The Cost-Efficiency Analysis of a System for Improving Fine-Coal Combustion Efficiency of Power Plant Boilers

Wilhelm Jan Tic and Joanna Guziałowska-Tic
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Wilhelm Jan Tic: Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland
Joanna Guziałowska-Tic: Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Hard coal is widely used as a source of energy, and a number of catalysts have been developed to minimize the noxious impact of this fuel on combustion. This paper presents the cost-efficiency analysis of a system for improving the combustion of solid fuels, especially fine coal, in power boilers. The system is provided with a control and supervision device. It has been designed for better accuracy in controlling the boiler operating parameters, with a view to improving combustion efficiency due to the use of catalysts. The tests were carried out for system capacities ranging from 3 to 100 MW. It was found that, depending on the size of the system in the range of 3–100 MW, savings in the fuel consumption ranged from 2% to 8% due to the implementation of novel solutions in the boiler plant operation and from 2 to 6% due to the use of the combustion catalysts. Apart from boosting energy efficiency, the use of catalysts and the efficiency-boosting system resulted in the costs of overhauls being cut by about 20%. The payback time depends on system capacities, and it is between 6.75 and 1.74 years for capacities ranging from 3 to 75 MW and 2.0 years for a 100 MW plant.

Keywords: fine coal; combustion; market analysis; Desk Research; efficiency; refurbishment; catalysts; payback time (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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