PowerFlam1

Project Number 218

The PowerFlam Research Consortium has developed an innovative R&D proposal, set up to assess the impact and technical issues associated with co-firing of low cost substitute fuels (SF) with pulverised coal for Power Generation.

The use of substitute fuels has many economical and ecological advantages including a reduction in the use and dependence on fossil fuels, reduction in CO2 emissions and lower fuel costs. However, before full-scale implementation, the impact of the use of such fuels on operating costs, capital costs as well as on emissions needs to be critically assessed and investigated.

In reaction to the ever increasing need to reduce costs and to current directives to reduce CO2 emissions and increase waste, biomass and renewable fuel usage, a number of major European Power Generators have joined forces to formulate a 2-year research project, PowerFlam1. The objective is to establish methods to assess the impact of co-firing SF with pulverised coal on the operation of utility boilers. In particular the tolerable level of fuel substitution that may be achieved in an unmodified boiler with respect to thermal efficiency, combustion quality, ash utilisation, emissions, slagging and fouling will be examined.

The methodologies developed in PowerFlam1 will be immediately applicable by sponsors who want to:

  • Assess the potential substitution level of a new SF in an existing boiler.
  • Apply quickly and accurately the results from one boiler to another.
  • Assess the impact of changing a base fuel in a SF co-firing set-up.

Utilities involved so far are:

  • Laborelec, Belgium
  • Electricité de France, France
  • ENEL Produzione, Italy

The joint research project, will be executed at the following facilities:

  • Cardiff University, Wales
  • IFRF Research Station, Netherlands
  • ENEL Ricerca, Italy

Administrative and technical co-ordination and dissemination of research results to the Consortium Sponsors will be performed by IFRF NET, the PowerFlam Operating Agent. The VGB Board of Directors has granted a funding of the project. The duration of the project is 24 month, starting September 2001.

In a follow-up project, PowerFlam2, the new approaches will be tested at full scale on a number of utility boilers with other substitute fuels.