Flexibility of CFB Combustion: An Investigation of Co-Combustion with Biomass and RDF at Part Load in Pilot Scale

Jens Peters, Jan May, Jochen Ströhle and Bernd Epple
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Jens Peters: Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Jan May: Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Jochen Ströhle: Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Bernd Epple: Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Co-combustion of biomass and solid fuels from wastes in existing highly efficient power plants is a low-cost solution that can be applied quickly and with low effort to mitigate climate change. Circulating fluidized bed combustion has several advantages when it comes to co-combustion, such as high fuel flexibility. The operational flexibility of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) co-combustion is investigated in a 1 MW th pilot plant. Straw pellets and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) are co-combusted with lignite at full load and part loads. This study focusses on the impact on the hydrodynamic conditions in the fluidized bed, on the heat transfer to the water/steam side of the boiler, and on the flue gas composition. The study demonstrates the flexibility of CFB combustion for three low-rank fuels that differ greatly in their properties. The co-combustion of RDF and straw does not have a negative effect on hydrodynamic stability. How the hydrodynamic conditions determine the temperature and pressure development along the furnace height is shown. The heat transfer in the furnace linearly depends on the thermal load. It increases slightly with an increasing share of straw and the influence of the hydrodynamic conditions on the heat transfer was low.

Keywords: co-combustion; biomass; refuse derived fuel; circulating fluidized bed; renewable energy; flexibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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