European Bio-Energy Projects

POWERFLAM2
Objectives
The programme aims to coordinate and
provide synergy between results obtained
from a range of different complimentary
techniques to allow substantial increases
in the co-firing of biomass and bio-waste
materials with coal in large utility boilers.
The techniques to be used range from
measurements obtained on large utility
boilers, to those on pilot and simulation
rigs and various laboratory techniques.
These measurements will be used to
correlate and calibrate computational fluid
dynamic (CFD) simulations of the various
complex processes occurring (see figure
1). This will be followed by neural network
analysis of the plethora of data obtained to
provide working tools for the utility
operators. When integrated together, it will
allow operators of large pulverised coal
boilers to evaluate the effects of different
levels of substituting / co-firing upon the
whole performance of the boiler.
PowerFlam2 programme
Background
Fossil fuel is still the main source of energy
conversion for the power industry. It is likely to
be dominant for many years to come since the
development of renewable energies, in terms of
affordable and reliable technology, is low.
Electricity generation via fossil fuel is in the
100’s MW per installation whereas equivalent
biomass output is generally in the 10’s of MW
range. Europe has to face the fact that
generations using traditional fuels are
fundamental to the increasing demand for energy.
The use of coal within this sector is also vital to
meet the needs of supply and demand. The
infrastructure is well established and the
technology is mature, but the environmental
consequences are also known. Fuel substitution
offers a route to use the existing European
power plant infrastructure to reduce the
equivalent amount of available carbon for energy
conversion, thereby having a considerable
influence on CO2 reduction from this crucial
industrial sector.
Challenges
Although co-firing of biomass and bio-waste has
been practised in a number of plants, the practice
is not widespread. A recent survey by a trade
association representing large utilities, VGB
Powertech E.V. (formerly VGB Technishe
Vereinigung Der Grosskraftwerksbetreiber E.V.),
showed that only 29 out of 353 power plants
surveyed employed any form of co-firing. Barriers
to substantially increased co-firing arise from a
number of technical, economic and operational
factors. A number of critical technical factors have
been identified, including the effects of the co-
148
firing fuel on slagging and fouling in
the system, downstream deNOx systems,
environmental impact and the quality /
marketability of the ash. There are no models or
techniques at the moment that would allow an
operator of a large utility boiler to ascertain
whether a particular form of biomass material or
waste can be successfully co-fired.
Programme structure
The programme will be delivered by a consortium,
including three universities, two major research
laboratories, three large utility operators and
the VGB Powertech E.V. The core of the work
involves the use of several novel laboratory and
pilot scale rigs that provide different experimental
information concerning the behaviour of the fuel
blends in different conditions. Complimentary
modelling work with CFD and neural networks will
be undertaken to better describe the processes
occurring both in the rigs and large boilers (see
figures 2 and 3).
Expected impact
New test methods will be created for fuel blends
using several different laboratory / pilot scale rigs
that will individually give different information on,
for example, ignition, volatile evolution and
slagging. Extensive modelling results using CFD
and neural network analysis will be correlated and
calibrated using results from laboratory and
large co-fired plant experiments. The information
obtained will be in a format that can be integrated
with systems that utility operators are able to use
to make judgments on realistic fuel blends and
levels of substitution for optimum performance.