Abstract
High percentage (up to 70% energy based) biomass co-gasification tests have been carried out at the 253MWe coal based Willem-Alexander Centrale (WAC), Buggenum in The Netherlands utilizing steam exploded wood pellets to assess feasibility of scaling up and to address stringent EU emission requirements in the coming decades. This principal article for demonstrating high percentage biomass co-gasification in large scale IGCC power plants, presents the obtained experimental results with a detailed and validated steady state thermodynamic model developed as an aid to assess future plant operations. The validated model is also used to predict plant performance involving 70% co-gasification with two fuel blends of torrefied wood pellets since the desired power output of 230MWe could not be achieved with steam exploded wood pellets. The model predicts plant performance and process parameters with reasonable accuracy and gives a net power output of 173MW and a net plant efficiency of about 37.2% with steam exploded wood pellets. A net output of 240MWe and net plant efficiency of 41.7% is predicted for 70% co-gasification with high lower heating value (LHV) torrefied wood pellets. Exergy analysis indicates largest thermodynamic losses in the gasifier and during combustion, providing additional scope for efficiency enhancement. The demonstration of such a high percentage biomass co-gasification test at a large scale power plant is of vital importance for further development of low emission/carbon neutral power plants. The presented test data also serves as a reliable and prime data source for modeling studies. The validated models could serve as a strong platform to plan real plant operation with various biofuels and carry out studies involving novel technology integration, retrofitting and plant optimization.
Highlights
The role of biomass co-gasification in clean and sustainable power production has been of major global interest as biomass uti-⇑ Corresponding author.lization could lead power plants to be carbon neutral and possibly carbon negative (if carbon capture and storage (CCS) is employed) [1,2,3]
A well understood and well explained demonstration of high percentage biomass co-gasification in an existing large scale integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant is of crucial importance
Due to lower hydrogen to carbon (H/C) and oxygen to carbon (O/C) ratios compared to steam exploded wood pellets, the cold gas efficiency would not reduce significantly and it was expected that the heat input to the syngas cooler would stay below 92 MW at the desired plant load
Summary
With growing environmental concerns and stringent emission requirements, research and development in high percentage biomass utilization in large scale power plants is highly important. In order to develop such flexible systems with reduced emissions and high efficiencies it is important to understand and demonstrate real off-design operation of the plant with experimental tests and thermodynamic models. Based on these considerations a biomass scale-up project was carried out at WAC to assess high percentage (70% energy based) biomass co-gasification
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