Technology Combat CO2 challenge

1. Introduction
Coal is the cheapest available fuel and its reserves are vastly distributed in India and around
the world, and these reserves are cheap to extract compare to other energy sources. Usage
of coal in thermal power generation allows the electricity utilities to produce large quantity of
electric power reliably. Thus over 40% of the world’s electric power is being produced through
coal fired power plants. Demand for electricity is growing at a very fast rate in developing
countries like China and India.
Unfortunately coal-fired power generating stations is also found themselves guilty of emitting
greenhouse gases. Technology can play a big role in curbing the CO2 emission by improving
the efficiency of the existing and upcoming coal fired power projects. Since coal will continue
to be a global energy solution provider, so future of all existing and upcoming thermal power
projects rest on the foundation of elements like:
- Modern cutting edge technology for enhancing efficiency in all coal fired plants and
- Uncompromising commitment towards safety, reliability and availability.

2. History Of Evolution of coal fired power plants

Coal fired power plants are broadly classified depending upon the pressure of the steam
produced by the steam generator:
- Sub-critical pressure (pressure is below the critical pressure of 22 MPa ),
- Super-critical pressure (pressures greater than the critical pressure of 22 MPa).
Among supercritical plants, those plants using the high steam temperatures (around
580°C and above) are termed as USC (ultra-supercritical) power stations. While plants
using further higher pressure and temperature 35.2MPa & SH /RH temperature of
700/730 ºC are termed as Advanced Ultra supercritical (A-USC) power stations

3. USC Steam Parameters and Cycle Efficiency (30 MPa-600°C/600°C):

The thermodynamic efficiency of the conventional (subcritical) single reheat cycle can be
improved significantly by increasing the temperature at which heat is added to the cycle (i.e by
increasing main and reheat steam temperatures). For every 20K rise in both main and reheat
steam temperatures will improve relative cycle efficiency by approximately one percentage point
over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, as shown in the figure
In a reheat cycle, increasing the main steam pressure will always improve the cycle efficiency
and this is the incentive for using supercritical steam conditions (>222 bar).However, it will be
recognized from the above Figure that the thermodynamic benefit of increased main steam
pressure at a given temperature is subject to diminishing returns. It is therefore generally
accepted that increasing the main steam pressure at superheater outlet above 300 bar with the
BAT main/reheat temperatures of 600°C / 620°C does not offer any further practical economic
benefits.
The overall improvement in relative cycle efficiency obtained purely from increasing steam
conditions at turbine inlet from 160 bar / 540°C / 540°C to 290 bar / 600°C / 620°C will be in
excess of 7%. This corresponds to a reduction in both fuel burned and boiler emissions of about
18% for a 46% net efficiency ASC plant compared to a 38%net efficiency subcritical plant. From
A-USC cycle(not yet commercially available) would offer a further step benefit in relative
efficiency improvement of about seven percentage points, giving a further reduction in fuel burned
and boiler emissions of about 15% compared with USC plant.

Design Features of the existing high efficiency USC Boilers

The best commercially available steels allow the construction of boiler plant for steam conditions
of 300 bar / 600°C / 620°C, for a wide range of coals, even those producing an aggressively
corrosive flue gas. The various components of the boiler are employed over a range of
temperatures, pressures and corrosive atmospheres, and oxidation conditions, and the range of
alloys necessary to best meet the design demands covers the simple carbon manganese (CMn)
steels, low alloy steels, advanced low alloy steels, the 9-12Cr martensitic family and the austenitic
range with chromium varying from 18% to in excess of 25%.
As per Mitsui Babcock preferred alloys for boiler heating surfaces are given below in table.
 Design Features of the existing high efficiency USC Turbines
New power plants designed for operation at these elevated steam conditions can also take
advantage of advanced turbine blading technology and state-of-the-art condenser configurations,
providing very low turbine exhaust pressures (ie high vacuum conditions in the heat sink) to
provide maximum power generation from the energy input, with the potential to provide large
quantities of low pressure process steam extracted from the turbine for district heating, industrial
use.

4. Technology Comparison of Supercritical, Ultra-Supercritical and Advanced

Ultra-Supercritical Steam Generator

A comparison of the key features of Super-critical, USC and A-USC are given in the Table-2
Most of the A-USC features are the same as for USC with particular exceptions related to
following:
i) Final superheater and reheater tube banks will use materials like 740H and 230 nickel.
ii) Steam piping is 740H nickel or better.
iii) Minimum circulation flow load is more likely 5% to 10% higher than USC which limits
temperature control range.

Table-2: Supercritical Technology Comparison

S.No. Feature Super-Critical Ultra-Super-Critical Advanced Ultra Super-
(SC)Plant (USC)Plant Critical (A-USC)Plant

1 Load Control Unit Load Master feed Firing rate demands Firing rate demands some
forward to firing and feed some use of frequency use of frequency control
water flow control
2 Pressure Constant Pressure Variable Pressure Variable Pressure Control
Control Control Control
3 Steam Feed water: firing rate Multiple stage spray Multiple Stage Spray
Temperature ratio, nominal single Attemperation vs Load Attemperation vs Load
Control stage spray Program Program
attemperator
4 Feedwater Feed forward with Unit Furnace Enthalpy Furnace Enthalpy
Control Load Master Differential Pick up Vs Differential Pick up Vs Load
Load and Trim with First and Trim with First Stage
Stage Attemperator Attemperator Differential
Differential Temperature Temperature
 5 Water All Volatile Treatment Oxygenated Water Oxygenated Water
Treatment (AVT) with full Treatment (OWT) with Treatment (OWT) with full
Chemistry condensate Polising full condensate condensate polishing, AVT
polishing, AVT used in used in early operation
early operation
6 Arrangement Tower and Two-pass Two Pass Two pass, Tower and
Configuration Modified Tower
7 Piping Material P22 P22 740H Nickel
8 Super heater T-22, 304H T-22, 304H, T-91,T- T-22, 304H, Super
Material 92,347HFG,310HCbN 304h,230,740H

5. Future Of Technology

5.1 A-USC Technology and Its Development Programme

Advanced Ultra-Super-critical (A-USC) technology is one in which the steam temperature is

raised to 700°C in order to increase the efficiency of coal fired power generation and to reduce
its CO2 emissions. This higher temperatures requires the materials like austenitic steels or
Ni (nickel) alloys.
But austenitic steels are subject to a significant degree of deformation at high temperatures
owing to their high coefficient of linear expansion resulted in manufacturing difficulties and
problems with thermal strain.
The problem with Ni alloys, on the other hand, is that segregation (changes in the material’s
internal structure) can occur in the manufacturing of large parts because the material’s
microstructure is sensitive to changes in temperature during in the manufacturing process.
This means that, even if a high level of strength characteristics are obtained at the test piece
level, ensuring that the strength satisfies the target throughout a large work piece is difficult
There is also the problem of cost, since austenitic steels and Ni alloys are more expensive
than high-Cr steel
Development of A-USC aimed at resolving the above issues related to materials development
and trial production and to achieve major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
This development continues with the aim being to construct a 550-MW demonstration plant
with steam parameters of 35 MPa/700°C/720°C.

Development of A-USC Steam Turbine

The commercialization of 700°C-class turbines required the development of a new Ni alloy
for use in the rotors, vanes, bolts, and other parts that would be subjected to 700°C
temperatures. The steam turbines also need to counter factors like corrosion resistance and
weldability issues of the Ni alloy.
To overcome these challenges, a new Ni-Fe base superalloy, was developed by improving
the composition of a base alloy (Alloy706), through the removal of Nb (niobium) and addition
of Al (aluminum). Alloy706 contains a high proportion of iron and does not include high-priced
elements such as Mo (molybdenum), W (tungsten), or Co (cobalt). The advantage of this is
that it makes the material one of the cheaper forms of high-strength Ni alloy.

Development of A-USC Steam Generator

The development of steam generators for A-USC steam conditions is a real challenge. Major
components, such as in-furnace tubing for the waterwalls, superheater/reheater sections,
headers, external piping, and other accessories require development and advancements in
materials technology to allow outlet steam temperatures to reach above 700ºC.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO)
Materials Development Program for A-USC technology includes task categories for
conceptual design and economics, material properties testing, steam-side oxidation, fireside
corrosion, welding and fabrication techniques, coating development, and testing. Ni alloy
 tubing with excellent creep rupture strength is essential for the high-temperature parts of a
700°C-class A-USC boiler using Alloy617, Alloy263, and Alloy740 as a base.

5.2 Integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC)

IGCC is similar to NGCC, but the fuel gas is first produced from coal, in a gasifier, then
cleaned before firing in the gas turbine (see Figure 3). Gasification of coal is achieved through
partial combustion at pressure in a limited supply of air or oxygen, with or without added
steam. Heat from the gas production and cooling stages is used in the steam cycle.
There are different possible configurations of IGCC, depending on the type of gasifier and
also on the degree of integration of sub-systems, particularly oxygen production. IGCC is
notable for low NOx emissions and very low SO2 and dust emissions. Efficiency is high and
can be comparable with that of supercritical PCC plants.

6. Conclusion
Today most people admit that coal must remain a backbone of the country’s fuel mix in order to
avoid any potentially devastating economic consequences. The same rational people express
concern about the climate change. Thus it creates a difficult equation. Solution lies in usage of less
coal, reduce greenhouse gas emission and keeping electricity affordable not by reducing the amount
of electricity produced with coal through the implementation of advanced coal-fueled generating
technologies can be seen as immediate solution in all the upcoming projects. These ultra-
supercritical coal-fired plant consumes less coal and emits less CO2 per kilowatt generated. In short
we must adopt advanced technologies to capture the positives of coal like lower electricity costs,
plentiful domestic fuel source, while addressing the environmental negatives.

Pratosh Saxena
G.M. Engineering
TATA PROJECTS LIMITED
Corporate Office 1-7-80 to 87
Prenderghast Road, Secunderabad
-500003, India Tel: +91-40-6623 8912
Fax: +91-40-66312533
Mob: 8499991060
Email: pratoshsaxena@tataprojects.com