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Advantages of Fluidised bed combustion over conventional firing systems

• Fuel flexibility,
• Reduced emission of noxious pollutants such as SOx and NOx,
• Compact boiler design and
• Higher combustion efficiency.

Various methods available to control the excess air are:

• Portable oxygen analysers and draft gauges - Excess air reduction up to 20% is
feasible.
• Continuous oxygen analyzer with a local readout mounted draft gauge, by which
the operator can adjust air flow. A further reduction of 10–15% can be
achieved.
• Damper control by continuous oxygen analyzer. This enables an operator to
remotely control a number of firing systems simultaneously.
• The automatic fan speed control from O2 analyser feed, It’s cost is really
justified only for large systems.
Basic Process and Components

The thermodynamic cycle for the steam turbine is the Rankine cycle. The cycle is
the basis for conventional power generating stations and consists of a heat
source (boiler) that converts water to high-pressure steam. In the steam cycle,
water is first pumped to medium to high pressure. It is then heated to the
boiling temperature corresponding to the pressure, boiled (heated from liquid to
vapor), and then most frequently superheated (heated to a temperature above that
of boiling). A multistage turbine expands the pressurized steam to lower
pressure and the steam is then exhausted either to a condenser at vacuum
conditions or into an intermediate temperature steam distribution system that
delivers the steam to the industrial or commercial application. The condensate
from the condenser or from the steam utilization system returns to the feedwater
pump for continuation of the cycle. Figure 3 shows the primary components of a
boiler/steam
turbine system.

Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) systems:

Due to the escalation in oil and gas prices continuously the world over,
the power engineers were trying to develop new combustion system with coal as
fuel since it is available in abundance in India. In the earlier designs of
furnaces using Pulverized coal were required to be operated upon in the
temperature range of 1400-1700˚C in order to get higher combustion efficiencies.
But, at such higher temperature it forms slag on superheater tubes, it evaporates
alkali metal in ash and its deposition on heat transfer surfaces causes fouling,
corrosion and reduced heat transfer rates. It forms pollutants NO in large
amounts since the temperature maintained are considerably high.Sulphur x content
in the coal forms SO which in turn forms acids with moisture on condensation 2
of steam. The capital cost for removal of SO from the gas is high. Another
problem is 2 that the furnaces designed for a particular type of coal cannot
burn with every other type of coal with same combustion efficiency and safety.
The difficulties experienced by the engineers as enumerated above has led to the
dvelopment of fluidized bed combustion (FBC) systems in which any type of coal
could be burnt efficiently in the range of 800-1000˚C.
Practically at these lower temperatures the production of
pollutant like NO is lower since the fixation of x atmospheric
nitrogen is difficult to occur below the temperature of 1100˚C. Also, it reduces
the problem of slag formation.

Principle of operation of Fluidized Bed Combustion system:

Fig shows the simple fluidized bed which has finely divided particles of
fuel half filled in the column. At its bottom a distributor plate is fitted
through which the air is passed in upward direction with some low
velocity. The pressure drop across the combustion chamber can be measured
with the help of manometer.The velocity of air is increased gradually and the
logarithmic plot of pressure drop and velocity is shown in fig.Upto the point A
the bed is stable. Between the point A to B the bed is unstable and the particles
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tend to adjust their position to prevent as little resistance to flow as
Advantages of FBC:
1. Coal used is 2 to 3% of bed volume. Reminder space is occupied by the
inert material like sintered ash, fused alumina, sand etc.
These materials help in controlling the bed temperature in the range of
800-1000˚C.
2. The low temperature of combustion in FBC allows ash to remain soft and
less abrasive.
3. SO emissions are much less due to addition of dolomite.
4. NOx emissions are low since the amount of excess air used is less
and temperatures are maintained are low in FBC in the range of 800-1000˚C
compared to pulverized coal combustion system. It is so, since the fixation of
free nitrogen at low temperature does not occur.
5. Their initial and operational costs are low.
6. The rates of heat transfer are much higher since the system behaves
like violently burning liquid.
7. Combustion efficiencies obtained are as high as 99.5%.
8. Coal with high content of ash can be used.
9. Volatilization of alkali compound does not occur, therefore, their
deposit on boiler tubes is minimized.
10. Size of plant and its cost is considerably reduced.

Disadvantages of FBC:
1. The coal feeding and ash handling systems is complex.
2. It requires crushed coal of proper size.
3. It needs auxiliary starting system like an oil or gas burner.
4. Large variation in load cannot be met with.
5. Difficult to control carbon carryover with the flue gases.

Classification of Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers:

Fluidized bed combustion boilers are classified as follows:

A. Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers (CFBCB)

B. Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers (PFBCB)

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers (CFBCB):

The combustion chamber of circulating fluidized bed combustion boilers operates

under atmospheric pressure due to which these are also called as atmospheric
fluidized bed combustion boilers.These types of boiler are presently in developed
state and being used in many countries. These boilers are further classified as
underfeed and overfeed boilers depending upon whether the loading of fuel and
supply of air is from the bottom of the bed or on the top of the bed
respectively.The underfeed atmospheric fluidized bed combustion boilers are
compact in design; however, they have high operational costs. Whereas, the
overfeed FBCB are simple in operation with less operational cost but these give
lower heat transfer rates per m2 of area of bed. A CFBCB is as shown in fig.
These boilers are called as circulating type of FBCB since a good portion of
particles exit the combustion chamber with the flue gases. The particles are then
separated from the exhaust and reinserted into the fluidized bed system.The
fluidized air flows through the grid plate from the air plenum chamber into the
bed where the combustion of coal occurs. The coal is crushed between 6mm to 22mm
size before supplied to the combustion chamber with lime stone by the feed
hopper.The mixture of fuel and air becomes a swirling mixture in combustion
chamber and the rapid combustion takes place at temperature of 800-900˚C. Heat is
transferred to submerged tube bank. Lime stone allows the sulphur to remain in
the bed and formation of the H2SO4 is prevented. The lower combustion
temperatures prevent the formation of NOx, thus the inferior quality of coal can
be used and no pulverizer is needed.
The products of combustion leaving the bed contain large portion of unburned
carbon particles that are collected in cyclone separator. It separates the
carbon, particles from dust particles by centrifugal action. The carbon particles
are returned
back to combustion chamber to complete their combustion.The boiler water tubes
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are located in the furnace and the steam is generated at a rapid rate.
Advantages
1. Pulverized coal is not needed.
2. NOx formation does not take place.
3. Desulphurization of coal take place at the bed due to addition of lime stone,
therefore the exhaust gases can be cooled to lower temperature before
discharged through the chimney.
4. Slagging problem is reduced due to combustion at low temperature.
5. Low grade coal can be used.
6. Cheaper alloys can be used for its construction due to low combustion
temperature of fuel.
7. Heat release rates are 10 to 15 times higher compared to conventional boiler.
8. Size of plant is considerably reduced.
ized Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers (PFBCB):
Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers (PFBCB):

Pressurized FBCB is the latest system used for generation of power in which air
is supplied under pressure of at 10 bar approximately with the help of air
compressor driven by a gas turbine as shown in fig. the supply of air under
pressure results into better rates of heat transfer compared to circulating FBC
boiler.The mixture of fuel and lime stone is supplied under pressure to the
fluidized bed having a part of evaporator tubes immersed in the bed and remainder
tubes as free board tubes above the bed. The ash is collected at the bottom.The
flue gases along with unburnt carbon leaving the combustion chamber are passed
through a cyclone separator where the unburnt carbon particles are separated from
the gas due to cntrifugal action on the mixture. Separated carbon particles are
returned to the bed to complete their combustion.
The flue gases from separator are now passed through a dust separator. The
cleaned flue gas is then supplied to the gas turbine where it expands upto the
atmospheric pressure. The power of gas turbine is used to run an air compressor
for
supplying the compressed air to the combustion chamber.FBC systems have various
design e.g. FBC with gas turbine, FBC with steam turbine, FBC with SO2 recovery
system.

Advantages:

1. High rate of coal loading with high rate of combustion is achieved.

2. Load variation on plant can be met easily by varying the coal loading on
plant.
3. Considerable reduction in volume of furnace, hence size of plant is reduced.
4. High steam generation rates are achieved.
5. Low NOX emissions.
6. Reduced formation of SO2.
7. The cost of plant is reduced.
8. Requires reduced air velocity compared to CFBCB.

Disadvantages:

1. Combustion rates cannot be controlled.

2. Life of plant is low compared with conventional boiler.
3. Erosion of walls of furnace.
4. Complexity of operation.

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