Sorbent conditioning and direct feed apparatus for a steam generator and a method for retrofitting a steam generator with same

A sorbent conditioning and direct feed apparatus for direct feeding of a conditioned solid sorbent to a fluidized bed combustor, comprising:

• raw solid sorbent storage means;
• particle size reducing means for reducing the particle size of solid sorbent supplied thereto from the raw solid sorbent storage means from a relatively larger coarse particle size to a relatively smaller fine particle size;
• transport means for transporting to the combustor solid sorbent which has been conditioned by the particle size reducing means, in a separate particle size reduction operation prior to the supply thereof to the transport means, in a manner in which, on average, at least ninety percent (90%) of the conditioned solid sorbent are delivered from the particle size reducing means to the combustor in less than thirty (30) minutes following their size reduction, whereby conditioned solid sorbent is fed to the combustor with substantially no intermediate storage of the solid sorbent between the raw solid sorbent storage means and the transport means and the transport means is a fuel feed transport means operable to transport as well conditioned solid fossil fuel to the fluidized bed combustor whereby the conditioned solid sorbent and the solid fossil fuel are fed as a mixture to the fluidized bed combustor;
• control means operatively connected to the raw solid sorbent storage means, the particle size reducing means, and the transport means for controlling the feed of conditioned solid sorbent to the fluidized bed combustor in accordance with a predetermined sorbent feed regime;
• and
• means for sensing a sulfur concentration in the fluidized bed combustor operatively connected to the control means, the control means being operable to control the feed of conditioned solid sorbent to the fluidized bed combustor in response to a sensed sulfur concentration condition of the fluidized bed combustor.