Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction
A power plant, also referred to as a power station, is an industrial facility that produces
electricity. Electricity is generated by transforming main energy sources into electrical
energy, hence serving as a secondary energy source (U.S. EIA, n.d.). Geothermal, nuclear,
and fossil fuel energy are the three main energy sources utilized in the production of
electricity. Fossil fuels are the most widely used energy source globally because of their
incredibly efficient operations and the convenience that comes with being able to reach
mining sites more easily. But when fossil fuels are consumed for energy, they are known to
release large volumes of greenhouse gases, which contribute to the dangerously changing
climate. Several advocacy groups have taken up the cause of closing coal-fired power
stations and switching to renewable energy sources as a result of this issue. Comparing the
cost and efficiency of renewable energy to coal-fired power plants is the only drawback. A
combustion technology that is known to lower the emission of dangerous compounds into the
air is used in numerous nations as a result of ongoing research aimed at increasing the
efficiency of these alternatives (ClientEarth, 2022).

The term "circulating fluidized bed," or CFB for short, refers to a type of power plant or
combustion technology that employs coal as its main energy source. Originally intended for
the chemical and industrial industries, CFB was later found to offer more benefits to the
electrical utility sector when compared to rival combustion technologies. Some of these
benefits include the following: low emissions of nitrogen oxide, low emissions of sulfur
dioxide, "fuel flexible" firing of a wide variety of solid fuels with different specifications,
low combustion temperature that reduced slagging and fouling tendencies, and more
(Babcock et al., 2020).

Circulating fluidized bed is a specialized combustion process wherein fuel particles (eg.,
coal, coke, biomass) are fed into the hot fluid bed, also known as the combustion zone. The
technology is widely recognized for its several benefits over traditional boilers, including its
fuel flexibility and, most importantly, its reduced emissions of hazardous pollutants like
sulfur and nitrous oxides (Babcock et al., 2020). The paper presents a discussion of designing
 a coal-fired power plant that utilizes CFB technology. It also aims to enlighten the readers
about CFB technology by discussing different systems and components found in it.

1.2 Basic Operating Principles

A system made up of bed material (such as ash, sand, or sorbent) and fuel (such as coal,
coke, or biomass) contained in a vessel under atmospheric or pressured conditions is referred
to as a fluidized bed. The bed becomes fluidized when air or another gas is added to the
system at an appropriate velocity. This indicates that the solid particles in the bed have fluid-
like characteristics and behave like a liquid that is about to boil. Particles mix and circulate
when gas flows upward at the right speed, generating a highly effective and dynamic
environment for a variety of processes. Fluidized bed systems are utilized in various
industries such as gasification, combustion, and chemical reactions because of their capacity
to promote effective solid-gas contact, improved mixing, and increased heat transfer (Black
et.al, 1996).
Two basic types of fluidized bed combustion systems exist: bubbling fluidized bed (BFB)
and circulating fluidized bed (CFB). The designers will design a power plant that uses a CFB
system.
BFB boiler is designed with a very large operating window to allow a wide range of fuels
to be burned, separately or in combination. Fuel qualities vary greatly, so this is required. For
instance, the moisture and heating values of biomass fuels vary greatly based on the year and
the source. The high degree of flexibility in BFB boiler design allows for easy air movement
between the bubbling bed and the overfire air system, as well as fuel delivery to the bed and
volumetric adjustments to the gas recirculation. Owners can control fuel costs and burn less
expensive opportunity fuels thanks to this operational flexibility (Babcock et al., 2020).
CFB boilers are built to withstand the most extreme circumstances, high-temperature,
high-pressure steam conditions are achievable for all fuels. They can also better withstand
tube corrosion, wear, and ash adhesion. Fuel-flexibility is critical for new plants to maximize
inexpensive fuels and avoid future price volatility and supply risks. The multi-fuel CFB can
co-fire a wide range of fuels, with up to 100% biomass or RDF streams (Sumitomo, 2022).
The Table below shows the comparison of BFB and CFB.
 Table 1.x Comparison of BFB and CFB

Feature BFB CFB

Bubbling bed with distinct gas
Continuous circulation of gas and
Gas-solids flow regime bubbles and dense emulsion
solids [2]
phase[1]
Particle size Larger particles (0.5-2 mm) [3] Smaller particles (60-150 μm)[3]
Fluidization velocity Lower[3] Higher[3]
Wider range of fuels, including high-
Limited to low-rank fuels with low
Fuel flexibility rank coals, biomass, and waste
heating value [4]
materials [4]
Combustion efficiency High, but lower than CFB Very high
Lower NOx and SOx emissions than
Emissions Even lower emissions than BFB [6]
conventional technologies [6]
Power generation (smaller scale),
Power generation (larger scale),
Applications industrial boilers, biomass
chemical processing, drying, coating
combustion

Source: [1] Wei, 2021 [3] Vakkilainen, 2017

[2] Miller, 2017 [4] Tillman, 2018

The Table above shows the comparison of both BFB and CFB. The gas-solid flow
regime of bubbling bed has a dense emulsion phase, while the CFB has continuous of gas
and solids. In addition, the particle size for the BFB has larger particle sizes that ranges from
0.5-2mm while CFB has smaller particle sizes that ranges from 60-150 μm. The fluidization
velocity for BFB and CFB is lower and higher, respectively. On the other hand, the fuel
flexibility of BFB is limited to only low-rank fuels that has low heating value, and the CFB
has wider range of fuels. For the combustion efficiency, the CFB has higher combustion
efficiency compared to BFB. The Figure below shows the illustration for the bubbling
fluidized bed.
 Figure 1.x Bubbling Fluidized Bed Illustration

The Figure above shows the illustration of a BFB and its process on how it works. Figure
1.x shows the illustration of a circulating fluidized bed.

Source: Researchgate

Figure 1.x Circulating Fluidized Bed Illustration

1.3 Proposed Project

The proposed project is a coal-fired thermal power plant with a 200 MW total design
capacity. The specified amount of power will be produced by four 50 MW Circulating
Fluidized Bed (CFB) boilers. The low-quality coals used in these boilers will be discussed in
more detail in the upcoming chapter.
The designer recommended the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) method for their project.
Higher slip velocities and intense fuel and air mixing in FBC boilers result in higher mass
transfer rates and heat output, which raise combustion efficiency. The low SOX and NOX
emissions of the fluidized bed boiler, which are the outcome of staged combustion, was
another factor in the decision to choose it for the project.
The suggested power plant would only use 10% of the plant's internal power or input
power (Morse, 1953). The summary of proposed project is shown in the Table below.
 Table 1.x Summary of Proposed Project.

Design Capacity = 4 x 50 MW
= 200 MW

In-house Capacity = 10% of input power

= 0.1 x 200
= 20 MW

Contract Capacity = Design Capacity – In-house

= 200 MW – 20MW
= 180 MW

The entire design capacity is 200 MW. However, 10% of its design capacity is needed for
the in-house, meaning that the contract capacity is 180 MW overall.
The design of the proposed powerplant will include six (6) major systems, which will be
then discussed in the following chapters. The following systems are:
1. Coal handling system;
2. Gas Loop system;
3. Power Loop system;
4. Water Loop system;
5. Ash Handling system; and
6. Auxiliary system