Circulating Fluidized Bed Design Approach

Comparison
M. Maryamchik
D.L. Wietzke
Babcock & Wilcox
Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A.

BR-1706

Presented to:
POWER-GEN International 2000
November 14-16, 2000
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

Abstract
The paper provides an annual update of the latest experience
with commercially operating B&W IR-CFB boilers. Additionally, this paper presents a technical comparison of CFB boiler
solids separation designs. A number of case studies are analyzed
for different boiler capacities and fuel types, for both greenfield
and retrofit applications.

Introduction
There are two major types of CFB boilers competing in
todays market: hot-cyclone type and impact-separator type. The
hot-cyclone type unit has many varieties including plate cyclones, cooled cyclones, square cyclones (Compact) and internal furnace cyclones (CYMIC ). Each of those features
cyclone(s) immediately following the furnace along the gas path,
for separating solids from gases leaving the furnace.
The impact-separator type features a two-stage solids separation system with a primary stage being an impact-type solids
separator located at the furnace exit and providing separation
of the bulk of the solids. It is arranged as an array of U-shaped
beams (U-beams). The secondary separation stage is located in
the lower gas temperature region of the boiler convection pass
(may vary among projects from 150C to 500C). This stage carries out collection of the finest fraction of circulating solids and
employs either a mechanical dust collector (MDC) or the first
field(s) of an electrostatic precipitator (ESP).

Babcock & Wilcox

Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) and its licensees have mastered

the latter type of a CFB boiler. As the majority of or all solids
collected in the U-beams are Internally Recycled within the
furnace, the design is named IR-CFB.

Experience Update
Long-term B&W CFB performance can be illustrated by the
operational data from the boiler at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania,
firing waste bituminous coal (Figure 1).(1,2) This unit, designed
for 55 MWe capacity (211 t/hr steam flow), for the number of
years has operated at ~10% overload due to increased load demand. Boiler performance and availability are shown in Table 1
and Figure 2, respectively. This boiler has about 2/3 of its solids collected in U-beams recycled internally with the remaining 1/3 recycled through an external loop.
In later designs, represented by two boilers currently in operation, solids circulation from the primary collector back to
the furnace became entirely internal.(3,4) The first one, shown in
Figure 3, is located at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in
Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A. and is designed for 35 MWt output
for cogeneration application, utilizing high-sulfur, low-ash Illinois coal. This boiler features MDC as a secondary solids collector. Boiler performance and availability are shown in Table
2 and Figure 4, respectively.
The second boiler (Figure 5) is located at Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd. (KCIL) in Renukoot, India and is designed

Table 1
Ebensburg Operating Data
Operating Steam Flow, t/hr (klb/hr)

234 (516)

Steam Flow @ MCR, t/hr (klb/hr)

211 (465)

Steam Temperature, C (F)

512 (953)

Steam Pressure, MPa (psig)

10.6 (1540)

SH Steam Temperature Control Range, %

30-110

Load Turndown Ratio Without Auxiliary Fuel

5:1

Emissions
NOx, ppm (lb/106 Btu)
SO2, ppm (lb/106 Btu)
CO, ppm (lb/10 6 Btu)

<100 (<0.14)
<300 (<0.60)
<230 (<0.20)

Ca/S Molar Ratio

2.1-2.4

Figure 1 Ebensburg CFB boiler.

for 81 MW t output for captive power requirement, firing highash, low-sulfur coal. This boiler was supplied by Thermax B&W
Ltd., a joint venture company of B&W and Thermax of India.
This project utilizes the first two fields of ESP as a secondary
solids collector. Boiler performance and availability are shown
in Table 3 and Figure 6, respectively.
Table 4 is a chart comparing the design features of B&W IRCFB and Hot-Cyclone CFB.

The design provides effective use of in-furnace space utilizing a number of steam-cooled and water-cooled wing walls and
division walls. This boiler features a primary solids collector
combining two rows of in-furnace U-beams with three rows of
external U-beams. All solids collected in U-beams are recycled
internally to the furnace. The secondary solids separator (MDC)
follows a pendant superheater located after the U-beams. Solids collected at the MDC are recycled back to the furnace at a
controlled rate using inclined screw-conveyors and gravity
chutes. The MDC is followed by the economizer and tubular
airheater.
Crushed coal is fed through the furnace front wall using four
air-assisted chutes. Biofuel is fed separately through the front
wall using one air-swept spout. Limestone is fed pneumatically
to multiple injection points in the furnace primary zone.
Primary and secondary air are supplied by separate fans. Final solids collection is carried out with the ESP.

New Design Applications

The following projects in progress will be used as illustrations for the current IR-CFB design approach.
EC Tychy S.A., Poland
A boiler for Elektrocieplownia EC Tychy S.A. power plant,
Tychy, Poland (Figure 7) will produce 700 klb/hr (317 t/hr) steam
of 1740 psia/1005F (120 bar/540C). The boiler will fire a blend
of high-ash bituminous coal with up to 5% by heat input of
biofuels. The contract was signed in June 2000, and commercial operation is expected in late 2002.
Forced Outage

Boiler Availability, Percent

100

Planned Outage

1.2

1.9

Boiler Availability

3.9

2.6

5.3

95

9.4

8.4

Nesvetay, Russia
The compactness of the IR-CFB design is demonstrated in a
CFB repowering project at Nesvetay power plant in Russia.(5)

4.5

2.2

1.4

2.8

5.6

1.8

1.8
1.5

4.2

3.4
2.9

0.7
1.3

6.6

5.6

98.0

90
95.0

85

91.6

89.4

89.7

90.8

89.1

94.0

93.0

95.6
94.8

80
0
1991
(May-Dec.)

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

2000
1999
(Jan.-July) (Jan.-June)

Figure 2 Ebensburg boiler availability.

Figure
2

Babcock & Wilcox

Forced Outage
Commissioning Outage
Planned Outage
Boiler Available

Boiler Availability, %

100

1.4

95

11.0

10.3

89.0

89.7

4.9

10.7

90
95.1
85

87.9

80
85
1997
(Jul 15-Dec 31)

1998

1999

2000
(Jan-Jun)

Figure 4 SIU boiler availability.

furnace shaft velocity. The fuel choice determines furnace residence time that is require for achieving certain combustion and
sulfur capture performance. This residence time may then be
achieved using different gas velocities, thus different furnace
plan area and height. Furnace heating surface adjustment is accomplished using in-furnace division walls and wing walls.

Conclusion

Figure 3 Southern Illinois University IR-CFB boiler.

A two-stage solids separation system with internal recycle

of the bulk of circulating solids and controllable secondary recycle provides efficient boiler operation with precise process
control. It allows a flexible, compact, cost effective and high
performance CFB boiler design suitable for multiple fuels in
retrofit and greenfield applications.

The existing 50 MWe PC-boiler fires high-ash anthracite culm.

Figure 8 shows how the same capacity CFB boiler fits within
the bay occupied by the PC unit. The only required modification to the building is an increase of height by about 30 ft (9 m).
Anshan, China
Two 75 t/hr IR-CFB boilers were designed using size/cost
optimization opportunities provided by the wide range of the
Table 2
SIU Operating Data
Steam Flow @ MCR, t/hr (klb/hr)

46 (101.5)

Steam Temperature, C (F)

399 (750)

Steam Pressure, MPa (psig)

4.4 (640)

SH Steam Temperature Control Range, %

40-100

Load Turndown Ratio Without Auxiliary Fuel

5:1

Emissions
NOx, ppm (lb/106 Btu)
SO2, % removal
CO, ppm (lb/10 6 Btu)

<100 (<0.14)
90
<200 (<0.17)

Ca/S Molar Ratio

2.3
Figure 5 Kanoria IR-CFB boiler.

Babcock & Wilcox

Forced Outage

Table 3
Kanoria Operating Data

Planned Outage
Boiler Available

103 (227)

Steam Temperature, C (F)

483 (901)

Steam Pressure, MPa (psig)

6.2 (884)

SH Steam Temperature Control Range, %

60-100

Load Turndown Ratio Without Auxiliary Fuel

5:1

Emissions
NO x, ppm (lb/106 Btu)
<75 (<0.12)
SO2 (w/o reduction), ppm (lb/106 Btu) <300 (<0.60)
CO, ppm (lb/10 6 Btu)
not in contract
Ca/S Molar Ratio

NA

100

Boiler Availability, %

Steam Flow @ MCR, t/hr (klb/hr)

6.4

7.5

8.2

95

2.8

4.2

90

6.8

85

90.8

88.3
85.0

80
85
1997

1998

1999

Figure 6 KCIL boiler availability.

Table 4
Design Comparison: Babcock & Wilcox IR-CFB vs. Hot-Cyclone CFB
Boiler Feature

Babcock & Wilcox IR-CFB

Hot-Cyclone CFB

Solids Separation System

Two-stage
100% efficiency for d>80 micron;
50% efficiency for d<20 micron*

Single-stage
100% efficiency for d>100 micron;
50% efficiency for d=40-60 micron

Upper Furnace Density, lb/ft3 (kg/m3)

0.7-1.0 (11-16)*

0.5-0.7 (8-11)

Furnace Temperature Control

Desired temperature can be maintained

within +/- 5C interval for wide range of
fuels and operating conditions by
adjusting secondary recycle rate

May be controlled in some designs

using heat exchanger. Otherwise,
temperature is predetermined by
boiler design along with fuel and
limestone properties/sizing

Boiler Turndown Without Auxiliary Fuel

5 : 1

3.5 : 1

Thickness, in. (mm)

0.6-2.0 (15-50)

~3 (~75)

Covered areas

Lower furnace, U-beam zone enclosure

Lower furnace, cyclone, recycle loop

Hot-Temperature Expansion Joints

None

Number varies with arrangement

Furnace Shaft Velocity, ft/s (m/s)

16-24 (4.9-7.3)

16-18 (4.9-5.5)

Furnace Exit Velocity, ft/s (m/s)

21-32 (6.4-9.8)

75-85 (22-26)

High-Pressure Air

Not required

Required for J-valves

4 (1.0)
(U-beams + MDC)

6-8 (1.5-2.0)
(Cyclone only)

Lower

Higher

Refractory

Total Pressure Drop Across

Solids Separator(s), in. wc (kPa)
Auxiliary Power Consumption

* Recycling finer particles and higher upper furnace density increase furnace heat transfer rate, improve combustion efficiency and limestone
utilization.

Sufficient bed temperature at low loads is possible due to reduced recycle of cooled solids from U-beams and secondary collector.

5-10 times more than for corresponding IR-CFB.

Babcock & Wilcox

Figure 7 Tychy IR-CFB boiler.

CFB Boiler

PC Boiler (TP-230 type)

Figure 8 Size comparison of PC boiler firing anthracite culm and its repowering CFB boiler.

Babcock & Wilcox

References
1. Belin, F. et. al., Coal Fired CFB BoilersBabcock &
Wilcoxs Experience, International Joint Power Generation
Conference, San Diego, California, October 6-10, 1991.
2. Alexander, K.C. and Eckstein, T.G., Maintenance Experience with Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers, Competitive
Power Congress 94, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 8-9, 1994.
3. Belin, F. et. al., Update of Operating Experience of B&W
IR-CFB Coal-Fired Boilers, 15th International Conference on Fluidized Bed Combustion, Savannah, Georgia, May 16-19, 1999.

4. Maryamchik, M. and Wietzke, D.L., B&W IR-CFB

Boiler Operating Experience Update and Design, Power-Gen
International 99, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 30-December 2, 1999.
5. Berdin, S.V. and Shaposhnik, D.A., Prospects of Using
Circulating Fluidized Bed Technology in Power Plant Retrofits, Tyazholoye Mashinostroyeniye (Heavy Mechanical EngineeringRussian magazine), 2000 (in Russian).

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