Oxy Combustion for CO2 Capture

Reducing Utility Coal Fired Boilers Emissions

to Nearly Nothing

Keith B. Rivers, P.Eng

2005 Babcock & Wilcox Canada

Copyright 2006 Babcock & Wilcox Canada . All rights Reserved

Canadas Fossil Energy Reserves

Coal is abundant , low cost and stable
Gas
6%

Oil
3%

Bitumen
25%

Coal
66%

Coal fired Generation can be one of the cleanest

power generation alternatives
Smog causing emissions reduction:
Cleaner Coal - 96.4%
Replacement with Natural Gas Combined Cycle 97%

NOx
CO
VOC
PM2.5
PM10
SO2
NH3

Emissions
g/MWh
Gas
Coal
26
163
104
49
16
0
29
8
29
0
2
82
42
0

Cleaner Coal vs Combined Cycle Gas

1.4

1.2

1
Em issions (lb/m kbtu)

Item

0.8

Coal
Cleaner Coal
Combined Cycle Gas

0.6

0.4

Total

248

302

0.2

0
1

Available Retrofit technologies for

Clean Coal
Ultra low NOx Burners
Selective Catalytic Reduction
Wet Scrubber / Wet Electrostatic
Precipitator
Retrofits can be done
in 24 months

Measuring the Effectiveness of

Clean Coal Systems
Reductions are commercially guaranteed
Emissions are continuously monitored and reported
Environment Canada monitors ground level air quality

Todays technology for

Greenhouse gas reduction
Supercritical boilers 15% reduction
Combined heat and power 50%+ reduction

Avedore Coal & Biomass

Combined Heat & Power
Plant, Denmark
840MWe & 895Mwt
has 94% efficiency

Emerging technology for

Greenhouse gas reduction
Oxyfuel combustion in a boiler concentrates CO2
ready for full scale demonstration
Amine scrubbing separates CO2 from flue gas
Western Canada Utility demonstration
Coal gasification reaction shift separates CO2
US Supplier / Utility initiative
All require sequestration of CO2

Oxy-combustion Technology in PC Boilers

CO2 CAPTURE
Stack

Raw
coal

Steam

Water

Boiler

Pulverizer

Coal
O2

Sulfur

Ash

FGD

ESP

Water
Flue gas drying,
CO2 compression

Pure
Oxygen

Recycled Flue Gas

CO2

ASU

AIR

CO2 transport
&
sequestration

Demonstration of Oxy-combustion
B&Ws oxy-combustion experience
Study (design and costs) for major oil
company to retrofit a boiler to produce
CO2 for enhancing oil recovery - 1979
Member of CANMET since 2000
Teamed with Air Liquide to perform:
Oxy-combustion pilot with IL#6 coal
2001-2, sponsored by State of Illinois
Oxy-combustion pilot with PRB 2003-4,
sponsored by DOE
Performing a techno-economic analysis
and working with DOE to refine it

Demonstration of Oxy-combustion
B&Ws oxy-combustion experience
Engineering Feasibility Study for CCPC 2003
Provided boiler island retrofit and greenfield
designs with costs for three plants/fuels for
Fluor in support of Canadian Clean Power
Coalition study
Fluor performed comparison of oxycombustion with amine scrubber
Flue gas clean-up was stringent in oxycombustion due to high purity CO2 required

Pilot Modifications for Oxy-combustion

Flue gases
to stack

B&Ws Small Boiler Simulator (SBS)

5 million Btu/hr - 1.5MWth

Recycled Flue Gas

CO2
O2
NOx
SO2
CO

convective
section
Oxynator

O2
furnace

Oxygen
Supply
System

Coal
&
O2/Flue Gas

economizer
Primary
superheater

Reheater
Secondary superheater
OFA
O2/Flue Gas

O2/Flue Gas

Pilot Modifications for Oxy-combustion

B&Ws Small Boiler Simulator (SBS)
5 million Btu/hr - 1.5MWth

Oxygen
Supply
System

US-DOE Project Objectives

To determine if we can retrofit an existing coal-fired
boiler with oxygen-enriched recycled flue gas
Demonstrate the technical feasibility of the oxycombustion technology at 5 million Btu/hr coal-fired
pilot:

Flame shape, length, and emissivity

Boiler and convection pass heat absorption
Furnace Exit Gas Temperature (FEGT)
Boiler exit gas temperature
Boiler efficiency
Emissions

Ultra Low NOX DRB-4Z Coal-Fired

Burner
Stationary Spin Vane

Sliding Air
Damper

Inner Zone
Adjustable
Spin Vane

Outer Zone
Adjustable
Spin Vane

Linear Actuator
Transition
Zone

Transition Zone
Air Flow
Adjustment

Inner Spin Vane Adjustment

Pulverized Coal &

Primary Air Inlet
Outer Spin Vane
Adjustment

Oxy-combustion Optimization
The following main parameters were tested to
provide optimum conditions:
Oxygen distribution into boiler
Oxygen introduction equipment
Recycled flue gas flow rate
Burner stoichiometry
A stable and attached flame was obtained
Flame temperature was similar to air-firing
conditions, existing boiler tube materials are
acceptable

NOx Emissions

NO x, lb/10 Btu

Air-blown combustion
Oxy-combustion

0.50

0.75

1.00

1.25

Burner Stoichiometry

Substantially Lower NOx Emissions :

Lower Nitrogen: Lower Thermal NOx
Recycled Flue gas: NOx is destroyed by reburning Mechanism

Heat Transfer Characteristics

Typical Results

Boiler Mass Flow Rate, lb/hr

Burner Stoichiometry
FEGT, F
Convection Pass Temp., F
Convection Pass Heat absorption, %
Heat Input

Air Firing

Oxy-combustion

4,167
0.86
1797
555

4,030
1.05
1880
547

43.6

46.8

Maintained similar Mass flow Rates in the boiler

Increased Burner stoichiometry during oxy-combustion for
flame stability
Convection Pass Exit Temperatures are similar
Total Convection Pass Heat absorptions are similar

Flue Gas Volume and CO2 Concentration

Flue gas volume

Flue Gas Volume

Reduced by 80%

100

80

CO2 concentration
increased from 15% in
air-firing to 80% in O2firing

Volume (a.u.)

- 80%
60

O2
N2
CO2

40

20

AIR

O2/CO2 exp
O2/CO2
without air
(5% air
infiltration) infiltration

O2

3%

3%

3%

CO2

15%

80%

96%

N2

82%

17%

1%

Volume

100
a.u.

19 a.u.

16 a.u.

0
AIR

O2/CO2 exp

O2/CO2 if no air
infiltration

a.u. = Arbitrary Units

Flue gas

composition

Conclusions
Technical Feasibility of the Oxy-combustion
Technology
The feasibility of the oxy-combustion technology has
been demonstrated on B&Ws 5 million Btu/hr
(1.5MWth) pilot which simulates large coal-fired boilers.
A safe and smooth transition from air to oxy-combustion
has been achieved
CO2 Capture Capability
The CO2 in flue gases has been concentrated to 80%
(vol. dry basis) vs 15% in air-firing. Additional
developments are likely to further reduce the air
infiltration
The Flue Gas volume has been reduced by 80% vs airfired operation enabling cost effective removal of other
pollutants if needed (depending on CO2 purity
requirement)

Conclusions
Heat Transfer Characteristics
Boiler exit gas temperatures and FEGT
measurements indicate similar heat
temperature profiles.
Flame emissivity is similar in air and (dry) O2firing operation
No adverse side effects on boiler
performance are anticipated.
NOx emissions
NOx emissions have been reduced by up to
65% vs staged air-firing operation: reduced
need for SCR
Next Step
Full-scale demonstration

Western Utility Demonstration Project

Province currently generates 45% of power from
locally mined coal
Provincial mines can supply 300 years of
mineable thermal coal at current consumption
rate
One third of coal fired fleet requires decision in
the next ten years to cover load growth, unit
refurbishment and retirement.
CO2 emission intensity limit reductions are
under discussion 80 to 90%

Western Utility Demonstration Project

Canada is well positioned for Carbon
Capture & Storage
U of R, International Test Centre
optimizing capture technologies
Weyburn IEA, CO2 monitoring project for
enhanced oil recovery

Province geological survey indicates

good disposal potential
Provincial authorities working on
permitting, monitoring and regulations

Western Utility Demonstration Project

A technology and economic competition
is being held between two alternatives:
Post Combustion Capture
Oxy- fuel combustion

Western Utility Demonstration Project

The Oxy- fuel Combustion alternative
Modify a coal fired boiler to use pure
oxygen mixed with recycled CO2
Purifying concentrated stream of CO2
is easier due to 80% volume reduction
Boiler set up to operate in either air or
oxygen firing mode
ID fans downstream of ESP direct gas
for boiler recycle & CO2 compression
plant or send all flue gas up the stack
CO2 gas cooler required for heat &
water removal prior to compression
Air infiltration controlled with CO2 from
the compression plant

Western Utility Demonstration Project

Physical modifications will add:
Low NOx burners
Ducting & dampers for CO2 flue gas recycling to both
air heaters & pulverizers
Air separation unit (ASU) to produce O2
CO2 gas clean up and compression
CO2 transport pipeline for EOR & deep saline acquifer
storage

Would capture & store >0.5Mt CO2/ year

Validate design criteria as a forerunner for
scaling to a 450MWe plant

Western Utility Demonstration Project

Objectives:
Gain operational experience with Oxy-fuel
combustion as a viable technology option
Lead to commercial acceptance of the oxyfuel combustion process

Timelines:

Engage partners Q1 2006

Select site, technology Q4 2006
Decision & Award major contracts mid 2007
In service 2011

Canadas CO2 Sequestration Network

Proposal
Compatible with Oil, Gas &
Coal Bed Methane Recovery
Abundant Sinks Available
Canada is a technology leader
Feasibility being demonstrated

Source: Canadian CO2 Capture and

Geological Storage (C&S) Roadmap

Conclusions
Available Emissions reduction technology can
quickly retrofit coal plants to be very clean
Existing and emerging technologies will reduce
or eliminate GHG emissions from coal
Oxy Combustion technology will soon have a
commercial scale demonstration
Suitable GHG capture and storage is needed
for all fossil fuels

Disclaimer
Although the information presented in this work is believed to be reliable,
this work is published with the understanding that Babcock & Wilcox
Canada and the authors are supplying general information and are not
attempting to render or provide engineering or professional services.
Neither Babcock & Wilcox Canada nor any of its employees make any
warranty, guarantee, or representation, whether expressed or implied,
with respect to the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any
information, product, process or apparatus discussed in this work; and
neither Babcock & Wilcox Canada nor any of its employees shall be
liable for any losses or damages with respect to or resulting from the
use of, or the inability to use, any information, product, process or
apparatus discussed in this work.

Contact Information
Keith B. Rivers, P. Eng.
Babcock & Wilcox Canada
581 Coronation Blvd.
Cambridge, ON
N1R 5V3
519-621-2130 ext 2273
Kbrivers@babcock.com