Combustion method and apparatus for producing a carbon dioxide end product

A fossil fuel fired combustion unit, comprising:

• means for introducing a substantially pure oxygen feed stream into the fossil fuel fired combustion unit;
• means for combusting a fossil fuel in the presence of the substantially pure oxygen feed stream to produce a flue gas having carbon dioxide and water vapor as its two largest constituent elements by volume;
• means for pulverizing a fossil fuel, the means for pulverizing a fossil fuel being communicated with the means for combusting a fossil fuel for feeding pulverized fossil fuel thereto;
• an air pre heater;
• means for routing the flue gas through the air pre heater;
• means for passing the flue gas, downstream of the passage of the flue gas through the air pre heater, through an oxygen feed stream pre heater at which heat from the flue gas is transferred to the oxygen feed stream;
• means for separating the flue gas into an end product portion and a recycling portion;
• means for cooling and compressing the end product portion of the flue gas so as to yield carbon dioxide;
• means for directing the recycling portion of the flue gas through the air pre heater for the transfer of heat to the recycling portion of the flue gas;
• and
• means for flowing the recycling portion of the flue gas to the means for pulverizing a fossil fuel after passage of the recycling portion of the flue gas through the air preheater for subsequent flow of the recycling portion of the flue gas with the pulverized fossil fuel to the fossil fuel fired combustion unit to contribute to the combustion process therein.