Modular pressurized coal combustion (MPCC) for flexible generation

A modular combustion system for flexible energy generation, the system comprising:

• a plurality of combustion boilers operatively coupled in parallel or in series-parallel;
• at least one oxidizer supply unit operatively coupled to the plurality of combustion boilers, the at least one oxidizer supply unit providing an oxidizer stream to each of the plurality of combustion boilers in parallel or in series-parallel;
• at least one compressor and at least one air separation unit operatively coupled to the at least one oxidizer supply unit;
• at least one feeder operatively coupled to the plurality of combustion boilers, the at least one feeder providing fuel to each of the plurality of combustion boilers in parallel or in series-parallel;
• at least one particle removal unit operatively coupled to the plurality of combustion boilers and configured to remove particles from a flue gas output stream from the plurality of combustion boilers;
• a pollution removal unit comprising a direct contact column operatively coupled to the at least one particle removal unit and configured to remove pollutant gases from the flue gas output stream by transferring heat to a coolant and condensing moisture from the flue gas output stream to form a pollution removal unit output gas;
• an interheating unit operatively coupled to the pollution removal unit and the expansion unit, the interheating unit configured to transfer heat from the coolant of the pollution removal unit to the pollution removal unit output gas;
• and
• an expansion turbine operatively coupled to the at least one compressor and to the interheating unit, the expansion turbine configured to expand the heated pollution removal unit output gas and an output stream of the at least one compressor.