Bubbling Fluidized-Bed Boilers

Burning Biomass and Low-Cost Fuels

Clean, efficient, reliable and easy to operate
Since 1867, industries worldwide have benefited from The Babcock & Wilcox
Company’s engineering expertise, manufacturing technology and operating
experience as a major supplier of steam generating equipment. Babcock & Wilcox
Power Generation Group, Inc. (B&W PGG), a subsidiary of The Babcock & Wilcox
Company, continues this tradition as a leader in reliable steam generation with our
bubbling fluidized-bed (BFB) boiler.

B&W PGG’s involvement with fluid-bed technology began in the 1950s with the
first combustor at its state-of-the-art research center in Alliance, Ohio. Now, with
an experience base of more than 30 BFB units, these facilities are helping the world
realize the promise of clean energy from a wide variety of fuels.
Fuel Flexible

B&W PGG’s bubbling fluidized-bed

boilers can burn a wide range of
low-cost opportunity fuels.

The ability to utilize various fuel

sources and types provides owners
with the flexibility to take advantage Viable fuels for a BFB:
of changing cost and availability.
• Wood waste
B&W PGG’s BFB boiler is designed • Bark
with a very large operating window
to allow a wide range of fuels to be • Paper mill sludge
burned, separately or in combination. • Recycled paper

This is necessary because fuel properties facility sludge

vary widely. For example, biomass fuels • Sewage sludge
have a wide range of moisture and
heating values depending upon their • Tire-derived fuels
source and the time of year. (in combination)

Our BFB boilers are designed with a • Oil

high degree of flexibility to facilitate • Natural gas
air movement between the bubbling
bed and the overfire air system, to vary • Coal (in combination)
the gas recirculation volumes, and to
• Peat
adjust the fuel delivery to the bed. This
operational flexibility allows owners • Biomass
to burn cheaper opportunity fuels and
• Sugar cane waste
control fuel costs.
• Agricultural waste
 Low Emissions

Significant environmental benefits are

achieved with BFB technology.

NOX SO2
Due to the low temperature The intimate contact between
sub-stoichiometric combustion the fuel and bed material allows
processes that occur in the for in-bed capture of sulfur
bubbling bed, the generation dioxide (SO2). When burning
of nitrogen oxides (NOX) is biomass in combination with
inherently lower than that of sulfur fuels, alkali normally
a stoker-fired boiler. present in the biomass will result
in reduced SO2. Limestone can
Because of good carbon burnout, also be added to the bed material
a selective catalytic reduction for greater SO2 capture.
(SCR) system can cost-effectively
be located before dust removal
equipment to further reduce NOX.
Particulate
Due to improved carbon
CO and VOCs burnout compared with a
Due to the intimate contact stoker boiler, the potential for
between the bed material and the fires in back-end environmental
fuel, improved fuel burnout occurs. equipment is significantly
This results in very low carbon reduced. This allows for the use
monoxide (CO) and volatile organic of a baghouse to meet lower
compound (VOC) emissions. particulate requirements.

NOx Comparison CO Comparison

0.5 0.5
Uncontrolled NOx (lb/106 Btu)

0.4 0.4
CO (lb/106 Btu)

0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1

BFB Stoker BFB Stoker

BFB boiler installations are proven to have
lower NOx, CO, VOC, SO2 and particulate
emissions than stoker-fired boilers with
equivalent capacity.
Reliable
Air is
introduced
through
round air
ducts.

B&W PGG’s advantage Fuel is

delivered
to bed by
air-swept
spouts.

Widely spaced
bubble caps
B&W PGG’s BFB boiler is designed with allow removal
of large tramp
reliability in mind. Several features material.

combine to provide low maintenance

Gas-tight,
costs, high availability and long-term membraned
water-cooled
reliability: walls extend into
the bubbling bed.

Tramp material
• An open bottom design permits moves down and
cools before
easy removal of oversized or being removed
through the
foreign material. B&W PGG was the first in bottom hoppers.
Tables ensure
North America to offer the open
• A water-cooled, gas-tight lower furnace bottom BFB design. Designed
even flow from
the bed.
eliminates the potential for gas leaks with no floor, the open
bottom furnace results in
caused from refractory damage. complete debris removal
• Bottom-supported hoppers remove with lower capital costs
load from the boiler, reduce capital and maintenance expenses.

requirements, and reduce potential

mechanical stresses between water-
cooled and non-cooled components.
Incorporated in B&W PGG’s design are
these features to reduce maintenance
costs:
• No wear parts
• No moving parts
• No water-cooled screws or beams
• No cinder re-injection system
• Long-lasting bubble caps
one installation, the original
B&W PGG’s underbed ash
removal system consists of
bottom-supported hoppers
which isolate the bubbling
bed foundation and steel
from the boiler steel.
This design is considered
an advantage, particularly
when retrofitting
an existing top-supported
unit to a BFB.
B&W PGG’s bubble cap
is durable and rarely
requires replacement. In
bubble caps are still in
service 12 years after
commissioning.

The open bottom design

and widely spaced
bubble caps allow easy
removal of oversized or
foreign material, greatly
reducing downtime.
 Easy to Operate
Advanced combustion controls
automatically adjust to changes in
operating conditions.
A B&W PGG BFB boiler responds rapidly convert the fuel’s energy to
rapidly to sudden changes in fuel steam. Automatically removing
and steam demand. This feature is a combustion air and fuel from the
critical requirement for easy operation bubbling bed will accommodate
of the steam generator. rapid reductions in steam load.
Our advanced controls system The ability to adjust the throw distance
automatically moves air from of the fuel feed system allows fine
the bed to the overfire air system tuning to accommodate variations
and modulates the volume of gas in fuel moisture.
recirculation to adjust for changes
in the fuel or sudden changes in The B&W PGG bubbling fluidized-
steam demand. bed boiler is the ideal biomass
combustion system.
The bubbling fluidized bed carries an
inventory of hot bed material that will
Efficient
Lower fuel costs from BFB boiler
B&W PGG’s BFB boilers provide
improved efficiency. Intimate contact
better efficiency specifications
for a variety of
Efficiency improvement from
between the bed materials in the improved carbon burnout

fluidized bed and the fuel reduces the

carbon remaining from incomplete 4
5
applications

UBC % of Heat Input

combustion and greatly reduces the Design features:
3
excess air required. This improved • Top- or bottom-supported
efficiency means lower fuel costs. 2 • One- or two-drum designs
• New or retrofit boiler
1
applications
• Provides an option to reduce
BFB Stoker SO2 and NOX emissions
• Reduces paper mill sludge volume
Efficiency improvement
from lower O2 while producing steam
35 • Superior to other technologies for

~ 1% Efficiency
30
burning wet wood-based fuels –
between approximately 2800 and
25
3500 Btu/lb HHV (6513 and 8141
% Excess Air

20
kJ/kg) without support fuels
15

The thermal mass of the 10 Capacity:

bubbling bed provides • Bottom-supported: up to
5
stability for fuel variations. 225,000 lb/h (28.4 kg/s)
BFB Stoker • Top-supported: from 225,000 to
1,000,000 lb/h (28.4 to 126 kg/s)
Bottom-Supported Towerpak® BFB Boiler
Steam Drum
Steam pressure:
To 2600 psig (17.9 MPa) throttle
pressure
Superheater/reheater outlet
temperatures:
3-Module As required, up to 1000F (538C)
Economizer

Fuels:
Sootblowers
Able to burn a wide range of
conventional fuels and waste fuels
Upper with high moisture, including:
Overfire Air
Ports Upper
Overfire • Wood wastes and bark
Air Supply
Fuel
Duct • Paper mill sludges
Chutes Lower
Overfire
Air Supply
• Recycled paper facility sludges
Top of
Duct
• Sewage sludge
Furnace
Refractory
Lower Drum
• Tire-derived fuel, in combination
Lower
Overfire Air
Ports
Start-Up
Burners
• Oil and natural gas
Air Heater
Sootblowers • Coal, in combination
Sand Fill
Downcomers • Peat
Chute
• Biomass
Top of
Bubble Caps • Sugar cane waste
• Agricultural waste
Flue Gas
Recirculation
Inlet Duct

Cross Conveyor Collection Fluidizing Air Booster

to Bucket Elevator Conveyor Suppy Duct Fan
Whether you’re considering a
new BFB boiler, or a conversion of
your recovery, stoker-fired power
or small utility boiler, fluidized-
bed combustion offers significant
operational advantages:
• Fuel flexibility
• High efficiency
• Low environmental emissions
• Reduced capital costs and
operating expenses

Why B&W PGG’s fluidized-

bed technology?
• The completely open
bottom design has
proven advantages
• Extensive research and
development of fluid-
bed combustion
• Operating experience with
a wide range of unit sizes
and high-moisture fuels

B&W offers quality and

commitment to service
• Innovative design and technical
expertise to increase production,
optimize equipment and
lower costs
• Capability, experience and track
record to ensure your project
will progress on schedule and
reach performance targets
• A tradition of excellence
since 1867
 A comparison
between BFB
and stoker-fired
technologies
BFB Stoker

Uses a baghouse and will

4
meet particulate requirements

No furnace size limit 4

Lower NOx emissions 4

Lower CO emissions 4

In-bed SO2 control 4

Higher efficiency
from lower O2 4

Higher efficiency from

4
low unburned carbon

Low potential for back-end

4
fires caused by carryover

Stable steam generation

4
with fuel variations

No moving parts 4

Burns high-moisture fuels

4
and sludge

No cyclone dust collectors

4
required

Small or no tubular air heater

is ideal for recovery boiler retrofits 4

No submerged scraper conveyor 4

No high-maintenance cinder
4
re-injection system

Can burn biomass and

multiple fuels 4 4

Ability to remove oversized

4 4
or foreign material in ash

No bed make-up material

4* 4
required

Capital cost 4 4

Operating cost 4 4

High availability 4 4

High percentage coal 4

High alkali fuels 4

Refuse derived fuels 4

*Not required on most BFBs
Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. is a
subsidiary of The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W).
Established in 1867, B&W is a world leader in providing
steam generating and emissions control equipment,
nuclear operations and components, and defense
program management services.

For more information, or a complete listing of our sales

and service offices, call 1-800-BABCOCK (222-2625),
send an e-mail to info@babcock.com, or access
our Web site.

www.babcock.com

From engineering
and design through
construction and
startup, B&W provides
total support for your
BFB project.

Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc.

20 S. Van Buren Avenue
Barberton, Ohio 44203 USA
Phone: 330.753.4511
Fax: 330.860.1886

The information contained herein is provided for general information

purposes only and is not intended nor to be construed as a warranty,
an offer, or any representation of contractual or other legal responsibility.

Towerpak is a trademark of Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc.

© 2008 Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc.

All rights reserved.

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