Achieving Adequate Circulation in Chemical Looping Combustion-Design Proposal for a 200 MWth Chemical Looping Combustion Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) has unique potential for avoiding the large costs and energy penalties of existing CO2 capture technologies. Oxygen is transferred to the fuel using an oxygen carrier, thus avoiding contact between air and fuel. Consequently, the combustion products, CO2 and H2O, come in a separate stream, and more or less pure CO, is obtained after condensation of H2O. CLC is normally conceived as a dual fluidized bed process, with high gas velocities in an air reactor driving the circulation, similar to circulating fluidized beds (CFBs), except that the material is led to a fuel reactor before being returned to the air reactor. Crucial for the process is the properties of the oxygen carrier and that circulation is sufficient to transfer needed oxygen and heat to the fuel reactor. Comprehensive literature shows successful use of many oxygen carriers in sustained pilot operation. In contrast, the need for reaching adequate circulation in an industrial-scale system has been given little consideration. Normally, a system similar to CFB boilers is assumed to give sufficient circulation. However, literature data indicate that circulation in CFB boilers is 5-50% of what is needed. Measures to provide sufficient circulation may cause difficulties, such as erosion or bed material loss in the cyclone. Here, a circulation system based on collection of the downflow of particles along the walls is proposed, and a design of a 200 MWth combined CLC-CFB boiler based on this principle is presented. Further, operational strategies and the need for flexibility are discussed. The design is focused on making an industrial-scale demonstration boiler, which can be used in CLC operation with different oxygen carriers and different fuels and that can explore different operational strategies to find optimal conditions. It is recommended that the upscaling of the technology aims directly at the industrial scale.

Automated summary

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) has the potential to avoid the high costs and energy penalties of existing CO2 capture technologies. It transfers oxygen to the fuel using an oxygen carrier, separating air and fuel. This results in separate streams of CO2 and H2O, with relatively pure CO obtained after condensation of H2O. The circulation of oxygen and heat to the fuel reactor is crucial in CLC, which is typically a dual fluidized bed process. While many oxygen carriers have been successfully used in pilot operation, little consideration has been given to achieving sufficient circulation in an industrial-scale system.