Coal-fired power plant with calcium oxide carbonation for postcombustion CO2 capture.

Abstract: In the plant configuration discussed in this paper, CO₂ rich flue gas from an air fired coal boiler is contacted with CaO in a fluidized bed reactor (carbonator) generating CaCO₃ and capturing more than 90% of the CO₂ generated. Sorbent is regenerated in a second fluidized bed (calciner) via oxyfuel combustion of coal, generating a CO₂ rich stream ready for compression and sequestration. Kunii–Levenspiel model, together with correlations for the estimation of sorbent performance after a number of carbonation–calcination cycles were used, in order to estimate carbonator dimensions and pressure losses. A net LHV efficiency of 37.4% was predicted for the selected reference case, with 97% of CO₂ captured. As a comparison, for full oxy-combustion and amine based plants, net efficiency of 36.3% and 32.6% were obtained respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]