Design Considerations of B&W Internal Circulation CFB Boilers

S. Kavidass K.C. Alexander

Babcock & Wilcox Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A. Presented to:

Power-Gen Americas 95

Babcock & Wilcox Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A.

BR-1602

December 5-7,1995 Anaheim, California, U.S.A.

Abstract
Worldwide, the useof Circulating Fluidized-Bed (CFB) boiler technology is rapidly increasing due to the ability to burn low grade fuels while meeting the required NOX, SO,, CO, VOC, and particulate emissions requirements. The CFB boiler can produce steam economically for processand electric power generation. This paper discusses various aspects of Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) internal recirculation circulating fluidizedbed (IR-CFB) boiler design including fuel, boiler process parameters,and emissions.The B&W CFB boiler is unique in design. It utilizes proven impact-type particle separators (U-beams) with in-furnace solids recirculation. The paper describes the methodology for setting up process parameters, heat duty and boiler design, including auxiliary equipment selection and advantages.

Introduction
B&W has more than 35 years in fluidized-bed boiler technology and has developed four major product lines: atmospheric bubbling fluidized beds, atmospheric circulating fluidized beds,fast internal circulating bedsthrough a technical agreement with Austrian Energy & Environment, and pressurized bubbling fluidized beds. To date, B&W and its joint venture and licensee companies have sold more than 36 fluidized-bed projects worldwide of which 10 are atmospheric circulating fluidized beds (see Table 1). In 1984, B&W licensed CFB technology from Studsvik A.B. of Sweden. B&W developed a boiler design based on Studsviks technology, then improved the original design concept. B&W now has worldwide ownership of this technology, including all patents.

Circulating Customer Ultrapower Ultrapower Sithe Lauhoff Ebensburg Pusan Thai Energy Grain Dyeing Co. Co. Ind. & Renukooot, University Carbondale, Carson, Co. Power West Plant Enfield,

Fluidized-Bed Location Maine, Maine, USA USA USA

Table 1 Boiler Experience

(B&W,

AE&E,

B&W

JV) Fuel Start-Up Date Chips Chips 1986 1986 1986 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995 Gas 1996 Coal 011

Capacity lblhr (t/hr) 220,000 220,000 164,000 225,800 USA 465,000 176,370 286,600 231,480 USA USA 120,000 48,000 (100) (100) (74.3) (102.4) (211) (80) (130) (105) (54.4) (21.8) Coal, High Coal Coal, Wood Wood Wastes Wastes Wood

&Wood &Wood Wastes Coal

Jonesboro, Marysville, Danville,

California, Illinois, USA

Bituminous Ash Waste & Heavy Lignite, High Petroleum Sewage

Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, Pusan, Republic of Korea Rayong, Thailand India Illinois, California,

Petrochemical

011 & Gas

Kanoria Chemicals Industries Ltd. Southern Illinois

Ash Coal Coke & Natural

Los Angeles County Sanitation District (3 boilers)

Sludge

B&W has built several CFB pilot units at its Alliance Research Center to investigate the process and characterize performance of various fuels and sorbents. This includes a 0.7 x 0.7 x 7 m cold CFB model, 0.23 x 0.23 x 10 m (0.28 MW,) CFB combustor and a 0.7 x 0.7 x 23 m (2.5 MW,) CFB combustor. All of these facilities are used to evaluate innovative concepts for components or process changes. A unique 2.5 MWt CFB facility provides results representative of commercial-size unit performance. B&W has progressed through three CFB boiler design generations in the commercial market (Figure 1). In the first generation design, the U-beam separators are located outside the furnace, and all the separated solids recirculate via L-valves to the lower furnace. In the second genCumulative Efficiency Component Collection Efficiency

eration design, patented in-furnace U-beams were added. These in-furnace U-beams separate about 75% of the solids for circulation within the furnace. The remaining solids are separated by the external U-beams and recirculate through L-valves to the lower furnace. B&W now offers a third generation IR-CFB boiler design based on operating experience from the two coalfired second generation CFB boilers and results from the 2.5 MW, CFB test facility. In this design, all solids collected by U-beams are internally recirculated by way of the upper furnace. B&W is the pioneer and leader in developing the internal circulation CFB boiler. Also, design improvements have been made in several areas for higher availability and lower maintenance. Currently two of these all internal recirculation (IR-CFB) boilers have been sold and units are being proposed up to 150 MWe while pursuing units 200 MW, reheat and above. This paper focus on non-reheat IR-CFB boiler design considerations.

Economic

Advantages

of a CFB Boiler

A - First Generation

Cumulative Comoonent

Efficiency fi:.
B - Second Generation

Efficiency Collection

75% 75%

97.5% 90.0%

r\

r\

99.7% 88.0%

The primary objective of selecting a CFB boiler is to reduce capital and operating costs. CFB boilers provide the economic viability for burning low grade fuels with superior environmental performance. The economic advantages of a CFB boiler are mainly due to the following: Accepts low quality, less costly fuels. Offers greater fuel flexibility (within the specified range) as compared to pulverized coal (PC)-fired boilers. Reduces the fuel crushing (coarser feed size) cost. Lower capital cost (no expensive pollution control equipment) and lower operating cost.
l l l l

B&W IR-CFB

Boiler

Cumulative Efficiencv Component Collection Efficiency

Flow Control C -Third Generation

Illustrated

values

are based

Note: on 100 units

of solids

exiting

the furnace

shaft.

Figure

B&W

CFB

solids

circulation

schematics.

In the B&W internal recirculation circulating fluidizedbed boiler, a portion of combustion air (say 55%-70% fuel based) is introduced through the bottom of the bed. The bed material consists of char, lime, spent sorbent, sand (no limestone is used), and ash. The bottom of the bed is supported by water-cooled membrane walls with air nozzle for air distribution. The fuel and limestone are fed into the lower bed. In the presence of fluidizing air, the fuel and limestone quickly and uniformly mix under the turbulent environment and behave like a fluid. Carbon particles in the fuel are exposed to the combustion air at fluidized-bed temperatures of 843 to 899C (1550-1650F). The balance of combustion air is admitted as overfire air at two levels at the top of lower furnace, both furnace front and rear walls, through special nozzles for staged combustion. This staged combustion limits the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOJ. The fluidizing air velocity is greater than the terminal velocity of most of the particles in the bed, thus the fluidizing air entrains the solid particles and carries them through the combustor shaft. The solids distribution in a CFB furnace is such that a high density region exists in the bottom of the furnace (dense bed) and a lower density region exists in the shaft of the furnace (dilute bed). The transition between these two regions is gradual. The entrained solids and gas mixture enters the two rows of in-furnace U-beam separators where about 75% of solids, including unburned carbon and unutilized calcium oxide (CaO), are separated and returned to the furnace internally. The remaining 25% of the solids

Babcock

& Wilcox

is separated by the external four rows of U-beams and transferred to the furnace just below the in-furnace Ubeams. All collected solids return to the lower furnace, falling as a curtain along the rear wall. The lines collected by the secondary separator (multicyclone dust collector, MDC) are also recirculated to the lower furnace to minimize carbon loss and increase the limestone utilization. Solids refluxing inside the furnace provide intensive solids mixing and longer particle residence time to enhance fuel burnout and improve sorbent utilization. It may be necessary to provide supplemental inert solid bed material such as sand to maintain furnace inventory when a fuel with low ash and low sulfur content is used. Bed drain solids are cooled with or without recovery of the solids sensible heat. The fines classified by the fluidized-bed cooler, if used, are reinjected to the furnace. B&W IR-CFB boilers operate at relatively high solids densities in the upper furnace compared with some other CFB units. This provides a high rate of gas-solids reaction for combustion and good sulfur capture, and enhances heat transfer between the bed and the furnace walls.

excess air, bottom/fly ash split for ash, inert/sorbent, MDC or electrostatic precipitator (ESP) solids recycle rate, Ubeams and MDC solid collection efficiencies, primary (PA) to secondary air (SA) ratio, and flue gas temperature entering and leaving the air heater. A special feature of B&Ws CFB heat and material balance is that it incorporates two step solids separation and recirculation. Also, fly ash may leave the boiler as a MDC or ESP first-pass (in the case of ash recycle from ESP first-pass) purge in addition to the ash disposal to the baghouse or ESP. The fuel efficiency is predicted based on the performance test code PTC 4.1 heat loss method and the American Boiler Manufacturers Association recommendation for sorbent sulfation and calcination and radiation loss. Bed drain cooler solids outlet heat loss is accounted for in the efficiency calculation. B&W IR-CFB boiler radiation loss is close to that of a conventional PC-fired boiler. Some of the typical output data established from the heat and material balance program are fuel flow, sorbent flow, sand flow, primary and secondary air flow, flue gas flows, boiler efficiency, heat input and output, bed drain solids rate, convective solids loading, MDC solids output, and flue gas and particle stream compositions. Furnace Design Procedure The success of any CFB boiler design and operation are vested on the furnace design. The important aspects of the furnace design are the furnace temperature, solids inventory and distribution, limestone and fuel particle size, gas residence time, furnace depth and furnace heating surface. The output data of the heat and material balance program are used as input to the furnace design program. Also, some additional process parameters are required to run the computer program: furnace height with effective heating surface in various zones, including division (evaporative surface) walls and wing (superheater surface) walls if applicable, heat release rate in various zones, lower furnace velocity 3.7 to 4.3 m/s (12-14 ft/s) and upper furnace superficial velocity 5.5 to 6.7 m/s (18-22 ft/s), furnace depth 3.7 to 4.6 m (12-15 ft), particle density and size for circulating solids, refractory height/thickness/ conductivity, solids mass flux at the furnace outlet, Ubeam cavity heating surface, etc. Predicted furnace performance includes the furnace vertical temperature profile, heat transfer rates to the water wall at different zones and cavities, solids bulk densities and furnace pressure drop profile, and furnace exit gas/solids temperature. In setting furnace surface, the furnace plan area is set by velocity and furnace height is set by residence time, with internal surface added as required to control bed temperature and satisfy heat absorption requirements. The furnace temperature is one of the key parameters in the CFB boiler design as it influences sorbent utilization to meet required SO, emissions, NOX emissions, combustion efficiency, and heat transferto the furnace walls. The furnace temperature is selected based on fuel properties (including fixed carbon to volatile matter ratio and ash composition) and emission control consideration. B&W has spent considerable effort establishing the heat transfer correlations and furnace design procedures for

IR-CFB

Boiler

Design

Procedure

B&W IR-CFB boiler design procedure is outlined including the methodology for determining heating surfaces: Data Required for Boiler Design Fuel: Fuel type and range of fuel properties, proximate and ultimate analysis, HHV or LHV, fuel ash chemical analysis to determine fouling and agglomeration and attrition characteristics. For significantly new fuels, bench scale combustion tests are recommended to determine fuel characteristics. Limestone: Chemical analysis, reactivity and attrition characteristics. Sand: Chemical composition, shape factor and hardness. Steam: Steam flow, superheater (SH) outlet temperature and pressure, feed water temperature at MCR and peak load conditions. Additional data on desuperheating spray water temperature, superheater steam temperature control range, and boiler turndown. Auxiliary Fuel: Fuel analysis for start-up and load carrying. Site Data: Site and ambient conditions. Emission: Emission requirements such as NOX, SO,, CO, VOC and particulate. Heat and Material Balance Including Boiler Efficiency B&W has established CFB functional methods, based on pilot facility test data for various fuels and commercial operating boilers data base, to select the process parameters. The fuel (ash, moisture content, fixed carbon (FC), volatile matter (VM), total sulfur), limestone, and emissions data are carefully analyzed to run a computerized heat and material balance and fuel efficiency calculation program. The key process parameters used to establish the heat and material balance are steam conditions, furnace temperature, calcium to sulfur molar ratio (Ca/S ratio) for the specified sulfur capture efficiency, combustion efficiency,

Babcock

& Wilcox

CFB boilers. The furnace is typically divided, for heat transfer calculations, into as many as 8 to 10 zones depending upon the height of the furnace. A typical overall heat transfer coefficient (U,) of the furnace is in the range of 153.3 to 199 W/m*K (27-35 Btu/hr ft* F). The furnace evaporative heat duty and heat transfer is predicted using correlations that take into consideration radiation and convection (gas-wall and particle-wall) heat transfer for dense and dilute beds. The B&W CFB boiler design featuring MDC ash recycle to the furnace utilizes a high solids recirculation rate, thus establishing relatively high furnace inventory. IR-CFB upper furnace inventory is around 0.04 to 0.05 kPa (0.16 to 0.20 in. wg) per 0.305 m (foot) of furnace height. Typical temperature and density profiles are shown in Figures 2 & 3. A careful evaluation is done to select the optimum furnace with consideration to the performance requirement, capital cost and auxiliary power consumption. Convective Heating Surface Design The output data of furnace performance, and heat and material balance programs are transferred to the convective heating surface program to design the superheater, economizer and air heater. Other input data are typical for the convection surface design but have specifics for CFB conditions. The B&W IR-CFB boiler uses a pendant superheater design arrangement with the superheater located after the U-beam separator as shown in Figure 4. The flue gas velocity through the superheater is as low as 7.6 to 8.5 m/s (usually 25 to 28 ftis) and is very uniform across the superheater. As a result, the potential for erosion is greatly reduced. The economizer is designed for flue gas velocity of 7.6 to 10.7 m/s (25 to 35 ft/s), depending on the fuel and ash characteristics. The economizer is located in the second pass of the boiler. The economizer enclosure is made up of externally insulated 6.3 mm (0.25 in.) carbon steel plate.
-4 3OF k-

:irculating Gidized~ Bed Furnace Frel

Level - - - - -- -- DisenTrai 9;$l~eLl

of Secondary Air Injection I I

I I
A;r
Figure density

---- -OO hndbox Bulk Density,

I
lb/ft3

I \. J
(kg/d)

3 Typical profile.

atmospheric

pressure

circulating-bed

furnace

The economizer tube spacing and in-line arrangement minimize tube erosion and fouling potential. The economizer flue gas outlet temperature is selected considering the feedwater temperature plus 42 to 56C (75 to 100F) for the optimum heat absorption split between the economizer and air heater. The economizer feed water outlet temperature is normally limited to 42 C (75F) less than saturation temperature. The tubular air heater is designed to recover the remaining heat in the flue gas to meet the boiler efficiency requirement. B&W current design practice is to design the air heater with flue gas outside the tubes. The tubes spacing and arrangement are in-line, as in the economizer, to minimize fouling potential and erosion. The air heater
p-4

100 90 80 70 .c 6 al , 8 5 IL 60 50 40 30

Primary -Compact -Lower

Impact Soatblawerr arrangement velocity

1450

1500 Furnace

1550 Temperature,

1600 F

1650

Figure

IR-CFB

furnace

predicted

temperature

profile.

Figure

Third

generation

CFB

boiler.

Babcock

&Wilcox

is typically located after the MDC. Typical flue gas velocities used to design an air heater are 9 to 12 m/s (3040 ft/s). Air temperature entering the air heater is selected to prevent cold-end tube corrosion and is dependent on fuel properties and flue gas end temperature. Dewpoint corrosion potential from SO, is greatly reduced with infurnace sulfur capture. The typical values of combustion efficiency, excess air and furnace operating temperatures for an IR-CFB are given in Table 2.

i+Subcooled--Evaporation-Superheat+

I 0

I
10

I
20

I
30

I
40

I
50

I
60

I
70

I
80

I
90

I
100

Boiler

Heat Duty Distribution

Figure steam). 5 Typical IR-CFB

Actual Distribution, boiler heat duty

% distribution (water and

The boiler heat duty distribution is optimized by using the outputs from the furnace and convection pass calculations. The following heat balance equations must be satisfied: Heat Input - Heat Losses = Heat Output Heat Output =

Qfurn+ QsH+ QECo QAH +

qevap+
x sc %H-INFURN x (Tfr-Tsat)

Qfurn
4 evap

= UT

q SH = QSH %H-INFURN %H = MSF = MSF = MFV, = Mars

- %H-INFURN [hSH-INFROT thSHOT (hFV40 x chFGE - hSAl]

- hSH-INFROT) - hFWI) - hFGL)

QEC0 Qm

A typical IR-CFB boiler heat duty distribution is given in Figure 5. The final superheat temperature and the control range are set by the customer. Economic considerations are used to determine the superheater split and location for primary and secondary superheater surfaces, infurnace and convection surfaces and the amount of attemperator spray. Units producing saturated steam or with low superheater temperature may require a boiler bank to meet the additional evaporative heat duty. (See Figure 6). The economizer and air heater heat duty split requires a careful evaluation. The economizer heat transfer coefficient of 56.8 to 65.1 W/mK (lo-12 Btu/hr ft* F) is 2.5 to 3.0 times higher than the air heater heat transfer coeffi-

cient. To take advantage of this fact, it is desirable to maximize economizer heat absorption, except for cases when the air preheat must be maximized for combustion of high moisture fuels. Based on the computer performance analysis and optimized heat duty distribution, the boiler configuration is established. A typical B&W design configuration is shown in Figure 4. The furnace depth selection dictates the Ubeam length and furnace width decides the number of Ubeams. The superheaters, both primary and secondary, are located after the U-beams. The MDC is behind the economizer for secondary particle separation. The objective of placing the MDC after the economizer is to reduce the capital cost.

IR-CFB

Boiler

Design

Description

B&Ws IR-CFB boiler design has incorporated the following advanced features based on operating experience with coal and wood-fired CFB boilers: Improved fuel feed system Simplified MDC ash recycle system All pendant superheater Full internal solids recirculation system from the primary separator Reduced number of U-beam rows Furnace inventory control through adjustable MDC recycle rate
l l l l l l

IR-CFB Fuel Waste Lignite Sub-Bituminous Bituminous Bituminous Coal Coal Coal - High Volatile - Low Volatile - High Ash Coal Volatile) Coke Volatile Volatile Matter) Matter) Type Wood Combustion

Table Process

2 Parameters Excess 20% 15% 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 25% 25% Air Furnace 843C 843C 857C 857C 871C 871C. 885C 8850 885C Temperature 155OF 1550F 1575F 1575F 16OOF 16OOF 16OOF 1625F 1625F

Efficiency >99.5%

99.0-99.5% 98.5-99.0% 98.0-99.0% 97.5-98.0% 96.5-97.0% 98.0-99.0% 96.5-97.5% 96.0-96.5%

Bituminous Waste (Low to Medium Delayed Anthracite Anthracite Petroleum (6-8% (4-6%

Babcock

& Wilcox

----I-

Superheater

achieve the desired furnace temperature. The division walls 76 mm tube diameter on 102 mm centers (3 in. on 4 in. centers) span about 60% of the furnace depth and full furnace height. The wing walls 51 mm tube diameters on 63.5 mm centers (2 in. on 2.5 in. centers) are located in the upper furnace and extend down from the furnace roof near the front wall (See Figure 7). Length and quantity of steam-cooled wing walls are varied depending on final steam conditions.

II-IF
7efractory Figure 6 Southern Illinois University CFB boiler.

Economizer

The IR-CFB boiler design consists of the following major systems, shown in Figure 4. The main boiler design components are: Boiler furnace Primary air nozzles (bubble caps) U-beam solids separators and recirculation system Secondary solids separator and recirculation system Bed drain solids coolers Superheater and economizer Tubular air heater Fuel/limestone feed system
l l l l l l l l

Steam Cooled

Wing Wall

Boiler Furnace The furnace cross section dimensions are selected based on flue gas superficial velocity. Currently, B&W uses 3.7 and 4.6 m (12 and 15 ft) deep furnace. The furnace enclosure is made of gas-tight membraned water cooled walls 76 mm tube diameter on 102 mm centers (3 in. on 4 in. centers). The bottom, or primary zone, furnace cross section is reduced to provide good solids mixing and promote solids entrainment at low load. The auxiliary startup burners and flyash reinjection points from the secondary separator are also located in this region. In addition to the enclosure walls, internal heat transfer surfaces such as division and wing walls are used to

3 I4 in.

Ii,

in

Pin Studs Division Wall Cross Section

(Membrane) at Refractory Zone

Figure

IR-CFB

wing

wail.

Babcock

& Wilcox

A thin layer of refractory is applied to all lower furnace wall surfaces (including division walls) to protect against corrosion and erosion. B&W normally uses 16 mm (0.625 in.) thick refractory over a dense pin studded pattern. Refractory thickness selection sometimes may vary depending upon the fuel properties. An ultra high strength, abrasion-resistant low cement alumina refractory is used for the lower furnace. Refractory is also installed on the furnace roof tubes and each wing wall nose. B&W uses carefully designed overfire air nozzles to admit secondary air to complete the combustion through good flue gas/air mixing. Good mixing is achieved by using variable diameter high velocity nozzles in the front and rear furnace walls. Fuel/Limestone Feed System Fuel handling (crushing, storing and feeding into the furnace) is one of the major challenges in the CFB boiler operation, especially with opportunity fuels. The feed system should be designed to ensure reliable fuel feed over the CFB boiler lifetime with low maintenance. Fuel characteristics, including the flow properties, abrasiveness, moisture content, fuel size, etc., have to be investigated to select the proper feed system. Fuel is fed to the boiler front wall through a series of gravity feed chutes (see Figure 8). The fuel chute with stand pipe should have at least a 60 to 65 degree angle from horizontal. This system

also provides the seal between furnace operating pressure and atmosphere. Primary air is used to sweep the fuel into the furnace and as seal air to the feeder. The number of feed points is set to achieve fuel burnout in the furnace. Lower volatile fuels require fewer feed points. To reduce the number of coal feeders, bidirectional screws or a pair of drag chain conveyors can be used to connect the discharge of each fuel feeder to the individual fuel chutes. Limestone crushing, storing and feeding are relatively easy compared to the fuel when limestone moisture content is kept within an acceptable range. The limestone size distribution is important for sulfur capture, limestone utilization and inventory control. Limestone is fed either pneumatically or mechanically into the CFB boiler. In a mechanical system, the limestone is fed into the discharge end of the fuel feeder via rotary seal feeders. The limestone falls by gravity down the fuel feed chute with fuel into the furnace. The pneumatic system feeds the limestone directly in the furnace through furnace openings in the front and rear walls. The location and number of feed points is dependent on fuel properties and sulfur capture requirements. Primary Air Nozzles The windbox or air plenum is made completely of water-cooled panels except at the rear wall. Bubble caps are fitted on the distributor floor panel as shown in Figure 9. The B&W bubble cap pressure drop at full load is about 4 kPa (16 in. wg). The bubble caps are designed to distribute the air uniformly, prevent the back sifting of sol-

Lower Furnace Frontwall

Figure

IR-CFB

gravity

feed

chutes.

Figure

Furnace

distributor

plate

and

bubble

caps.

Babcock

& Wilcox

ids at low load operation, and create good turbulence and fuel/sorbent mixing in the primary zone. The bubble cap material is SS 304 and the nominal spacing between the caps is 102 mm x 102 mm (4 in. x 4 in.). U-Beam Solids Separators The solids separation system is a key element to any CFB boiler design, influencing both capital and operating costs. B&W has invested heavily in research and development to produce viable and economical U-beam separators as well as a functional mechanical collector. The U-beam separator is shown in Figure 10. The boiler has two stages of primary solids separators: in-furnace U-beam separators and external U-beam separators. The in-furnace U-beams (two rows) are able to collect more than 75% of the solids entering the primary separator. The flue gas velocity across the U-beams is approximately 8 m/s (26 ft/s), providing high collection efficiency and limiting the gas-side pressure drop to 0.25 kPa (usually cl.0 in. wg) as compared with cyclone-type separators pressure drop of 1.25 to 1.5 kPa (5 to 6 in. wg). The material used for U-beams is either TP 309 H/TP 310 H or TP 253 MA depending upon the furnace temperature. Four rows of U-beams are installed externally to the furnace and most of the remaining solids are collected by these U-beams. A particle transfer hopper is located at the bottom of the U-beams. The separated solids are discharged from this hopper directly into the furnace. An important technical feature associated with internal solids recycle system design is providing a pressure seal between the furnace and solids transfer hopper. To confirm validity of the internal recycle design, the concept was extensively tested at B&Ws Alliance Research Center. The test results from the 2.5 MW, test facility are given in Table 3. To prevent flue gas flowing from the furnace into the transfer hopper, the discharge opening and hopper internals are designed to operate with a column of falling solids

which forms a pressure seal. Providing the pressure seal in this design is an easier task as compared with the solids return to the lower furnace for two reasons. First, the pressure differential is much smaller at 0.5 kPa (typically < 2 in. wg), versus about 8 kPa (32 in. wg) at the lower furnace. Second, the pressure differential quickly decreases with load reduction while in the lower furnace the pressure remains essentially the same. Secondary Solids Separation and Recirculation System The multicyclone (secondary dust collector) is located at the bottom of the convection pass after the economizer and has a top inlet and side outlet. The multicyclone inlet velocity is chosen for 21.3 m/s (70 ft/s). The tube diameter is normally 229 mm (9 in.) arranged over the second pass entire cross-section. The MDC provides outstanding retainment of fine particles (size less than 60 pm) as compared to large-diameter hot cyclones used in cyclonetype CFBs. MDC collector tubes and spin vanes have high hardness (up to 550 BHN), designed for several years of useful life. The MDC tubes can be easily replaced during a planned boiler outage. The collected fines are stored in the MDC hopper. Variable speed rotary feeders are used to control the ash recycle flow from the hopper to the furnace. The ash is dropped onto an air-assisted conveyor which transports the solids for reinjection. By adjusting the rotary feeder speed the amount of solids transferred to the furnace can be changed for furnace temperature control. In some developing countries, MDC cost and availability are a major concern. To meet the CFB boiler requirements for these countries, electrostatic precipitator (ESP) first pass ash recycle is envisaged (see Figure 11). The ESP first-pass ash is relatively coarse and average particle size is around 70 pm. Collected ash is stored in a separate ash hopper, with controlled recycle in the furnace.

External In-Furnace U-Beams

U-Beams

Gas & Solh 1. Sidewall Membrane 2. U-Beam 3. Seal Baffle Panel

Solids Returned plan view. Figure 1 Ob

/ I1I
to
FL lrnace

H
Solids Returned Particle Storage to Hopper

Figure

10a

U-Beam

separators

U-Beam

separator.

Babcock

& Wilcox

Table Comparative Proximate Moisture Volatile Matter Fixed Carbon Ash Gross Ultimate Heating Value, Btu/lb % Analysis, Test Results %

3 at 2.5 MW, CFB Baseline 6.72 41.71 45.22 6.35 12,647 IR-CFB 5.55 40.58 45.01 8.86 12,199

Analysis,

Moisture Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen Sulfur Ash Oxygen (Difference) Total

6.72 69.72 4.92 1.26 3.59 6.35 7.44 100.00 Baseline

5.55 67.91 4.85 1.40 4.02 8.86 7.41 100.00 II?-CFB 20.9 25 622 202 1566 1585 1600 26.9 40.0 0.3610.64 1060 98.6 2.44 0.044 0.481 0.125 Figure 11 Kanoria CFB boiler.

Furnace Gas Velocity, ft/s Excess Air, % Coal Feed Rate, lb/h Limestone Feed Rate, lb/h Bed Temperature, F: Lower Furnace Shaft Furnace Exit Pressure Differential, in. wg: Lower Furnace Total Bottom Ash/Fly Ash Split Cyclone Recycle Flow, lb/h Carbon Utilization Efficiency, % Ca/S Molar Ratio Emissions, lb/l O6 Btu co so2 NO,

20.4 12 650 221 1545 1577 1586 28.2 40.0 0.4010.60 1464 98.3 2.87 0.246 0.097 0.069

superheater wing walls located in the furnace. The wing wall surface may be located before the primary superheater or between the primary and secondary superheaters. An attemperator is used to control the final steam temperature over the design load range taking into account potential upsets in the furnace heat absorption. The economizer is designed with tubes running front to back. The top row of economizer tubes is protected with full-length tube shields. No sootblowers are used for the pendant superheater or economizer. Air Heater The air heater design requires special attention to high solids loading, and ash erosivity. For the air heater located after the MDC, 12 gauge (0.109, in. thick) tubes are used. In the case of ash recycle from the ESP first-pass, a tube thickness of 11 gauge (0.120 in.) is recommended. A hopper may be provided at the bottom of the air heater. When the air heater is installed after the MDC, the ash collected in the hopper is purged to the ash disposal system. With ash recycle from the ESP first-pass, the ash collected in the hopper is recycled to the furnace. A steam coil air heater (SCAH) is used to protect the cold end of the air heater. If the air inlet temperature is greater than 66 C (150 F), a SCAH is not used.

Bed Drain Solids Coolers The purpose of draining the bed material from the furnace is to control the bed solids inventory and remove oversized material accumulated during operation. 203 mm (8 in.) diameter bed drain pipes are used to drain the material. The number of bed drain points is selected based on the furnace plan area and the fuel. The drained material is at bed temperature and carries a considerable amount of sensible heat. The material is cooled to an acceptable temperature before disposal into the ash system. Water-cooled screws or fluidized-bed ash coolers can be used for the bed drain cooling. The type of ash cooler depends on fuel properties, plant economics, heat utilization, and the need for bed material classification for reinjection of fines particles. Superheater and Economizer Superheater heating surfaces may consist of surface (primary and secondary) in the convection pass as well as

Advantages
l

of the B&W IR-CFB

Boiler

The boiler is compact with primary tors and internal solids recycle.

U-beam separa-

Babcock

& Wilcox

The boiler has a smaller footprint (typically 20-25% less building volume compared to a cyclone-based CFB boiler). Boiler design is especially suitable for repowering of PC-fired boilers where space is limited. Two stage solids separation provides for high carbon burn-up efficiencies, better limestone utilization and higher solids residence time. Dynamic load change response is achieved due to the absence of massive refractory and the ability to control furnace inventory using variable ash recycle from the MDC. Wide turndown ratio (5:l) without auxiliary fuel is possible due to the selection of furnace velocity and controllable solids recycle. Less refractory in the boiler provides for quick startup (< 6 hours) and less maintenance (hot cyclone has 4 times the amount of refractory). Higher boiler reliability and lower maintenance are achieved.

CFB Boiler Emissions Control Environmental regulations impose limits on emissions from boilers and combustion processes. The emissions limits vary, but the pollutants controlled are generally the same. These are sulfur dioxide (SO,), nitrogen oxide (NO,), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons and particulate matter. Circulating fluidized-bed boilers are designed to burn solid fuels while controlling many of these emissions. Control of SO, Emissions When sulfur bearing fuels are burned, most of the sulfur is oxidized to SO,, which becomes one of the constituents of the flue gas. When limestone is added to the bed in the temperature range of 8 16- 899C ( 1500- 1650F), it undergoes a transformation called calcination to form lime (CaO) by endothermic reaction: CaCO, + + CaO + CO, - 766 Btu/lb of CaCO, Once formed, solid CaO reacts with gaseous SO, and oxygen to form CaSO, according to the following exothermic reaction: SO, + /* 0, + CaO + CaSO, (s) + 6733 Btu/lb of S The resulting calcium sulfate is a chemically stable solid at fluidized-bed operating temperatures and is removed from the system for disposal. Sulfur dioxide reductions of 90% are typically achieved in a circulating fluidized-bed boiler with calcium to sulfur (Ca/S) mole ratios of 2 to 2.5, depending on the sulfur content of the fuel and the reactivity of the limestone. In general, the lower the sulfur concentration in the fuel, the greater the calcium to sulfur mole ratio must be for a given SO, removal efficiency. For removal requirements greater than 90%, the amount of limestone needed must be increased. Limestone utilization is also dependent on the bed temperature, decreasing quickly when the temperature is outside of a 8 16 to 899C (1500- 1600F) range. The physical properties and reactivity of limestone vary significantly and it may be necessary to try several different limestones before the best one is found.

Control of NO, Emissions NOX present in flue gas generally comes from two sources: the oxidation of nitrogen compounds in the fuel (fuel NOX), and the reaction between the nitrogen and oxygen in the combustion air (thermal NO,). As a result of the low temperatures at which a fluidized bed operates, thermal NO, makes a minor contribution to overall emissions. Circulating fluidized-bed boilers are also designed to suppress the amount of the fuel NOX formed. This is accomplished by supplying less than the theoretical amount of combustion air as primary air. As a result of this staged air admission process, some of the fuel nitrogen compounds released in the lower furnace decompose into molecular nitrogen rather than forming fuel NOX. The degree of air staging (or primary-to-secondary air ratio) is a function of the fuel. It is established when the boiler is designed to provide for both good combustion efficiency and low NO, formation. In practice, the primary-to-secondary air ratio may be adjusted, to a limited degree, to arrive at the best combination of fuel burnout and NOX emissions. Control of CO and Hydrocarbons Emissions A CFB boiler is designed to maximize combustion efficiency by minimizing unburned carbon, and the quantity of CO and hydrocarbons in the flue gas. This is done by choosing the bed temperature, primary-to-secondary air split, proper number of fuel feed points, proper design of the overfire air system, and providing sufficient furnace residence time for mixing and maximum fuel burnout. Since some of these factors also influence SO, capture and NOX emissions, a compromise is usually sought during boiler design and tuning to achieve the optimal overall performance. Typical NO, and CO values are shown in Table 4. Additional NO, reduction (40% to 60% of CFB process NO,) can be achieved by injecting ammonia (NH,) either in the upper furnace or after the U-beams. In both cases a sufficient residence time (not less than 0.5 set) shall be provided for NO, reduction reactions before gases enter Ubeams or the superheater surface, respectively. Control of Particulate Emissions To meet the particulate emission requirements, a final dust collector is required. Often there is a question whether

Typical Fuel Bituminous High Lignite Waste Petroleum Anthracite Coal Low Volatile Volatile

IR-CFB

Table 4 Emissions

(Ib/MBtu) NO, 0.05 0.10 - 0.10 - 0.15 - 0.20 - 0.25 - 0.20 - 0.15 co 10.20 10.10 10.10 50.06 10.20 10.25

and Sub-Bituminous Wood Coke

Coal

0.10 0.15 0.10 0.10

10

Babcock

&Wilcox

an ESP or a baghouse should be used. B&W usually selects a baghouse when limestone is used for sulfur capture. A baghouse is less sensitive to excursions in dust loading and ash content variation in the fuel. A baghouse has a high gas-side pressure drop of 1.5 to 2.0 kPa (6-8 in. wg) and requires occasional bag replacement, giving higher O&M costs than an ESP. An ESP can be selected as an alternate particulate control device where there is no limestone used for sulfur capture. The concern is that the presence of CaO and CaSO, affects the resistivity and may reduce the ionization potential. The ESP should have enough fields to accommodate excursions and fuel ash variation. ESP gas-side pressure drop is less than 0.5 kPa (2 in. wg).

solids recirculation. B&Ws IR-CFB simple and compact design providing operating costs and high reliability. Nomenclature Qrum - Furnace heat duty, Btu/hr

boiler features a lower capital and

U, - Overall furnace heat transfer Btu/hr ft F SC - Effective furnace heat transfer deg F T rum - Furnace temperature, T,,, - Saturation temperature pressure, deg F q,,~,,,,,, - In-furnace superheater

coefficient, surface, ft2

at boiler operating heat duty, Btu/hr

IR-CFB

Boiler

Existing

Contracts
boiler design

Two projects utilizing are in progress:

the B&W IR-CFB

QsH - Superheater heat duty, Btu/hr M,, - Steam flow, lbs/hr h SHOT- SH steam outlet enthalpy, Btu/lb h IN.FuRNOT- In-furnace steam outlet enthalpy, Btu/lb heat duty, Btu/hr flow, lbslhr outlet enthalpy, Btu/lb inlet enthalpy, Btu/lb h sAr - Saturated steam enthalpy, Btu/lb

Southern Illinois University IR-CFB Boiler Contract An IR-CFB boiler for Southern Illinois University (Figure 6) will generate 12.8 kg/s of 4.5 MPa/399C (101,500 lb/hr of 675 psig/750F) steam. This boiler will utilize Illinois bituminous coal and, as an alternate fuel, petroleum coke. The unit is also capable of carrying 67% load while firing natural gas. Boiler erection is in progress and start-up of the unit is scheduled for June 1996. Kanoria Chemicals IR-CFB Boiler Contract Another IR-CFB boiler design is being manufactured by Thermax Babcock & Wilcox Ltd. (TBW), one of B&Ws joint venture companies, which is located in Pune, India. TBW is supplying this boiler for Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd. in Renukoot, India. The boiler, shown in Figure 11, will generate 29.2 kg/s (231,480 lb/ hr) of steam with parameters of 6.3 MPa and 485 C (938 psig and 905 F). The fuel is high-ash low-calorific value subbituminous coal. Boiler erection is nearing completion and start-up of the unit is scheduled for December 1995.

QnCO - Economizer
M rW - Feedwater h rWO - Feedwater hrWI - Feedwater

QAH - Air heater heat duty, Btu/hr M oAS - Flue gas flow, lbslhr hroE - Flue gas enthalpy entering air heater, Btu/lb hroL - Flue gas enthalpy leaving air heater, Btu/lb References 1. Kavidass, S., Alexander, K.C., Belin, F., James, D.E., Operating Experience with High Ash Waste Coal in a B&W CFB Boiler, Power-Gen Asia 94, Hong Kong, August 23-25, 1994. 2. Belin, F., Maryamchik, M., Fuller, T.A., and Perna, M.A., CFB Combustor with Internal Solids Recirculation - Pilot Testing and Design Applications, 13th International Conference on Fluidized-Bed Combustion, Orlando, Florida, May 7-10, 1995. 3. Jones, C.S., Alexander, K.C., Belin, F., CFB Boilers for Ukrainian Low Grade Coals, Power-Gen Americas 94 Conference, Orlando, Florida, December 7-9, 1994. 4. Steam/its generation and use, 40th edition, Atmospheric Pressure Fluidized-Bed Boilers, Chapter 16, Babcock &Wilcox, 1992.

Conclusion
B&W has established CFB boiler design guidelines based on 35 years of fluidized-bed experience plus the knowledge gained from the test facilities and data from commercial operating units. This information and knowledge is integrated with sophisticated computer programs to provide the tools needed to design CFB boilers for specific fuels and other boiler requirements. CFB boiler designers use detailed information on fuel, sorbent, steam conditions, stack temperature and emission requirements for setting process parameters and boiler configurations providing an economic CFB boiler design. B&W CFB boiler design experience was utilized to develop an advanced design of CFB boilers with internal

Babcock

& Wilcox

11