Industrial AFB-Fired Gas Turbine Systems With Topping Combustors

An Atmospheric Fluidized Bed (AFB) combustor providing thermal input to gas turbines is a promising near-term means of decreasing national premium fuel consumption, in an AFB many solid fuels, including marginal fuels such as anthracite culm, bituminous gob, high sulfur coals, lignite, and petroleum coke, can be used effectively providing both very low emission levels and acceptable return-on-investment. This paper discusses the state of AFB/gas turbine cogeneration technology with reference to typical industrial plant applications. Design considerations and design limits for both the AFB heat exchangers and the topping combustor are discussed and compared. An example based on plant process data and commercially available components is also presented. Both the heat exchangers and the combustors are viewed with reference to state-of-the-art technology.