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Increasing the efficiency of chemical looping combustion of biomass by a dual-stage fuel reactor design to reduce carbon capture costs

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Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper analyzes the capabilities of a pilot-scale chemical looping combustion plant firing wood biomass in two stages to efficiently achieve negative carbon dioxide emissions. The utilized in situ gasification-chemical looping combustion (iG-CLC) process isolates the oxygen supply via air from the fuel conversion itself with the help of two separate fluidized bed reactors and an oxygen carrier to supply the necessary oxygen for the combustion. As a result, a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide and steam is generated. Thus, the process makes capturing carbon emissions more feasible since it eliminates the need for the cost- and energy-intensive separation of the produced gases. A major issue when using biomass in a chemical looping plant is the high amount of the volatiles exiting unconverted. This problem was mitigated by using a two-stage fuel reactor system. Two bubbling fluidized beds were arranged one upon the other. The lower stage, where the fuel is introduced, is used to release the volatiles and partly convert them. The remaining volatiles rise up into the second stage and are further converted to a high degree. A series of experiments were carried out with a 25-kWth pilot plant located at the Hamburg University of Technology. Gas concentrations were continuously measured after both stages of the fuel reactor to see the gradual conversion of the fuel gases. Additionally, carbon slip at the exhaust was measured to show the effectiveness. The experiments with the reactor concept showed promising results since already at a reactor temperature of 850 °C, the total oxygen demand needed to oxidize the combustible component in the exhaust gas was well below 2%. The carbon dioxide (CO2) capture efficiency when using German hardwood slightly decreased to 93–96% compared to 97% for German lignite. In the future, the reactor design must prove that it scales and that the efficiency can be further increased. Nevertheless, firing biomass with a two-stage iG-CLC process might allow a cost-efficient negative carbon dioxide emission while generating heat with relatively high efficiency. Therefore, it might be a sustainable alternative to generate heat in the future.

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Abbreviations

d 50 :

mm particle median diameter

LHV:

kg/m3 lower heating value

m OC :

kg/MWth specific solids inventory in the fuel reactor

\( {\dot{n}}_i \) :

mol/s molar stream of component i

P :

kWth thermal power output

Q 3 :

– cumulative mass distribution

R 0 :

wt.% oxygen carrying capacity

X c :

– solid fuel conversion

ηCC :

– CO2 capture efficiency, defined by Eq. (9)

ηcomb, FR :

– combustion efficiency of the fuel reactor, defined by Eq. (11)

ρ :

kg/m3 density

ρ B :

kg/m3 bulk density

Ω T :

– total oxygen demand, defined by Eq. (10)

Ω’T :

– Total oxygen demand (first stage), analogous to ΩT defined by Eq. (10)

AR:

air reactor

C:

carbon

CG:

carbonaceous gases

FR:

fuel reactor

inj:

injected

Al2O3 :

aluminum oxide

C:

carbon

CaS:

calcium sulfide

CaSO4 :

calcium sulfate

CH4 :

methane

CnH2m :

hydrocarbon (with n carbon atoms and 2 m hydrogen atoms)

Co:

cobalt

CO:

carbon monoxide

CO2 :

carbon dioxide

Cu:

copper

Fe:

iron

H2 :

hydrogen

H2O:

water

MexOy :

metal oxide (with x metal atoms and y oxygen atoms)

Mn:

manganese

N2 :

nitrogen

Ni:

nickel

NOx :

nitrogen oxides (with x oxygen atoms)

O2 :

oxygen

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme.

Funding

The financial support of DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) within the priority program SPP 1679: “Dynamic simulation of interconnected solids processes” is gratefully acknowledged; grant number HA 6935/2-2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany

    Johannes Haus, Lennard Lindmüller, Timo Dymala, Kolja Jarolin, Ernst-Ulrich Hartge, Stefan Heinrich & Joachim Werther

  2. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Yi Feng

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  1. Johannes Haus
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  2. Lennard Lindmüller
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  3. Timo Dymala
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  4. Kolja Jarolin
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  5. Yi Feng
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  6. Ernst-Ulrich Hartge
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  7. Stefan Heinrich
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  8. Joachim Werther
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Correspondence to Timo Dymala.

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Ernst-Ulrich Hartge is deceased.

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Haus, J., Lindmüller, L., Dymala, T. et al. Increasing the efficiency of chemical looping combustion of biomass by a dual-stage fuel reactor design to reduce carbon capture costs. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 25, 969–986 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-020-09917-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-020-09917-2

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