Fluidized Bed Technologies for

High Ash Indian Coals –

A Techno-Economic Evaluation

Dr. D.N. Reddy, Director

Dr. V.K. Sethi, Research Adviser

Centre for Energy Technology,

University College of Engineering (Autonomous)
Osmania University, Hyderabad – 500 007,
India.
 INDIAN POWER SECTOR - TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
POWER DEVELOPMENT

 Total Installed Capacity … 103,000 MW

 Thermal Generation … over 70 %
 Although no GHG reduction targets for India but it has taken
steps through adoption of Combined cycles, Co-generation,
Coal beneficiation,Plant Performance optimization
 Long term measures like adoption of Clean coal technologies;
IGCC, FBC, Supercritical technologies
 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) conceived to reduce
cost of GHG mitigation, while promoting sustainable
development as per Framework Convention on Climate change
(FCCC) is being implemented
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRESENT STUDY...

 Environmentally benign Clean Coal Technology of

advanced Fluidized Bed Combustion is an ideal
technology for high ash coals
 Statutory use of washed coal for TPS >1000 km from the
pit head calls for setting up of washeries > 85 Million
tons / annum.
 Use of Washery rejects & Middling for Power
generation calls for adoption of CFBC technology
 The present paper deals with the techno-economic and
transfer of technology aspects of Clean coal technology
in general and CFBC in particular for inferior coals & in
refurbishment of old polluting plants
Energy Efficient Technologies
Technologies on Anvil for Power
generation using high ash Indian
coals:
Supercritical (SCR) & Ultra –
supercritical (USC)
Integrated Gasification Combined
Cycle (IGCC)
Fluidized Bed Combustion
 VISION 2020
PROGRAM

In-combustion Clean-up
Gasification using +
Fluidized bed
fluidized bed, moving bed
combustion (CFBC,
or Entrant bed Gasifiers
PFBC, AFBC)

Post combustion Clean-up-

Pre combustion Clean- Desulfurization
up beneficiation/washing (FGC systems) Supercritical

CLEAN COAL
TECHNOLOGIES

Technologies for utilization of Coal for Power Generation with minimal

pollutants discharged to the atmosphere (Reduced CO2, Sox, Nox,
SPM) at high conversion efficiency……….W.C.I.
 Super Critical PC Power Plant (15 oC Amb.)
60
Super Critical PC Power Plant (Indian Condition)
IGCC (15 oC Amb)
Net Thermal Efficiency (%)
55
IGCC (Indian Condition)
Sub Critical PC Power Plant (Indian Condition)
50 1500 oC
1300o C
623 oC
45 600o C
566 oC

40 Ceramic gas
1184o C turbine
650o C
35
540oC
30
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Year of commercial use

Fig.5 EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT FORECAST

CONVENTIONAL Vs IGCC(Courtesy BHEL)
The Principal advantages of
supercritical steam cycles are :-

Reduced fuel costs due to improved thermal efficiency

CO2 emissions reduced by about 15%, per unit of
electricity generated, when compared with typical existing
sub-critical plant
Well proven technology with excellent availability,
comparable with that of existing sub-critical plant
Very good part-load efficiencies, typically half the drop in
efficiency experienced by sub-critical plant
Plant costs comparable with sub-critical technology and
less than other clean coal technologies.
Very low emissions of nitorgen oxides (Nox) sulfur oxide
(Sox) and particulate achievable using modern flue gas
clean-up equipment etc.
 Front line issues are to be
reolved

Development of high
temperature creep resistant alloy
steels
Turbine material development
 Super Critical Technology-
Indian Perspective
Mega power policy of setting up of coal fired
supercritical/Ultra Supercritical units at pit-head
Cost of generation is least for pithead washed coal-
fired unit amongst all other supercritical units.
The optimum parameter for Indian conditions is
suggested as 246 kg/cm2 & 538/566C.
Based on transfer of technology model as per logic
diagram (shown next) the velocity of transfer of
technology for supercritical units is 2 ½ from the year
2000.
 IGCC TECHNOLOGY ...
 Gasification of coal is the cleanest way of utilization
of coal, while combined cycle power generation gives
the highest efficiency.

 Integration of these two technologies in IGCC power

generation offers the benefits of very low emissions
and efficiencies of the order of 44-48%.

 The comparative indices show that in case of IGCC,

emission of particulate, NOx and SOx are:
7.1%, 20% and 16%, respectively, of the
corresponding emissions from PC plant.
 Environmental performance of IGCC thus far exceeds
that of conventional and even supercritical plants.

 Three major areas of technology that will contribute to

improvements in IGCC are :
 hot gas de-sulfurisation
 hot gas particulate removal
 advanced turbine systems
 Commercialization of IGCC needs technology
demonstration at an intermediate scale of about 100 MW
to address the issues such as:
hot gas clean ups and system optimization and to
establish reliability and performance.

 This would also enable to design an optimum module for

air blown gasification, which in multiples would constitute
a commercial size plant in the range of 300-600 MW.
 Technology transfer related issues and techno-economic
analysis vis-à-vis CFBC are covered in the paper
 Identified R&D Areas in IGCC are:

Process optimization of selected gasification process

Improvement of design and reliability of plant components &

Resource Optimization

Optimization of overall plant heat integration and layout

Hot gas cleanup

COAL GASIFICATION – SELECTION OF
GASIFICATION PROCESS

The fluidised bed process has many technical and

environmental advantages over the moving bed
process, such as,

 The fluidised bed can use any amount of fines

whereas in the moving bed only 10% of fines can be
used.
 In the fluidized bed process, hydrocarbon, liquid by-
products such as tar, oil and gas-liquor are not
produced and, hence, the pollution is reduced.
 High ash coals can also be successfully gasified in
the fluidised bed.
 Experience on the fluidized bed process is,
very limited in the country.

 Internationally, the experience gained so far is

only for low ash coals.

 Thus there is a need for taking up extensive

R&D on IGCC Pilot Plant using high ash (40-
50% Ash) Indian Coal
 Technology-related issues in IGCC
 Design of Advanced gasifiers (optimum gas
composition, optimum scale-up etc.)
 Hot gas cleaning (de-sulphurisation and particulate
removal)
 Advanced gas turbines (blade design to sustain ash
laden gas)
 CO2 emission abatement in IGCC Power Plants
 Operating conditions of IGCC plants in transient stage
 Configuration of an optimized system for IGCC
Fuel – related issues

In a Raw Pet-Coke and refinery residue based IGCC

Plant
 System optimization, particularly the balance of plant
 Optimized Heat balance diagrams
 Scaling up of gasifiers to optimum size

In a Coal/Lignite based IGCC Plant

 Process & Plant conceptual design
 De-sulfurization of syngas of high sulfur coal and lignite
 Optimized Heat balance diagrams
 Super critical Vs IGCC in Indian context
 Application of ASME PTC-47 code for IGCC for high ash coals
and lignite
 SOME IMPORTANT FINDINGS ON
TECHNOLOGY ASPECTS OF IGCC...
 Reactive solid sorbent de-sulfurization combined with
hot gas cleaning through ash and sorbent particle
removal provides for higher energy efficiency to the
extend of 4-7%.

 The current Capital cost of building an IGCC power plant is

of the order of Rupees 6 Crore/ MW.

 Improvements in hot gas cleaning coupled with Cycle

optimization shall bring down the cost drastically to a level
of $ 1000/kW or about Rupees 4.5 crore/MW
 The efficiency of refinery bottom based IGCC unit will be
about 2% higher than that of coal based IGCC unit.

 Refinery based IGCC plants - Advantages

 Co-generation of steam

 Co-production of hydrogen gas & recovery of sulfur

element
 No use of limestone, as required for CFBC technology

 No requirement of extra land for disposal of solid

waste

 In the long run the refinery based IGCC technology is

equally attractive to coal based IGCC from economic
and environmental considerations.
A GENERALIZED SCHEME FOR
TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
 The first step in the scheme is to disintegrate the
Power plant concept into components, sub systems,
production chain, production technologies
 Next step is the Value addition to each element of
the production chain
 Assessment of necessity of Import and Calculation
of indigenous production share
 Calculation of Velocity of the Transfer of Technology
both at normal pace as well as accelerated pace
1
Typical results of the velocity of TOT are : -
(With year 2000 as base)

 IGCC (oxygen blown) - Pet coke

Normal pace ---- 5 years
Accelerated ---- 2  years

 IGCC (Air Blown) ---- Coal

Normal pace ---- 7 years
Accelerated ---- 5 years
)
SOME FINDINGS RELATED TO TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLGOY (TOT)

 At present it may be prudent to implement the project

in phased manner to absorb the risk of gasifier in the
total project wrap-up guarantees

 A Technology Transfer model for determination of

velocity of Transfer of Technology (TOT) is an useful
tool for TOT of a frontier technology from a developed
economy to a developing economy
PHASED CONSTRUCTION

16
Circulating fluidized Bed Combustion
Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC)
technology has selectively been applied in India for
firing high sulphur refinery residues, lignite, etc.
In the overall terms the CFBC is superior to PC as
follows:
- Lower NOx formation and the ability to capture SO2
with limestone injection the furnace.
 - Good combustion efficiencies comparable to PC

 -The heat transfer coefficient of the CFB furnace is

nearly double that of PC which makes the furnace
compact.
- Fuel Flexibility: The CFB can handle a wide range
of fuels such as inferior coal, washery rejects, lignite,
anthracite, petroleum coke and agricultural waste
 ¨ CFBC Vs Other Clean Coal Technologies
ITEM CFBC PF+FGD/SCR IGCC

Cycle Eff. % 34.8 36.7 41-42

Relative Capital 1.0 1.03-1.19 1.15-1.42

Cost/kW

Relative O&M 1.0 1.49 0.8-0.98

Cost/kW

At present pulverized fuel firing with FGD are less costly than
prevailing IGCC technology. However, firing in CFB Boiler is still
more economical when using high sulfur lignite and low-grade
coals and rejects.
 Revamping of Old Polluting PC Boilers by
CFBC Boilers
 Renovation & Modernization (R&M) and Life Extension (LE) of old power plants is a
cost-effective option as compared to adding up green field plant capacities.

 Growing environmental regulations would force many utilities within the country to go
for revamping of these polluting old power plants using environmentally benign
technology.

A mere refurbishment by the same type of new boiler would not provide the right
solution today. There is desperate need to revamp aging power boilers in India with
environmentally friendly technology, which will improve the thermal as well as
environmental performance.

 CFBC offers a promising technology on this front. This calls for boiler sizing within the
constraints of an old polluting plant

Some representative results follow ...