1/28/21

Online Preparatory Training Course

for
BEE Energy Managers /Energy Auditors
Certification Exam 2020

Paper-2: Ch- 2.6 FBC Boilers

Prepared by
[Link]
BEE Accredited Energy Auditor
Former Director ,AIP-NPC
Director, EnSave Consultancy and Training [Link]
[Link]
[Link]

© 2020 EnSave consultancy and Training 1

BOOK 2 - ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THERMAL UTILITIES

Contents
1. Fuels and Combustion 6.1 Introduction
2. Boilers 6.2 Mechanism of Fluidised Bed Combustion
3. Steam System
6.3Types of Fluidised Bed Combustion Boilers
4. Furnaces
6.4 Retrofitting of FBC Systems to Conventional Boilers
5. Insulation and Refractories
6. Fluidized Bed Combustion 6.5 Advantages of Fluidised Bed Combustion Boilers
FBC boilers 6.6 Application Considerations with Biomass FBC Boilers
7. Cogeneration
8. Waste Heat Recovery
9. Heat Exchangers

© 2020 EnSave consultancy and Training 2

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6.1 Introduction
• Indian Coal- low quality, high ash content and
low calorific value.
• Traditional grate fuel firing systems have got
limitations and are techno-economically
unviable to meet the challenges of future.
• Fluidized bed combustion has significant
advantages over conventional firing
• compact boiler design,
• fuel flexibility,
• higher combustion efficiency • Various fuels - coal, washery rejects, rice
• reduced SOx and NOx. husk, bagasse & other agricultural wastes
can be burnt in boilers
• FBC capacity range availabe- 0.5 T/hr. to over
100 T/hr.

Principle of fluidization
Fluidized bed- (sand on fine mesh)
When an evenly distributed air is passed Primary air is supplied
to makes first contact with
upward through a bed of solid particles,
fuel.
the particles are undisturbed at low
velocity. Secondary air provides
As air velocity is gradually increased, a enough oxygen to
stage is reached when the individual complete the combustion
particles are suspended in the air stream & introduced over the
grate to react with volatile
– the bed is called “fluidized”.
matter
Bubbling fluidized bed Tertiary Air is injected
If further increase in air velocity, there is into a furnace in addition
bubble formation, vigorous turbulence, to primary and secondary
rapid mixing .The bed of solid particles air & It creates further
exhibits the properties of a boiling liquid turbulence and burns the
and termed “bubbling fluidized bed”. residual volatile matter
Combustion takes place at about 840OC to
950OC. Principle of Fluidisation

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Circulating fluidized bed

Fluidization depends on the particle size& the air
velocity.
Mean solids velocity increases at a slower rate than
gas velocity. The difference between the mean solid
velocity and mean gas velocity is called as slip velocity.
Maximum slip velocity between the solids and the gas
is desirable for good heat transfer and intimate
contact.
If sand particles in a fluidized state is heated to the
ignition temperatures of coal and coal is injected
continuously into the bed, the coal will burn rapidly
and bed attains a uniform temperature. The fluidized Combustion needs the three “T”s . In FBC,
• Turbulence is promoted by fluidization.
bed combustion (FBC) takes place at about 840 0C to • Improved mixing generates heat at lower
950 0C. temperature.
Since this temperature is much below the ash fusion • Residence time is many times greater than
temperature, melting of ash problems are avoided. conventional grate firing.
Limestone is used as particle bed, for control of sulfur Thus an FBC system releases heat more efficiently at
dioxide and nitrogen oxide lower temperatures.

Types of Fluidized Bed Combustion Boilers

Three types of FBC boilers:
1. Atmospheric classic Fluidized Bed Combustion System (AFBC)
2. Atmospheric circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion system(CFBC) AFBC BOILERS
3. Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion System (PFBC).

AFBC or Bubbling Bed

• Coal is crushed to a size of 1 – 10 mm and fed into the combustion
chamber. The atmospheric air,(acts as fluidization air and combustion air), is
delivered through the bed after being preheated
• velocity of fluidizing air is 1.2 to 3.7 m /sec. In-bed evaporator tubes in
the bed of limestone, sand and fuel for extracting the heat from the bed
to maintain the bed temperature. Bed depth is 0.9 m to 1.5 m deep
and the pressure drop 1 inch of water per inch of bed depth. About 2 to
4 kg of solids is recycled per ton of fuel burned.

The risk of clinker formation if the temperature exceeds 950 0C &

loss of combustion efficiency if the temperature falls below 800 0C.
For sulphur retention, the temperature to be of 800 0C to 850 0C.

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Fuel Feeding system

CFBC

Under Bed Pneumatic Feeding Over-Bed Feeding

Coal is crushed to 1-6 mm size and The crushed coal, 6-10 mm size is conveyed
pneumatically transported from feed from coal bunker to a spreader by a screw
hopper to the combustor through a conveyor. The spreader distributes the coal
feed pipe piercing the distributor. over the surface of the bed uniformly. This
eliminates transport lines, when compared
to under-bed feeding system

Electrostatic Precipitator
Electrostatic precipitator is a method of dust
collection that uses electrostatic force and consists
of discharge wires and collecting plate.
A high voltage is applied to the discharge wires to
form an electric field between the wire and the
collecting plate and it also ionizes the gas around
the discharge wires to supply ions.

Dust particles in the gas are charged by the ions.

Coulomb force caused by the electric field causes
the charged particles to be collected on the
collecting plate and the gas is purified.
ESPs can remove from 95% to 99% of fly ash from
the flue gas.

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Circulating bed boiler CFBC Boilers

CFBC technology has evolved to overcome the drawbacks

of conventional FBC BOILER.
Coal is crushed to (6 –12 mm size)
Particles are suspended in a stream of upwardly flowing air
(60-70% of the total air),
Fluidizing velocity from 3.7 to 9 m/sec.
The balance of combustion air is admitted above the bottom
of the furnace as secondary air.
The combustion takes place at 840-900 0C, and the fine
particles (<450 microns) are elutriated out of the furnace
with flue gas velocity of 4-6 m/s.
The particles are then collected by the solids separators and
circulated back into the furnace. Solid recycle is about 50 to
100 kg per kg of fuel burnt.
• No steam generations tube immersed in the bed. Generation
and super heating of steam takes place in the convection
section, water walls, at the exit of the riser. CFBC boilers are
economical and capacity range is 75 – 100 T/hr of steam.

Pressurised Fluid Bed Combustion

• PFBC is meant for large-scale coal burning
applications. The bed vessel is operated at
pressure up to 16 ata (16 kg/cm2).
• The off-gas from the fluidized bed
combustor drives the gas turbine. The
steam turbine is driven by steam. The
condensate from the steam turbine is pre-
heated using waste heat from gas turbine
exhaust and is then taken as feed water
for steam generation.
• PFBC can be used for cogeneration or
combined cycle power generation.
• By combining the gas and steam turbines
in this way, electricity is generated more
efficiently than in conventional system.
• Overall conversion efficiency is higher by
5% to 8%.

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Comparison of PFBC boiler versus

pulverized fuel boiler
• At elevated pressure, the
potential reduction in boiler
size is considerable due to
increased amount of
combustion in pressurized
mode and high heat flux
through in-bed tubes.

• A comparison of size of a typical

250 MW PFBC boiler versus
conventional pulverized fuel-
fired boiler is shown in the Fig.

Advantages of Fluidised Bed Combustion Boilers

• High Efficiency: 84 % (+ or - 2%)
• Reduction in Boiler Size:.
• Fuel Flexiblity: washer rejects, agro waste can be • Easier Ash Removal
burnt efficiently. • Fast Response to Load
• Pollution Control;SO2 formation can be greatly Fluctuations
minimised by addition of limestone or dolomite for • No Slagging in the Furnace-No
high sulphur coals. Eliminates NOx formation. Soot Blowing
• Low Corrosion and Erosion:are less due to lower • Provisions of Automatic Coal
combustion temperature, softness of ash and low and Ash Handling System
particle velocity (of the order of 1 m/sec). • Provision of Automatic Ignition
• No Clinker Formation : temperature of the furnace is System
in the range of 750–900o C.
• Less Excess Air – Higher CO2 in Flue Gas:20 – 25%
excess air only.

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Retrofitting of FBC Systems to Problems with Biomass FBC

Conventional Boilers Boilers
Retrofitting fluidized bed coal fired combustion
systems to conventional boilers has been carried out • Uneven spreading of biomass fuel on
successfully both in India and abroad. boiler grate leading to secondary
The important aspects to be considered in retrofit combustion in the super-heater zone,
projects are: resulting in overheating of super heater
tubes and fluctuations in steam pressure.
a) Water/steam circulation design • Frequent erosion of super-heater and
b) Furnace bottom-grate clearance economizer coils due to high silica
c) Type of particulate control device content
d) Fan capacity
• Tube fouling due to High extraneous
e) Availability of space.
matter in biomass (sand and mud) and
Conversion of a conventional coal fired system to a fluidized bed fluidized bed to be drained more
combustion system can be accomplished without effecting major frequently, with resultant heat loss.
changes, after making a cost-benefit analysis.
• Carbon and dust coating of boiler tubes
results in lowering of steam
Oil fired boilers can also be converted to coal fired fluidized bed temperatures, especially during soot
combustion systems. However it has to be examined on a case-to-case blowing.
basis.

Objective Type Questions

1. Fluidized bed temperature exceeding 950 o C in a FBC boiler may result in

a) sand heating b) ash fusion c) melting of lime stones d) ash carry over
2. For even distribution of fluidized air in AFBC boilers, which one of the following is used?

a) perforated metal distributor plate b) secondary air from sides

c) compressed air through nozzles d) none of the above
3. The difference between mean solid and mean gas velocity in FBC boiler is called

a) fluidization factor b) slip velocity c) settling velocity d) none of the above

4. In a CFBC boiler the capture and recycling of bed materials is accomplished by

a) bag filter b) settling chamber c) cyclone d) scrubber system

5. The efficiency of a typical FBC boiler would be around

a) 90% b) 80% c) 60% d) 50%

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Thank You
Q&A
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Save energy and water for Sustainable Life

© 2020 EnSave consultancy and Training 15

Objective Type Questions(Contd.)

6. In FBC boiler the combustion is carried out at a temperature
a) closer to steam temperature
b) below ash fusion temperature of fuel used
c) at adiabatic combustion temperature
d) at and above ash fusion temperature
7. Fuel bed temperature in a FBC boiler is about
a) 550 oC b) 900oC c) 1400 oC d) 1700 oC
8. Low combustion temperature in FBC boilers results in reduced formation of
a) SOx b) NOx c) CO2 d) O2
9. Electrical energy consumption for coal sizing will be maximum for
a) stoker fired boiler b) AFBC boiler
c) CFBC boiler d) pulverized coal boiler
10. SOx emissions in a FBC boiler fired with high sulfur coal are controlled by adding ____ to the
bed
a) Magnesia b) Limestone c) Sand d) Silica

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Short Type Questions

How SO2 emissions are controlled in a FBC boiler and describe the
S-1
method.
What are the important aspects to be considered for retrofitting a
S-2
conventional boiler to FBC technology?
S-3 What is the principle of CFBC (circulating fluidized bed combustion)
boiler?
S-4 Explain the difference between CFBC and AFBC

S-5 Explain the operating principle of PFBC Boiler.