Greenhouse Gas Emissions Control by Oxygen Firing in
Circulating Fluidized-Bed Boilers
Project # 42205

Primary Performing Organization
Alstom Power Inc.

Burning fuel in enriched air or pure oxygen can produce a pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which provides great potential to reduce CO₂ separation and capture costs during combustion. This project is conducting economic evaluations of the recovery of CO₂ using a newly constructed circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) combustor while burning coal, petroleum coke, or biomass fuel with a mixture of oxygen and recycled flue gas, instead of air.  See graphic.

Project objectives address two phases and a testing methodology:

• The Phase I objective is to determine which of the new concepts in a CFB are technically feasible and have the potential to reduce the target cost of “avoided” carbon (reducing carbon emissions).
• Petroleum coke and coal samples will be tested in a 4-inch fluidized-bed combustion reactor to determine the potential to combine the gaseous and unburned carbon emissions and ash during combustion in oxygen-rich environments.
• The Phase II objective is to generate a refined technical and economic evaluation of the most promising concept for reducing CO₂ mitigation costs, based on data from proof-of-concept testing of Phase I.

The comparison of the several different technologies will target the most economical gas clean-up configuration.  Key results, using anywhere from 21% to 70% oxygen, are showing changes in efficiency, equipment costs, costs of electricity, and CO₂ mitigation costs.  Oxygen firing also has proven to lower NOx emissions.

Contact:
Project Manager:  Timothy Fout, timothy.fout@netl.doe.gov

Related Papers and Publications:

• O₂ Firing in Fluidized Beds Fact Sheet [PDF]