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Title: State of the art of pressurized fluidized bed combustion systems

Abstract

This report was prepared at the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to clarify the development status of the pressurized fluidized bed combustor (PFBC) and to place in perspective the problems which are yet to be solved before commercialization of the concept is practical. This report, in essence, supersedes the interim report published in 1979, Assessment of the State of the Art of Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion Systems. A brief overview of the PFBC concept is included citing potential advantages and disadvantages relative to atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC) and conventional pulverized coal plants. A survey of existing and developing PFBC experimental facilities is presented in some detail which includes the major accomplishments at the respective facilities. Recent data on plant emissions, turbine/gas cleanup systems, and overall efficiency are provided. Findings of several design studies are also discussed. The results of recent gas turbine and cascade tests have been encouraging although the full assessment of the accomplishments have not been made. The delay in construction of the Grimethorpe plant causes further delay in proof-testing full-size, rotating turbomachinery. Several parameters are recommended for further assessment in design studies including: (1) effect of turbine life on cost of power; and (2)more » effect of reduced gas turbine inlet temperature and pressure on cost of power.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5133280
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-7401
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTORS; MATERIALS TESTING; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TEST FACILITIES; COAL; COMMERCIALIZATION; CORROSION; COST; DEPOSITS; DESIGN; ELECTRIC POWER; ELUTRIATION; EMISSION; EROSION; FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION; FUEL FEEDING SYSTEMS; GAS TURBINES; HOT GAS CLEANUP; MEDIUM PRESSURE; PARTICLES; SERVICE LIFE; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; COMBUSTION; COMBUSTORS; ENERGY SOURCES; FOSSIL FUELS; FUEL SYSTEMS; FUELS; MACHINERY; OXIDATION; POWER; PURIFICATION; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TESTING; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY; 421000* - Engineering- Combustion Systems; 294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal

Citation Formats

Graves, R.L.. State of the art of pressurized fluidized bed combustion systems. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/5133280.
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Graves, R.L.. State of the art of pressurized fluidized bed combustion systems. United States. doi:10.2172/5133280.
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Graves, R.L.. Mon . "State of the art of pressurized fluidized bed combustion systems". United States. doi:10.2172/5133280. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5133280.
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@article{osti_5133280,
title = {State of the art of pressurized fluidized bed combustion systems},
author = {Graves, R.L.},
abstractNote = {This report was prepared at the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to clarify the development status of the pressurized fluidized bed combustor (PFBC) and to place in perspective the problems which are yet to be solved before commercialization of the concept is practical. This report, in essence, supersedes the interim report published in 1979, Assessment of the State of the Art of Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion Systems. A brief overview of the PFBC concept is included citing potential advantages and disadvantages relative to atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC) and conventional pulverized coal plants. A survey of existing and developing PFBC experimental facilities is presented in some detail which includes the major accomplishments at the respective facilities. Recent data on plant emissions, turbine/gas cleanup systems, and overall efficiency are provided. Findings of several design studies are also discussed. The results of recent gas turbine and cascade tests have been encouraging although the full assessment of the accomplishments have not been made. The delay in construction of the Grimethorpe plant causes further delay in proof-testing full-size, rotating turbomachinery. Several parameters are recommended for further assessment in design studies including: (1) effect of turbine life on cost of power; and (2) effect of reduced gas turbine inlet temperature and pressure on cost of power.},
doi = {10.2172/5133280},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/5133280
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  • ; ;
    This report was prepared at the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to clarify the development status of the pressurized fluidized bed combustor (PFBC) and to place in perspective the problems which are yet to be solved before commercialization of the concept is practical. The report is viewed as preliminary to a more complete and comprehensive work to be carried out during FY 1979. An evaluation of the PFBC concept cites potential advantages over atmospheric pressure fluidized bed combustors (AFBC) in the areas of combustion efficiency, sulfur retention, furnace design, power plant efficiency, and others. The key disadvantage ofmore » unproven hot gas cleanup and associated gas turbine technology is discussed in considerable detail. A survey of existing and developing PFBC experimental facilities is presented plus some results from the experimental programs. Recent design studies for full-sized PFBC power plants are reviewed with emphasis on key design parameters. Results for similar AFBC design studies are presented in contrast. The general conclusion drawn from this preliminary survey is that the potential advantages of the PRBC used in conjunction with a high-temperature (850/sup 0/C (1560/sup 0/F)) gas turbine will be difficult to realize due primarily to the formidable task of developing adequate hot gas cleanup and turbine systems, and due to the anticipated high cost of these systems.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    A study has been carried out to determine the state-of-the-art of instrumentation which is available for process control and safety in planned demonstration and commercial scale coal gasification, liquefaction, and fluidized-bed combustion systems. The study identified available instrumentation which will perform satisfactorily in these systems and pinpointed deficiencies for which instruments must be developed. The identified deficiencies fall into the same few categories for all processes considered. These categories are presented with associated physical parameters found in the various processes studied. Development of instruments to meet these deficiencies is recommended along with development of control valves and optimal control schemesmore » in order to assure the possibility of automatic control of the large scale coal conversion and combustion systems.« less

  • ; ;
    This report explores effects of alternative gas cleanup systems and utility combustion turbine designs on costs and turbine erosion, deposition and corrosion tolerances for pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC) power plants. The first type of turbine design variation involves ruggedization to increase expander tolerances to the degrading tendencies of PFBC expansion gases which contain particulate and chemical contaminants. The second type of variation involves turbine design to permit expansion of PFB combustion gases below 1000/sup 0/F. Such turbine designs would be applied to PFBC turbocharged boilers. Utilizing these turbine designs, three specific turbine/power plant configurations operating with alternative gas cleanupmore » systems are evaluated and compared. One plant configuration utilizes an existing conventional utility turbine; the second utilizes a ruggedized version of that machine; the third uses a turbine specially modified for the PFBC turbocharged boiler. The alternative gas cleanup systems involve proven cyclones and advanced ceramic bag and candle filter devices currently being developed. Since ruggedized and low temperature utility turbines do not currently exist, specific flow path designs for these turbines matched to the specified power plant configurations were obtained in this work. To minimize the cost of providing ruggedized and low temperature turbines for PFBC power plant applications, the machines identified for evaluations are modified versions of existing turbines. Using the expander flowpath descriptions, maintenance intervals and corrosion potential were estimated and compared for all three turbines operating with their respective power plants and alternative gas cleanup systems. Turbine and gas cleanup equipment costs are also estimated and compared for the three PFBC power plant configurations. 14 refs., 14 figs., 17 tabs.« less

  • ; ;
    This effort was conducted to provde supporting data for the research and development program on pressurized fluidized bed combustor (PFBC) systems being continued under the auspices of the Office of Coal Utilization of DOE. This report deals with the first phase of the effort, designated Task 1, which was scoped to be a somewhat broad review of PFBC technology and an analysis to determine its potential and sensitivity to key development needs. Background information pertaining to the application of PFBC to the market for coal-fired technology is included. The status of development is reviewed and the deficiencies in data aremore » identified. Responses to a survey of PFBC developers are reviewed with emphasis on the high risk areas of the PFBC concept. Some of these problems are: uncertainty of life of gas turbine components; lack of demonstration of load following; and hot solids handling. Some high risk areas, such as the gas cleanup or gas turbine systems, can be relieved by reducing the severity of design conditions such as the turbine inlet temperature. Alternate turbine designs or plant configurations are also possible solutions. Analyses were performed to determine whether the advantages held by PFBC systems in cost, efficiency, and emissions would be nullified by measures taken to reduce risk. In general, the results showed that the attractive features of the PFBC could be preserved.« less

  • ; ;
    Developing technology that utilizes pressurized, fluidized-bed combustion (PFBC) for electric power generation presents an extremely broad range of potential power cycle conditions (pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature, excess air level, combined-cycle configuration) for developers to choose. These conditions should be selected on the basis of overall plant performance - plant energy conversion efficiency, reliability, availability, controllability, cost of electricity, and environmental performance (SO/sub x/, NO/sub x/, particulates, solid waste). The choice of cycle conditions should be made in parallel with the selection of combustor operating conditions (velocity, bed depth, coal feed size distribution, sorbent feed size distribution, and sorbent type)more » and design concept. Westinghouse is developing a methodology for making these selections. In this report attention focuses on the key area of sulfur removal. The relation of the above-mentioned parameters and the combustor sulfur removal performance is presented on the basis of a thermogravimetric (TG) balance technique used to characterize sorbent sulfation kinetics. Projections and data obtained in a 1000 hr test program conducted in the National Coal Board's 6 atm unit are compared. The sulfur removal performance of some potentially commercial cycles (boilers and adiabatic combustors) is projected over a pressure range of 5 to 20 atm, and criteria for selecting combustor operating conditions are developed.« less