

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Boilers furnace

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 INTREX SYSTEM

Integrated Heat Exchanger

Heat exchange from solid bed material
Solids return leg to tube surface
High heat transfer rate
Heat exchange rate can be controlled
Less heat transfer surface than in
conventional gas to solid heat
exchangers
Suitable for large-scale units
Simple Design
No moving parts: no wear
Resistant to Erosion
Solids return Low erosion rate due to low velocities
channels INTREX
Resistant to Corrosion
Superheater Tube corrosion rate reduced by Cl-free
environment
Air plenums
Intrex
FW CFB SOLIDS SEPARATOR
FEATURES:
Integrated with furnace:
Panel wall structure
No / few expansion joints
Water or steam cooled
Normal insulation
Lower radiation loss
Less refractory
Shorter start-up time
Smaller foot-print
Mineral wool

Refractory 25-50 mm

Membrane wall
COMBUSTION AND FUELS
Air preheater
Electrostatic precipitator
PRESSURIZED FLUIDIZED BED
BOILERS (PFBB)

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

1st generation PFBC

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Karita, Japan

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 PFBC - Karita

paste
Technical data PFBC - Karita

P = 1,5 MPa
 Diagram of pressurized fluidized bed boiler
1st generattion (combined cycle with the PFBC)
Cottbus, Germany

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

PFBC 2st generation Cottbus
Gas turbine, Cottbus in Germany
Cottbus
2nd generation PFBB

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

 PCFB 2nd generation
Gas cooler
Syngaz

Cyclone Ceramic
Desulfurization CaS filter

Cyclone

Combustor
Partial
Gas
gasification
turbine

Oxidizer PFBC
Flue gas

Steam
turbine
Scheme of PCFB - 2nd generation
(Kita Kyushu City), Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.

desulfurizer

gasifier
combustor

COMBUSTION AND FUELS