Integrated chemical looping air separation in large-scale oxy-fuel plants

摘要

An integrated chemical looping air separation unit (5) in a large-scale oxy-fuel power generating plant takes a portion of recycled flue gas (6) via a recycling conduit (7) through a heat exchanger (8) to a reduction reactor (9). The reduction reactor (9) exchanges oxidized metal oxide with an oxidation reactor (11) via transfer means (10) which return reduced metal oxide from the reduction reactor (9) to the oxidation reactor (11). This enables the reduction reactor (9) to feed a mixture of oxygen and recycled flue gas into the boiler (13) of the power generating plant in a more energy efficient manner than conventional oxy-fuel power plants using air separation units.

主权项

1. A method of air separation in large-scale oxy-fuel power generation plants of the type having a boiler to generate steam, said method including the steps of recycling flue gas from the boiler through a reduction reactor that is connected in a chemical looping process with an oxidation reactor such that the reduction reactor produces a mixture of oxygen and recycled flue gas, and feeding said mixture back into the boiler, wherein a controlled proportion of the recycled flue gas is fed through the chemical looping reduction reactor, with the remaining recycled flue gas being fed directly to the boiler.