Means and method for controlling load turndown in a fluidized bed combustor
AssigneeIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsRobert C. Brown, William H. Buttermore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A means and method of controlling the load turndown in a fluidized bed combustor including a fluidized combustion bed having an independent fluidization air source. A separately fluidizable heat transfer bed surrounds the fluidized combustion bed. By independently adjusting the fluidization of the heat transfer bed, the load turndown of the fluidized bed combustor can be accurately and efficiently controlled.
Claims16
A method of controlling the load turndown in a fluidized bed combustor, the load comprising one or more chambers having a fluid, comprising the steps of:
- combusting fuel in a fluidized combustion bed;
- surrounding the fluidized combustion bed with a separately fluidized heat transfer bed that is free from combustion, the load surrounding the heat transfer bed;
- and
- adjusting the fluidization of the heat transfer bed to control the load turndown to control the rate of heat transfer to the load.
A fluidized bed combustor for improving the control of load turndown, the load comprising one or more chambers having a fluid, comprising:
- a first chamber defining a fluidized combustion bed to contain fuel for combustion bed material to be fluidized, and the combustion process;
- a second chamber that is free from combustion defining a separately fluidizable heat transfer bed surrounding the fluidizable combustion bed and containing bed material to be fluidized;
- the load surrounding the heat transfer bed;
- and
- so that by controlling the fluidization of said heat transfer bed, the load turndown of the fluidized bed combustor can be accurately controlled to control the rate of heat transfer to the load.
The fluidized bed combustor of bed 10 wherein the second chamber is comprised of an annular container defined by a wall bordering the combustion bed, a second spaced-apart annular wall, and a bottom wall to support the bed material but having means to allow introduction of fluidization air into the interior of the second chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.