Improvement of “Near-term” Fluidized Bed Chemical Looping Combustion for Power Generation

Abstract

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is regarded as the “second-generation” CCS for power generation, and it has been mainly focused on to be operated on two interconnected fluidized bed. With the previously abundant and relative matured experience in operating CLC in fluidized bed, power generation from fluidized bed CLC is a “near-term” solution for practical utilization of CLC. In this work, we proposed a novel process by thermally coupled fluidized-bed CLC with advanced supercritical CO2 cycle (CLC-sCO2). From the preliminarily results of thermodynamic performance, approximately 6.4 percent points of net electricity efficiency is benefited from this novel process as against that of conventional CLC-steam cycle process, reaching 48.13% close-match to that of a conventional NGCC process with CO2 capture (49.38%). To further elevate thermal efficiency of CLC-sCO2, improvements are conducted by operating a low-pressure fluidized bed CLC and replacing one-stage supercritical CO2 compressor into two-stage intercooling compressors, as can be expected, approximately 2% of additional thermal efficiency is earned in an improved CLC-sCO2 system. Finally mapping of future CLC power station including “near-term”, “long-term” and future period is included.