Overview

Donald Kawecki
Vice President Engineering
Foster Wheeler North America Power

The process of designing and operating a fuel preparation system for a power or steam generation station requires a thorough understanding of the interrelationship of the components and a clear vision of the technologies to be employed. All the components need to work as an integrated system; otherwise, operational problems will be experienced. The fuel preparation system supports the boiler by providing a metered, controlled fuel flow stream that meets the combustion system sizing and fuel quality requirements. This chapter addresses an overview of the current knowledge of fuel preparation systems for the following:

• Stoker-fired boilers

• Biomass-fired or cofired systems

• Circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) boilers

• Pulverized coal (PC)-fired boilers

Each of these technologies has specific fuel preparation requirements to support the system needs. These requirements are driven by both the combustion technology and the specific fuel being used. The first step in the knowledge process is to know the details of the fuels being considered. Having a clear understanding of the fuels will ensure that the fuel preparation system design can grind and transport the product with a high degree of certainty and that fuels-related pitfalls can be eliminated.

Once the fuels are chosen, it is important to understand the combustion system needs. Fuel preparation systems are designed to receive theexpected range of fuel types and fuel quality and accurately, reliably, and safely size, dry, transport, and meter the product into the combustion chamber. Each fuel has specific...