Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion: An Attractive Energy Producing Alternative for the Industrial and Commercial Markets

摘要

Oil and gas are currently the predominant fuels for process steam generation, on site electrical generation, and direct and indirect heating requirements in the industrial, commercial, and residential markets. Atmospheric fluidized bed combustion of coal can potentially replace some of these oil and gas dominated markets. Advantages of fluidized bed combustion include: uncertainty in the future costs and availability of oil and gas, flexibility to burn a wide variety of coals or other fuels, and the ability to burn coal in an environmentally and economically acceptable manner. Current acceptance of this technology has increased to a point that approximately 100 commercial atmospheric fluidized bed boilers are either operating or on order in the United States. Atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion possesses great potential for significantly increasing the use of coal in the small-industrial and commercial sectors, markets now dominated by oil and gas. This potential is based on the ability of AFBC's to burn coal in an environmentally and economically acceptable manner. AFBC's have passed the initial ''proof-of-concept'' stage and are approaching a period of refinement. Widespread acceptance of the technology will be dependent on the actual operating experience and economics of units on-line or currently under construction 7 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab. (ERA citation 11:049738)