Conventional Coal Fired Power Station
Abstract
A Technical Review of the Design, Operation and Performance Issues of a 100,000 Tonne/Annum Co-Firing Facility Supplying a Conventional Coal Fired Power Station.
In recent years in the U.K. there has been significant pressure on coal fired power stations to encompass new strategies and operating techniques to compete with other primary fuel technologies. The potential financial benefits associated with the receipt of Renewables Obligations Certificates (ROCs) for the utilisation of renewable fuels is one such opportunity. The current paper describes some of the key work associated with the feasibility, design, and construction stages of a 100,000 tonne/annum dried sewage sludge co-firing facility attached to an existing 2,400MWe pf-fired power station. The scheme was one of the first of its type and the largest in the U.K., and represents an important milestone in the complex progress of integrating a co-firing fuel with a conventional boiler process. Critical steps in the initial feasibility phase of the design process are described, such as the detailed evaluation of the raw materials suitability for co-firing in terms of the chemical and physical properties of the waste fuel. The resultant raw material properties are presented as input data to a detailed computer model which simulates the co-firing potential of the composite fuel with respect to its impact on plant efficiency, thermal balance, flue gas characteristics, system performance (throughput, materials and maintenance) and potential for environmental impact. Specific areas of interest are highlighted such as fuel volatility, emission levels, trace element partitioning and ash composition and behaviour.
Authors
Ireland, S.N., Mcgrellis, B. & Harper, N.
Sinclair Knight Merz (Europe) Ltd.