FLUIDIZED

COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Fluidization phenomenon
Fixed bed

Bubbling
fluidized bed

Circulating
fluidized bed

Pnematic
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

secondary
air

coal and
sorbent
refractory
chamber

chamber

circulation duct

steam
superheater

primary
air

water
heater

air
heater

exhaust

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
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
CO2

O2

SO2 CO2 HO
2

CnHm
coal
particle

CaO

splash-zone

CnHm

CO

CaO

CO2

HO
2

fines

CO2
O2

CO2

CO

CO2

CO

CO
char

sorbent
O2

CO2

bed

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:

COMBUSTION
FUELSseparator
1 cyclone
separator,AND
2 inner

CFB with cyclone separator

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Circulating fluidized bed boiler

flue gas

Circulating
fluidized
bed boiler
CFB-670
with
cyclone
separator

cyclone
coal

ash

secondary
air

coal

fluidizing air

air

air

air to siphon

flue
gas

Bottom of the CFB boiler

Bottom part of the furnace

CFB-670 boiler
bed
press.

furnace (lined with refractory )

IR detectors

bed
temp.

air nozzles

solids return

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
Temperature of the bed, Tz
Burnout of coal
Effectiveness of sulfur removal

1.1-1.2
850-870 C
96-98%
90%
(Ca/S = 1.5-2.6)
200-400 mg/m3

NOx emission

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

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Overbed

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.)

chutes with
air nozzles
(10 pcs.)
shorter cell coal feeders
(3 pcs.)

long
cell/rake
coal feeders
(2 pcs.)

CFB: gallery of coal handling

SELECTED FEATURES OF
FLUIDIZED BED BOILERS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Effectiveness of combustion in fluidized beds

Coal
Lignite
Hard coal
Anthracite

Time of burnout, s

Degree of
burnout, %

20 30
50 125
200 300

93 96
86 93
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

PF

High:
1100-1400 oC

Hard coal 31-33

Lignite

Low:
800-900 oC

Hard coal,
lignite, biomass,
wastes

CFB

Fuel sizing

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

< 0.3
mm

3-30
mm

Ash/
slaging

Melted/
yes

Not
melted/no

Comparison of thermal load of PF and fluidized

bed boilers
Type of boiler
Parameter
Surface thermal
load:
qA, MW/m2
Volume thermal
load
qv, MW/m3

CFB

BFB

PC

1.8-2.5

1.2-1.5

3.0-5.5

0.2-0.4
0.1-0.2
COMBUSTION AND FUELS

0.08-0.2

Comparison of PF and CFB ashes

Compound
CaO
SiO2
SO3
Al2O3
Fe2O3
MgO
Na2O
LOI

PF

CFB

2-12
40-55
0.5-6
13-30
4-17
1.8-8
0.3-0.7
0.7-15

25
26
10.8
9.6
15.4
0.8
0.4
2-12

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Developing trends
Scale-Up and Some Key References
UNIT CAPACITY (MWe)
600

SECOND
GENERATION
DESIGN

550
500

Lagisza

450
400
350

FIRST GENERATION
DESIGN

300
250

JEA

Turow 5

Turow 1

200
Nova Scotia

150

NPS

Vaskiluodon Voima
Kajaani

100
50
Pilot plant Pihlava

Kauttua

Tri-State
Leykam

Kokkola
Kuhmo
Pilot plant

Thai Kraft

0
1970

1975

1980

YEAR OF INITIAL OPERATION

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

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

Solids return leg

Solids return
channels

INTREX
Superheater

Air plenums

Integrated Heat Exchanger

Heat exchange from solid bed material
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
Low erosion rate due to low velocities
Resistant to Corrosion
Tube corrosion rate reduced by Cl-free
environment

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
Desulfurization

Cyclone

CaS

Ceramic
filter

Cyclone

Combustor
Partial
gasification

Gas
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