COMPARISON CHARTS BETWEEN PC FIRED COMBUSTION AND

CIRCULATING FLUIDISED BED COMBUSTION ( CFBC )

I.

Coal Acceptance in boiler

S.No.
Criteria
1.
Volatile Matter

II.

2.

Ash content

3.

Heat value of
coal

4.

Coal size

Pulverised coal 70% through

200 mesh.

5.

Moisture
Content

Moisture content to be
restricted to 30% total
moisture with maximum
surface moisture as 12%

CFB Combustion
Even lower volatile matter
acceptable
Even higher ash content coal
(40-45%) acceptable
Good combustion achieved
for lower calorific value
coals (even below 3000
Kcal/kg.)
(-) 6mm coal size with
certain limitations in
accepting oversize & fine.
Even higher moisture
content acceptable

Coal preparation and movement

S.No.
Criteria
1.
Coal
preparation

III.

PC Fired Combustion
Good combustion above 20%
VM
35-40% ash content coal
acceptable
Combustion good in the
range of coals having around
3800-4500 Kcal/Kg.

PC Fired Combustion
Coal preparation system
much more complicated and
maintenance prone since
pulveriser mills are required.

CFB Combustion
Coal preparation simpler
since it involves only
crushing and no pulveriser
mills are required.

Ash properties
S.No.
Criteria
1.
Fly ash

2.

Bottom ash

3.

Ash erosion
inside furnace

4.

Ash Melting
Temperature

PC Fired Combustion
Percentage of fly ash in total
ash generation & its
properties similar to those for
CFBC.
Bottom ash is more
aggressive than in CFBC.

Comparable with FBC and

avoided to a large extent by
proper shielding.
Low ash melting temperature
can lead to slagging.

CFB Combustion

Bottom ash generated is less

aggressive and easier to
handle due to less sintering
in CFBC.
Comparable with PC fired
combustion.
Better handling possible

IV.

Emmissions
S.No.
Criteria
1.
SO2 Emission

2.

V.

NOX emission

PC Fired Combustion
Uncontrolled, if without a
separate flue gas
desulphurization plant
Low NOX emission.

CFB Combustion
Controlled, since sulphur is
retained inside bed as
gypsum by addition of
limestone in furnace.
Even lower NOX emission
than PC fired boilers due to
lower combustion
temperatures.

Other comparison criterion

S.No.
Criteria
1.
Boiler
efficiency

PC Fired Combustion
Above 85% efficiency
achievable

CFB Combustion
CFBC boiler eff. is
comparable to PC fired
boiler
CFBC boiler comparable to
PC fired boiler.

2.

Unburnt carbon
losses

Low (<2%)

3.

Furnace
stability during
sharp load
changes.
Oil support
requirement

Good

Even better than PC fired

boilers.

Oil support is required when

burning Indian low VM coals.

Fuel flexibility

Fuel flexibility is much lower

than FBC boilers. Requires
changes in boiler design to
burn different fuels.

Oil support is not required

even with low VM coals (1618%).
Fuel flexibility higher than
PC fired boiler. Large range
of fuels can be fired in the
same boiler with adjustments
in air ratios and fuel feed.

4.

5.