CHAPTER 1: FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTION

1.1 Fluidized Bed Combustion

A fluidized bed is composed of fuel (coal, coke, biomass, etc.) and bed material
(ash, sand, and/or sorbent) contained within an atmospheric or pressurized vessel. The
bed becomes fluidized when air or other gas flows upward at a velocity sufficient to
expand the bed. At low fluidizing velocities (3-10ft/s), relatively high solids densities are
maintained in the bed and only a small fraction of solids are entrained from the bed (Black
and Veatch, 1996).

Fluidization is an operation by which fine solids are transformed into a fluid like state
through contact with gas (or a liquid). A fluidized bed displays characteristics similar to
those of a liquid. With the increase in gas velocity through a bed of granular solids, the
bed moves from one regime to another. (P.K Nag, 2008)

There are two types of fluidized bed combustors, these are:

a. Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) Boilers; and

The CFB Boiler provides an alternative to stoker or pulverized coal firing. It is

The use of CFB boilers is rapidly increasing in the world as a result of their ability
to burn low-grade fuels while at the same time being able to meet the required emission
criteria for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile
organic compounds (VOC), and particulates. The CFB boiler produces steam
economically for process purposes and for electric production (Woodruff, 2004).

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Figure 1.1 shows the construction of a circulating fluidized bed boiler.

Source: TSK Engineering, 2012

Figure 1.1 Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Construction

The advantages of a CFB boiler are reduced capital and operating costs that
result primarily from the following:
1. Fuel Flexibility- Special hydrodynamic condition in the CFB furnace allows an
excellent gas-solid and solid-solid mixing. Thus, fuel particles fed to the furnace
are quickly dispersed into the large mass of bed solids, which rapidly heat the fuel
without the support of an auxiliary fuel.
2. High Combustion Efficiency
3. It reduces the costs for fuel crushing because coarser fuel is used as compared
with pulverized fuel. Fuel sizing is slightly less than that required for stoker firing.
4. It has lower capital costs and lower operating costs because additional pollution
control equipment, such as SO2 scrubbers, is not required at certain site locations.
Of all the fluid bed technologies, the bubbling bed is the oldest. The primary
difference between a BFB boiler and a CFB boiler design is that with a BFB the air
velocity in the bed is maintained low enough that the material that comprises the bed

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(e.g., fuel, ash, limestone, and sand), except for fines, is held in the bottom of the unit,
and the solids do not circulate through the rest of the furnace enclosure. For new
boilers, the BFB boilers are well suited to handle high moisture waste fuels, such as
sewage sludge, and also the various sludge that are produced in pulp and paper mills
and in recycle paper plants (Woodruff, 2004).
Figure 1.2 shows the schematic diagram of a bubbling fluidized bed boiler.

Source: Steam Plant Operation, 2004

Figure 1.2 Schematic Diagram of Bubbling Fluidized Bed

BFB boilers have been found to be particularly attractive and economical in retrofit
applications and in cases burning biomass and waste fuels containing a high non-
combustible fraction. BFBs operate at lower superficial flue gas velocities than CFBs. This
creates a distinct stationary bubbling or churning bed of solids in the lower furnace where
the combustion takes place. BFB boilers operate with bed temperatures between 1,350
and 1,650°F (732 and 899°C) depending upon the fuel moisture, ash content, and alkali
content in the ash. Bed temperature is maintained for biomass and other high-volatility
fuels by adjusting the split between primary and over fire air and sometimes by the use
for flue gas recirculation. For coal, bed temperature is maintained by the use of in-bed
heat-transfer surface and compartmentalized wind box designs (Marks, 1951).

Figure 1.3 shows the schematic diagram of the proposed 405MW fluidized bed
power plant.

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Source: Power Plant Engineering, by Black and Veatch

Figure 1.3 System Diagram of a Proposed 405MW Power Plant

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1.2 Combustion

Table 1.1 shows the comparison of BFB, CFB, Stoker and Pulverized boilers. It
can be observed that fluidized bed boilers have the highest turndown ratio combustion
efficiency. Fluidized bed boilers have the least NOx emission, the SO 2 captured in its
furnace is about 80-90% therefore lesser amount of SO2 is emitted to the atmosphere.
The fluidized bed boiler is designed to operate with a bed range of 1500 0F-16000F,
because of this inexpensive material such as limestone (CaCO2) can be added to the bed
and acts as a sorbent to remove SO2 from flue gas.

There is also a reaction between nitrogen and oxygen at temperatures above 2700
°F that results in the formation of nitric oxide (NOx). The rate of this reaction decreases
rapidly as the temperature is reduced. With an operating bed temperature of between
1500 and 1600 °F in a fluidized bed boiler, the amount of NOx found is less than in
pulverized-coal and stoker-fired systems, which operate at higher temperatures.
(Woodruff, 2004).

Table 1.1 Comparison of Boilers

Source: Basu and Fraser, 1991

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1.3 Coal Selection Characteristics

The characteristics of the fluidized bed furnace will be used on the selection of the
coals will be taken from different countries which are near to the plant destination.
Fluidized bed boiler is the modern type for generating steam. The distinct advantages of
a fluidized bed furnace are:

 That it can burn fuels with high-sulphur concentration because of the addition of
limestone;
 The combustion process of the furnace allows fuel to burn with temperature
ranging from 1500 °F to 1600 °F;
 Coal with high ash fusion temperature can be utilized in the furnace;
 It is particularly attractive for difficult to burn fuels with high ash or moisture;
 Due to the low firing temperature of the boiler, the emission of NO x is reduced in
quantity; and
 Coal having a high moisture content is not a problem for a fluidized bed.

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