Retrofit of a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Pilot Plant From Air Combustion to Oxyfuel Combustion

When using fluidized bed in oxyfuel combustion, process parameters must be adjusted to maintain combustion and control air leakage into the system as there are important changes in gases properties, flow, and temperature. In this sense, this work makes a description of the retrofit of air combustion to oxyfuel combustion in a 0.25 MWth bubbling fluidized pilot plant. Process parameters were analyzed and mass and energy balances were developed to compare air and oxyfuel combustion. Air leakage and fluidization showed to be important to control when proceeding transition to oxyfuel combustion and temperature increase was consequence of radiation mechanism changes.