Liaoyuan Biomass Power Plant Project
Jilin Province, China
A high-efficiency, turnkey straw-fired power plant with advanced steam conditions
Introduction
Liaoyuan power plant is one of 20 biomass power plants to have
been installed by DPCleanTech in China from 2006 to 2009.
This 30MWe straw fired power plant in Liaoyuan county of Jilin
province is operated by DPCleanTech sister’s company National
Bio Energy (NBE), along with 10 other straw fired power plants
of 12 or 30MWe.
Plant Performance
The plant has an installed capacity of 30MWe. It runs on locally
sourced fuels mainly from agriculture residues such as corn
straw. In the straw fired boiler, so called hard fuel such as wood
chips can be fed via the auxiliary silo contributing up to 35%
share of the fuel. The plant consumes more than 160,000 tons of
straw per year and reaches an availability of 7800h/y.
High Efficiency
The straw fired steam boiler operates with high steam
parameters at 92 bar and 540oC resulting in a net overall plant
efficiency of more than 32%.
Power Plant Specification
Location ................................... Liaoyuan, Jilin, China
Installed capacity ............................................. 30MWe
Internal consumption ............................................ 10%
Boiler designer and manufacturer ............ DPCleanTech
Fuel .......................................................... Corn straw
Calorific value (9.4% moisture) ....................... 14MJ/kg
Fuel consumption .............................................. 25tph
Auxiliary fuel ... Wheat straw, tree branch, peanut shell, husk
Plant Availability .............................................. 7800h/y
Steam production ............................................. 130tph
Steam outlet temperature ................................ 540 deg
Steam pressure ................................................. 92 bar
Feed water temperature ................................... 220deg
Boiler efficiency .............................................. >93.1%
Plant efficiency ................................................... >32%
Straw Storage
The fuel handling system utilizes large or small square straw bales
and has been made flexible to burn auxiliary fuels thus securing
the fuel availability. The straw storage of the plant is designed for a
capacity of more than 7 days.
Steam Boiler
The straw firing system and steam boiler island are based on a
Danish technology by Bioener which has been recently acquired
by DPCleanTech holding. The technology has since been
adapted and improved by DPCleanTech.
The design of the steam boiler together with the proper selection
of materials counteracts the fouling and corrosive effects of the
straw fuel.
Flue Gas Cleaning
The steam boiler is provided with a fabric filter for removal of
particulate matters so all emissions are below the limit values
stated in the planning permission.
Technical Description: Straw Fired Boiler
1. Chain conveyor
2. Seal gates
3. Dosing unit
4. Scarifier
5. Fire dampers
6. Stoker
7. Water cooled duct
8. Vibrating grate
9. Stag conveyor
10. Combustion Chamber
11. Air preheater
12. Induced draught fan
13. Forced draught fan
14. Combustion air intake
15. Air preheater
16. Preheated combustion air
17. Feedwater tank
18. Steam drum
19. Economizer
20. Superheater1
21. Superheater2
22. Superheater3
23. Water for atemperators
24. High pressure steam to turbine
25. Aircooled condenser
26. Flue gas cooler
27. Gas suspension Absorber
28. Fabric filter
29. Wood chip silo
30. Wood chip
31. Straw barns
32. By product and ash handling
33. Natural gas

Fuel supply and handling Specially designed boiler

The plant consumes approximately 160,000 tons of straw per
year. The straw is supplied by local farmers growing crops within
a 50 km radius of the plant site. The bales of straw arrive at the
plant on trucks which deliver the fuel to the straw barn storage
area. The straw bales are fed onto automatic conveyors which
transport the fuel to the boiler building. When the bales arrive at
the feeding system, a scarifier cuts the twines so the straw bales
may be loosened and sliced before being fed into the boiler at
the required and controlled flow rate.
The steam boiler is a water tube boiler with hanging superheaters
which produce 130 tons of steam per hour at 92 bar and 540oC.
The boiler design has been specially developed for straw firing
to work with the high temperature and high pressure. The steam
produced is used in a conventional steam cycle turbine. The plant
supplies approximately 200,000MWh of electricity to the national
grid annually. The flue gas, having been cooled in the boiler, is
cleaned in a fabric filter before being discharged through the
stack.

The combustion process

The straw is led to the boiler through a stoker and is then
combusted on a water-cooled vibrating grate under carefully
controlled conditions; the vibrating movements regulate the
stages of combustion. The vibrating motion occurs in cycles
which alternate between 1.5 – 3 minutes for a period of 3 – 5
seconds at a time. Part of the combustion air is fed to the
furnace from beneath the grate and further combustion air is
led to the furnace through nozzles situated above the grate. The
first section of the grate into which the straw is fed, is subject to
high turbulence in order to help the straw in releasing its volatile
matter, this corresponds to 50 - 60% of the straw’s energy. The
fuel ash and slag are transported by the vibrating movement
down the grate to the slag fall along with the final burn out of the fuel.