FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTION

BOILER OPERATION

Presented
by

V.G.Shivaprasad

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF AFBC

BED MATERIAL & ITS PURPOSE
Air or gas is passed through an inert bed of solid particles
called bed material. sand or crushed refractory on grid (Bed)
Purpose of bed material:-
good mixing of fuel and air
maintaining uniform temperature
bouncy and gravitational forces are balanced &
ideal environment for excellent combustion is created
Ignition energy:-
For providing ignition energy pilot flame gas igniters or oil
guns or charcoal dipped in diesel are used.



BED MATERIAL FILLING
Remove pilot flame gas igniter and oil guns.
Supply the full load air by FD fan.
Maintain Furnace pressure between -3mmwc to
-5mmwc.
Start filling the bed material in all compartments .
Wind box pressure readings in all compartments are
to be uniform.


START UP SYSTEM

1. By external combustor
2. By oil burner provision inside
furnace
3. spreading LDO dipped charcoal
OPERATION
Close - Primary Air Line bottom gates.
Close - PA line individual dampers and
compartments.
Close - secondary dampers.
Close - oil burner air supply dampers.
Start - ID fan .
Open - first compartment damper and allow the
air per compartment.
Other compartments are to be checked one by
one.
Wind box differential pressure to be measured.
Finally allow the total air and open all
compartment valves.



COMPARTMENTAL OPERATION OF FBC BOILER

HOT START-UP
(1) When the bed material is above
600C:-
Oil burners are not required.
The coal can be supplied directly into
the bed gradually and raise the
temperature around 800-850C.
Bed temperature should not drop below
750C.
The other compartments can also be
made active by proper coal supply and
air flow.


Hot start-up contd
(2) If the bed temperature is less than
600C:-
Start ID fan, FD fan and PA fan as per
startup procedure.
If bed level is too high drain the bed
material.
Start the oil burners and raise the bed
temperature above 600C.



BED SLUMPING

During no load condition & shut down, bed slumping
operation required.
Combustion control has to be changed to manual
mode.
Reduce fuel flow and cut off fuel feeding to the
slumping compartments.
Slump the extreme bed instead of doing first or
middle bed
Reduce air flow and close the wind box damper of
the slumping compartment.
Finally completely put off the coal feeders and
primary air dampers of the slumped bed.
Further reduction in boiler loads, additional
compartments has to be slumped.


Turn down - Compartmental Operation
500
600
700
800
900
1000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Load, % MCR
B
e
d

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
,

D
e
g
-
C
12 - 37 %
28 - 65 %
46 - 90 %
60 - 110 %
SORBENT FEEDING

When the limestone is injected into the furnace, the
following reactions occur:-
Oxidation of sulphur
S+O
2
--> SO
2

Limestone is calcined to form calcium oxide
CaCO
3
--> CaO + CO
2
425 kcal/kg
Sulphur dioxide gas reacts with solid CaO
SO
2
+ 1/2 O
2
+ CaO --> CaSO
4
+3740 kcal/kg
The resulting calcium - sulphate based ashes are
chemically stable and are easily disposed.
This ash can be used as a raw material for cement
manufacturing, concrete blocks, road base, structural
fills, etc.



CFBC BOILER
COMBUSTION
Residence time is greater than conventional firing.
Ignition temperature is constantly supplied by a hot
bed material which act as Thermal flywheel.
Turbulence is promoted by fluidization.
Combustion takes place at 800-900C
resulting in reduced NO formation.

SO emissions can be reduced by the
injection of sorbent into the bed.
Combustion conditions are relatively
uniform through out the combustor.
The fluidizing velocity (4-6m/s) is
high.
The solids are separated from the flue
gases in cyclone separator.
Individual particles may recycle
anything from 10 to 50 times.

Combustion contd
The loop seal is a U-shaped refractive
line device which prevents gas flow
short circuiting from lower furnace to
cyclone.
The fuel is fed back to the boiler
through the loop seal return legs.
Ash and unburned carbon are re-
circulated, probably many times.
Because of recirculation of the bed
material, particle residence times are
relatively longer.

Combustion
contd

FACTORS AFFECTING COMBUSTION
Fuel preparation
Fuel handling
Velocity of air
Furnace pressure
SOx and NOx emission

CONTROLS
Combustion controls:-
Support fuel flow
Furnace pressure
Bed temperature
Bed level
Air flow
Limestone feed
Furnace safety controls:-
Different from PF boiler
To safely start-up, shut-down and monitor the boiler during
operation and equipment malfunction.
There is no distinct flame and the reliance on bed
temperature to ensure safety controls unique.






Turbine bypass system:-
Not common for all CFB.
Main system used for dissipating the
large thermal inertia of a CFB, when
there is a turbine full load trip.
The system is complex and uses of
large valves which have to open
quickly.

Controls contd
FBC ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGE
FBC advantage:-
Suitable for firing any kind of fuel.
No limitation on fuel quality.
Economy on construction.
Reduced maintenance.
No slagging & fouling on tubes.
Low Nox / Sox emission.
Low operating cost.
The ash quality is better & non-toxic, which can
be used for mixing with cement.

FBC disadvantage:-
In FBC boilers we can not turn off the boiler
instantly as we can do it in pulverized fuel boiler.



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