Business from technology

Fluidized-bed combustion, multifuel power and heating plants

Competence

A majority of our activities include experimental research work, which takes advantage of our unique test facilities, strong experience and contacts covering the whole research community of Europe.

VTT is developing fluidized bed technology, e.g. based on supercritical steam values, in co-operation with the world’s leading fluidized bed boiler suppliers. The development aims to reach large CFB units up to 800 MWe. Process measurement and modelling methods are being developed in order to strengthen knowledge of the CFB process in all its complexity. The development of zero-emission power generation based on oxyfuel combustion in CFBs has recently risen to be one of the most interesting sectors in R&D.

The technological development of heating and power plants to secure a high level of plant availability and reliability in multifuel operation is one of the VTT’s key areas. VTT’s research activities focus on, for example, ash behaviour, the optimization of multifuel operation at power plants and emission reduction techniques.

In the area of grate combustion technology VTT co-operates with heat and power producers and leading suppliers of grate boilers. The objective of the work is to improve availability and performance of boiler plant utilising grate combustion, and decrease their emissions. This, together with improvements in fuel quality, handling and feeding processes, will strengthen the operational competitiveness of grate combustion.

Challenges

• Increase power plant efficiency and availability
  
• Reduce the cost of heat and power production
  
• Reduce all emissions including CO2
  

To do this with wider fuel selection and poorer fuel quality, e.g. with challenging biomass fuels and wastes

Solutions

• Improve ash behaviour control during combustion by applying a chemical addition −> Improved plant availability and reliability
  
• Development of new monitoring and calculation methods to optimize multifuel operation at power plants −> Cost reduction
  
• Development of advanced supercritical CFB technology (OTSC) and scaling up CFBs to 600-800 MWe −> Increasing efficiency
  
• Zero-emission power generation technology based on oxyfuel and chemical looping combustion −> Emission reduction