CFBC Boilers

G.Sathiyan
Chief Manager/ TPS-II
 CFBC
In the olden days blacksmiths used to heat
the iron by placing it on a bed of coal.
Bellows provide air to the coal from the
bottom of the bed.
Fluidized Bed combustion is something
similar to this.
 Fuels
Wide range of fuels can be
successfully burned
Handle high sulphur, high ash,
high moisture fuels, pet-coke,
lignite, sludge and biomass.
 Comparison CFBC Vs PF boiler
Description CFBC Boiler PF Boiler
Fuel range Low grade fuel Limitation of ash and
moisture content.
Operating temp 700-950 C > 1350 C
Particle Movement Circulates repeatedly Once-through
Gas velocity 3-8 M/Sec 15-20 M/Sec
Soot blowers on water Not required Required
wall
Clinker formation No Yes.
Fuel preparation Crusher is required Mills are required.
Openings on water Very limited. Hundreds of openings
wall
 Comparison CFBC Vs PF boiler
Description CFBC Boiler PF Boiler

Fuel particle size Up to 12 MM < 0.15 MM

Sulphur capture < 200 ppm. >500ppm

Nox emission < 150 ppm > 400 ppm

Shut down Cooling High Less
period
Service water Less More
consumption
Erosion problem Low High

Auxiliary power 12-14 % 8-9%

consumption
 Advantages
Different type of fuel can be used.
High combustion efficiency.
Low combustion temperature.
Low emission level.
Quicker response to load.
Milling system is not required.
ABG & slag conveyor not required.
Low process water consumption.
Less wear and tear.
 Advantages
Less maintenance cost.
Low fuel cost and O&M expenses.
Crusher required not a pulverizer.
Low unburnt carryover.
No clinker formation.
Operation over a wide range of boiler loads is
possible.
Even fuel supply is totally cut, unit will sustain.
Firing can restored back without tripping of the
unit.
 Classification
Based on fuel used.
No. pant legs
Integral or non-integral FBHE
 BED MATERIAL
Crushed refractory grog / bed ash.
Size
100 % < 1 MM
80 % < 0.25MM
50 % < 0.15 MM
5% < 0.05MM
Bulk density: 1.5 to 1.7 MT/ Cu. Mtr.
Initial fusion temperature: > 1300 C.
 BED MATERIAL
Chemical composition
Al 2 O3 : 30 to 40 %
Si O2 : 50 to 60 %
Iron oxide : < 3%
Moisture : <1%
Quantity required
for 125 MW Boiler: 300- 350 MT.
250 MW Boiler : 700- 750 MT.
 Fuel size
Lignite particle size after crushing
100 % < 12 mm
90% < 10 mm
70% < 3mm
50% < 1mm
Lime size
100 % < 1 mm
Bulk density : 1 to 1.2 MT/ Cu. Mtr
 Boiler equipments
ID Fans : 2 Nos.
PA Fans : 2 Nos.
SA Fans : 2 Nos.
RAPH : 2 Nos.
Cyclone : 4 Nos.
Seal pot : 4 Nos.
FBHE : 4 Nos.
Blowers : 21 Nos
 Boiler components
Start up burner ( SUB) : 4 Nos.
Bed lance : 10 Nos.
Boiler lignite bunkers :4 Nos.
Lignite transport feeders : 4 Nos.
Bed material bunkers : 2 Nos.
Lime bunkers : 4 Nos.
Ash coolers : 2 Nos.
 Boiler details
MS Flow : 845.0 T/Hr.
MS Pressure : 175.0 kg/cm2(g).
MS Temperature : 540 C.
Feed Water Temperature : 256.0 C
HRH Pressure : 43 Ksc.
HRH temperature : 540 C.
COD of CFBC Boiler @TPS-II expn.
 CFBC main components

The combustor, cyclones, FBHE and

seal pot form an integral system
and constitute main components of
CFBC system.
CFBC Flow diagram
 Important components of
CFBC boiler
Combustor
It is rectangular. Enclosed by gas tight
welded membrane water wall.
Water wall hopper portion covered with
castable refractory to prevent erosion.
Bottom grate equipped with nozzles.
 Combustor
Properly sized solid fuel is fed in to the
combustor and burnt at relatively low temp.
Combustor inventory consists of combustibles,
bed material and lime powder.
The nozzle grate and the combustor bottom
section up to a height of 9 Mtrs are pinned and
lined with a refractory castable to protect the
tubes
 Nozzles
Hundreds of nozzles are arranged at the bottom
of the combustor for fluidizing the bed material.
Each nozzle consist of a nozzle tube covered
with a cap to prevent ash spillage through grates.
At full load, around 40% of total is fed as
primary air through combustor bottom nozzles.
Fluidizing nozzles
 Fluidizing nozzles
The nozzle grate forms the bottom of the
CFB combustor.
The object of the nozzles is to ensure
optimum distribution of the primary air over
the combustor cross section, a prerequisite
for stable combustion.
 Primary air supply
Preheated primary is supplied to ensure
circulation of bed material.
Circulation of bed material depends up on
velocity of primary air.
Primary air is fed to suit the requirement of
material circulation with regard to heat
transfer.
 Secondary air supply
Preheated secondary air is admitted in to the
combustor at multiple levels in a controlled
manner to suit air fuel ratio in the
combustor.
Separate ducts supply SA to start up
burners.
 Combustor pressure
The combustor pressure indicating the
pressure loss due to the solids inventory in
the combustor.
This pressure is used to control the ash
discharge via the combustor spiess valves to
the ash coolers to maintain a good operation
performance over the whole load range.
 Combustor pressure
A low P in shows low ash circulation rate
and a high P indicates a high ash
circulation rate.
Care should be taken to ensure that the
p combustor stays always within the range.
Combustor pressure around 100 mbar at
MCR, 220 mbar at minimum load.
 BLOWERS
Ash cooler
Seal pots
FBHE: Empty chamber,
Bundle chamber,
Exit chamber blowers.
Purge and seal blowers
 Cyclones
Completely lined with refractory.
Hot ash laden flue gases leave combustor
top side through side walls and enter
recycling cyclones.
Collects heavier ash particles from the flue
gases.
Collected ash particles is returned to
combustor via seal pots.
 Seal pot
The water cooled seal pots with an erosion
resistant lining, downstream of the
recycling cyclones are fluidized with air and
are ensuring a pressure seal between the
recycling cyclones and the CFB combustor.
 Seal pot
Ash discharged from the cyclone is returned
via spiess valve to the combustor.
A branch stream of hot ash can be diverted to
FBHEs via spiess valve.
Ash flow rate is controlled by using spiess
valve depending up on boiler load and
combustor temperature.
 SPIESS VALVES
In FBHE, heat transfer rate at SH / RH
bundles is controlled by the amount of hot
ash passing through spiess valve.
Spiess valves are adjusted according to boiler
load to maintain MST / HRH temperatures.
One spiess valve for each seal pot.
Two spiess valve for deashing provided at
bottom of combustor.
 FBHE
The FBHEs have water-cooled membrane
walls and consist of the three chambers.
Chamber 1: Empty chamber to steady the ash
flow entering the FBHEs,
Chamber 2 : Bundle chamber: Equipped with
a bundle of SH / RH coils / evaporator coils.
Hot ash is fluidized and heat transfer taking
place.
Chamber 3: Exit chamber: Cooled ash
collection is taking place. From here cooled
ash return back to combustor.
 FBHE
They are arranged down stream of the cyclones.
It gets hot ash from cyclone via spiess valve from
seal pot.
FBHE has empty chamber to steady the ash flow
entering the FBHE. Bundle chamber equipped with
SH / RH Coils. Air flow fluidizing is supplied by
separate blowers.
In the FBHEs, thermal content of hot ash is put to
effective use for super heating, reheating and steam
generation.
Cooled ash is returned directly to the combustor.
 CFBC
Circulating Fluidized Bed
combustion gives greater flexibility
in burning a wide range of fuel
without compromising efficiency
and with reduced pollution.
Fluidization of the fuel and the fuel
combustion takes place inside the
vertical chamber called combustor.
 Fluidized Bed
At the bottom of the boiler furnace a bed of inert
material is provided.
On the bed coal or fuel spreads.
Air supply is from under the bed at high pressure.
This lifts the bed material and the coal particles
and keeps it in suspension.
The coal combustion takes place in this suspended
condition. This is called Fluidized bed.
CIRCULATION OF MATERIAL
 Circulation
Fine particles of partly burned coal, ash and bed
material are carried along with the flue gases to
the upper areas of the furnace and then into a
cyclone.
In the cyclone the heavier particles separate
from the gas and falls to the hopper of the
cyclone. This returns to the furnace for
recirculation.
Hence the name Circulating Fluidized Bed
combustion.
 Circulation of bed material
The entire combustor contains a high
concentration of suspended solids, which
decreases continuously towards the top of
the combustor.
The very high internal and external
circulating rates of solids, characteristic of
the Circulating Fluid Bed, result in uniform
temperatures throughout the combustor
 Bed Material
To start with the bed material is sand. Some
portion is lost in the ash during the operation
and this has to be made-up.
In coal fired boilers the ash from the coal itself
will be the makeup material.
When firing bio fuels with very low ash
content sand will be the makeup bed material.
For high Sulphur coals Limestone addition to
the bed material reduces SO2emissions.
 BACK PASS

COMBUSTOR

COMBUSTOR CYCLONE ARRANGEMENTT

 Combustor
SUB

Primary air wind box

Lignite entry BED LANCCES

Rear pant leg

Front pant leg

Arrangement of Bed lances and lignite entry

 Hot ash from cyclone
FBHE-1
FBHE-4

Rear pant leg

Lignite entry

Front pant leg

FBHE-3 FBHE-2

ARRANGEMENT OF FBHE
 Outlet Inlet

Hot ash
from EC BC Ex.C
cyclone

SH/RH COILS

FBHE Air for fluidization

 CFBC
Combustor inventory is fluidized by primary air
introduced through a nozzles grate at the bottom of
the combustor.
Flue gas generated flows upwards with a velocity
of 5-7 M/ Sec.
Entire combustor contains suspended solid
particles with high concentration.
Flue gases carry a considerable portion of solid
inventory from the combustor.
 CFBC
Solid particles are separated from flue gases in the
recycling cyclones and continuously returned to
combustor.
Very high internal and external circulating rates of
solids, characteristic of CFBed, result in consistently
uniform temperature throughout the combustor and
recycling system.
About 40-50% of combustor air is passed as primary
air supplied at the bottom of the combustor.
 CFBC
Combustion taking place in two zones.
A primary reducing zone in the lower section.
Complete combustion is achieved with excess air
at the upper part of the combustor.
Long retention time of solid fuel and lime stone
in the system ensures high carbon burnt out and
suppress NOx formation.
 High efficiency
The long residence and contact times,
coupled with the small particle sizes and
efficient heat and mass transfer rates, results
in a high combustion efficiency.
Combustion of low grade fuels in a CFBC
system is therefore more stable and of high
efficiency.
Oil firing 0 to 45 % load
Solid fuel firing 30 to 100 % load
 Operation of CFBC
Sudden changes of temperature should not
occur in the combustion.
Correct excess air must be maintained.
The safety valve should not blow.
Steam pressure should not drop below the
normal value during normal operating
conditions.
Maximum steam temperature should not be
exceeded.
 Bed filling up
CFB combustor to be filled with bed
material prior to start-up to protect the
nozzles from direct exposure to the flame
during start-up operation.
Quartz sand with a size distribution of
90 95% between 0.05 and 0.3mm can be
used for bed buildup.
Quartz sand is highly abrasion resistant and
relatively insensitive to the temperature
peaks occurring during startup operation.
 Low Nox Emissions
Emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx)
are very low in CFBC boilers.
( < 150ppm)
This is due to the combination of
low combustion temperature and
staged combustion.
 Low SO2 Emissions
CFBC Boilers, do not require complicated
and expensive downstream flue gas
desulphurisation equipment to meet
environmental regulations.
Better sulphur capture with less limestone
addition.
Also improves heat transfer and lowers
emission level.
 Major concern in O & M.
Water Walls Tube Failures.
NMEJ Damages.
Clinker Formation.
Refractory Damages.
Fuel flow interruption.
Chocking of air heaters ( RAPH).
 Major concern in O & M.
Cooling period is high.
More maintenance period.
Bed material handling.
Ash cooler chocking.
Red hotness at cyclone and FBHE
 Water wall tube failures
Water wall tube erosion failures occurs
near man hole, SUB entry and lignite entry
areas due to fall of refractory.

Remedial actions: Thickness of refractory

and numbers of anchors welded are
increased at vulnerable locations.
 NMEJ Damages
NMEJs at flue gas path are critical in nature
and failure of which leads to Boiler
shutdown.
Failure of Combustor to cyclone, Seal Pot
to Combustor, PA wind box, and ash cooler
NMEJs borne for frequent damages.
 NMEJ Damages
Reasons:
High sealing gap between male & female
duct.
Improper erection.
Poor quality of material.
Remedial actions:
Use quality material suitable for particular
location.
Maintain correct sealing gap.
 Clinker formation

During mixed fuel (solid + oil)

operations
Oversize of the lignite.
Over riding of protections.
 Fall of refractory
Frequent failures of refractory at cyclone
Target area,
Bull Nose Area
Causes: Use of low abrasion resistance
refractory material.
Improper fixing of anchors.
Remedial action: Refractory (Alumina Content
80%) was introduced in cyclone bull nose
area, Target Wall Area in place of existing
dense refractory (Alumina Content 45%).
 Fall of refractory at FBHE
Failures of refractory at partition wall &
Empty Chamber side walls.
Causes: Use of low abrasion resistance
refractory material
Remedial actions: Use of castable refractory
of high alumina content.
Numbers of Anchors are increased.
Red hotness due fall of refractory
 LIMITATIONS
Availability.
Efficiency.
Emission level.
 Availability

Availability depends up on
Type of fuel used
Control operational parameters.
Maintenance practice followed.
 Effeciency
Fuel properties.
Combustion of fuel.
Optimum use of auxiliaries.
Maintenance practice followed.
 Emission
Fuel properties.
Maintenance of proper air regime.
Use of additives.
 Disadvantages

Auxiliary consumption is more

than PF boilers. ( 13-15 %).
Boiler down time is high.
Handling of bed material.
 CFBC Boilers
Circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) boiler
technology offers high reliability and
availability coupled with low maintenance
costs, and complies with stringent emission
regulations
Time for discussion
THANK YOU