Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for capturing CO2 from flue gas emanating from a carbonaceous fuel combusting power plant, which includes a source of oxygen and a combustion chamber for combusting the fuel with oxygen and thereby producing flue gas that includes CO2, water and excess oxygen as its main components. At least a portion of the flue gas is compressed to a pressure higher than about sixty bar, the compressed flue gas is cooled in a primary CO2 separating unit for capturing a first portion of the CO2 by condensing it to produce a liquid CO2 stream and a high pressure vent gas stream that includes oxygen and excess CO2, the liquid CO2 stream is discharged from the power plant, and the high pressure vent gas stream is conducted to a secondary CO2 separating unit for capturing a second portion of the CO2 by adsorbing it to an adsorbing material.

Abstract: A method of controlling a process of generating power in a power plant with a boiler by combusting carbonaceous fuel with substantially pure oxygen. At full load conditions, the method includes introducing a first carbonaceous fuel feed stream into a furnace, introducing a first substantially pure oxygen feed stream into the furnace for combusting the first carbonaceous fuel feed stream with the oxygen, and recirculating a portion of the exhaust gas discharged from the furnace at a first recirculation flow rate to the furnace, to form, together with the first substantially pure oxygen feed stream, a first inlet gas stream having a predetermined average oxygen content, thereby discharging exhaust gas from the furnace at a first discharge flow rate.

Abstract: A method of and a plant for combusting carbonaceous fuel, the method including the steps of introducing particulate oxygen selective sorbent, such as a perovskite type material, into an adsorption reactor of the combustion plant to form a first particle bed in the adsorption reactor, fluidizing the first particle bed by an oxygen-containing first fluidizing gas to adsorb oxygen from the fluidizing gas to the sorbent, conveying oxygen-rich sorbent from the adsorption reactor to a combustion reactor of the combustion plant to form a second particle bed in the combustion reactor, fluidizing the second particle bed by an oxygen-deficient second fluidizing gas to desorb oxygen from the sorbent, so as to produce free oxygen gas, and introducing carbonaceous fuel into the combustion reactor to oxidize the fuel with the free oxygen gas.

Abstract: A method of and a power plant for generating power by combusting carbonaceous fuel with substantially pure oxygen, and a method of modifying a process of generating power by combusting carbonaceous fuel from combusting the fuel with air to combusting the fuel with substantially pure oxygen.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for capturing CO2 from flue gas emanating from a carbonaceous fuel combusting power plant, which includes a source of oxygen and a combustion chamber for combusting the fuel with oxygen and thereby producing flue gas that includes CO2, water and excess oxygen as its main components. At least a portion of the flue gas is compressed to a pressure higher than about sixty bar, the compressed flue gas is cooled in a primary CO2 separating unit for capturing a first portion of the CO2 by condensing it to produce a liquid CO2 stream and a high pressure vent gas stream that includes oxygen and excess CO2, the liquid CO2 stream is discharged from the power plant, and the high pressure vent gas stream is conducted to a secondary CO2 separating unit for capturing a second portion of the CO2 by adsorbing it to an adsorbing material.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for operating a circulating fluidized bed reactor having a furnace with a discharge port for exhaust gas, and a particle separator having an inlet connected to the exhaust gas discharge port and an outlet duct for the exhaust gas and a return duct for separated solids. The method includes the steps of arranging a bypass duct bypassing the particle separator, and conducting a partial flow of exhaust gas along the duct for increasing the fly ash content in the exhaust gas after the separator. The bypass duct is advantageously provided with means for controlling the flow of exhaust gas in the bypass duct.

Abstract: An arrangement for directing exhaust gases from at least one particle separator of a circulating fluidized bed reactor system to a heat recovery section includes a gas plenum located above a reaction chamber, the gas plenum being defined by a ceiling, a bottom, and walls and being integrated with the reaction chamber. The walls of the gas plenum are provided with at least one inlet opening for cleaned exhaust gases, each of which is coupled with a discharge duct connected to one of the particle separators, for directing the cleaned exhaust gases from the particle separators to the gas plenum, from where the cleaned exhaust gases are directed to the heat recovery section downstream of the gas plenum. The reaction chamber is at least partially formed by water tube panels, and the enclosure of the gas plenum is also formed by water tube panels as extensions of water tube panels of the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A classifier for separating coarse particles from a stream of gas and particles discharged from a vertical mill.

Abstract: A system and a method for controlling NOX emissions from a boiler that combusts carbonaceous fuels. The method includes the steps of (a) introducing carbonaceous fuel and combustion air into a furnace of the boiler for combusting the carbonaceous fuel in oxidizing conditions and producing flue gas including NOX and CO, and (b) leading flue gas from the furnace to a catalyst section in a flue gas channel for converting, free from introducing an external agent for NOX reduction, NOX to N2 and CO to CO2 by using CO as the reductant of NOX on a catalyst in the catalyst section.

Abstract: A classifier for separating coarse particles from a stream of gas and particles discharged from a vertical mill includes a generally cylindrical outer casing, an inner casing, a ring, and a wheel. The outer casing has a vertical axis and a vertically oriented sidewall disposed on the mill. The inner casing is arranged within the outer casing, providing an annular passageway between the inner casing and the sidewall through which the stream of gas and particles flows upwardly. The ring is supported about the axis and includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced static vanes forming angled ports for imparting rotational motion to the stream of gas and particles flowing through the ports for centrifugally separating a portion of coarse particles, thereby producing a remaining stream of gas and particles.

Abstract: A method of removing mercury from flue gas containing mercury and particulate solids emanating from a fossil-fuel energy conversion plant and passing through a flue gas duct. The method includes (a) contacting the mercury in the flue gas with a solution containing at least one chloride-containing salt dissolved in a solvent by injecting the solution into the flue gas duct at an injection location, in order to oxidize mercury into HgCl2, (b) heating the solution prior to or after step (a) to at least about 300° C., and (c) removing oxidized mercury from the flue gas with a device for removing particulate solids from the flue gas.

Abstract: A power generating system having a hybrid gasification cycle, in which CO2 is recycled to a gasifier to be used as a gasification reactant and working fluid. The power generating system includes a source of fresh, pure oxygen, a gasifier, a particle separator arranged in flow connection with the gasifier, a syngas combustor, a gas turbine arranged in flow connection with the syngas combustor, a steam generator arranged in flow connection with the outlet of the gas turbine, and a gas compressor system which discharges a stream of compressed exhaust gas. A first portion of the stream of compressed exhaust gas is conducted to the gasifier to control the temperature in the gasifier, to provide CO2 and steam for gasification, and to decrease the demand for fresh, pure oxygen therein.

Abstract: A roller mill includes a base, a pulverizing table having a substantially horizontal upper surface, supported against the base and arranged to rotate around a vertical axis intersecting the upper surface in a center point thereof, an annular groove, formed on the upper surface of the pulverizing table, adjacent to an outer periphery of the table, at least one roller shaft mounted pivotally on the base in proximity to the table, at an angle &agr; with respect to a horizontal direction, toward the center point and having an end portion located above the table, a pulverizing roller supported rotatably against the end portion of the at least one roller shaft and a device for pressing the pulverizing roller toward the annular groove. An outer peripheral surface of the pulverizing roller has a smooth, generally arcuate cross section with at least one substantially flat section in the central portion thereof.

Abstract: A vertical polygonal heat exchange chamber includes an upper opening, a lower opening, and an enclosure formed between the upper and lower openings. The enclosure includes at least one tapered portion that narrows in a direction toward one of the openings. The tapered portion is lined with N first water tube panels arranged adjacent to and alternately with N second water tube panels, where N is an integer greater than two. Each of the first and second water tube panels is angled inwardly from the widest part of the tapered portion toward the interior of the enclosure, with each of the first water tube panels being angled inwardly to a greater degree than each of the second water tube panels.

Abstract: A vertical polygonal heat exchange chamber includes an upper opening, a lower opening, and an enclosure formed between the upper and lower openings. The enclosure includes at least one tapered portion that narrows in a direction toward one of the openings. The tapered portion is lined with N first water tube panels arranged adjacent to and alternately with N second water tube panels, where N is an integer greater than two. Each of the first and second water tube panels is angled inwardly from the widest part of the tapered portion toward the interior of the enclosure, with each of the first water tube panels being angled inwardly to a greater degree than each of the second water tube panels.

Abstract: A system and a method for controlling NOX emissions from a boiler that combusts carbonaceous fuels. The method includes the steps of (a) introducing carbonaceous fuel and combustion air into a furnace of the boiler for combusting the carbonaceous fuel in oxidizing conditions and producing flue gas including NOX and CO, and (b) leading flue gas from the furnace to a catalyst section in a flue gas channel for converting, free from introducing an external agent for NOX reduction, NOX to N2 and CO to CO2 by using CO as the reductant of NOX on a catalyst in the catalyst section.

Abstract: A once-through boiler system for use in conjunction with a combustion chamber includes a water inlet through which water having a high total dissolved solids content is supplied to the system, at least one tubular preheating surface for preheating the water as the water flows through the preheating surface, and at least one tubular evaporation surface for further heating the water flowing therein to produce a steam/water mixture. The preheating surface is disposed downstream from the inlet and encloses at least part of the combustion chamber, and the evaporation surface is disposed within the combustion chamber, downstream from the preheating surface.

Abstract: A method of removing mercury from flue gas containing mercury and particulate solids emanating from a fossil-fuel energy conversion plant and passing through a flue gas duct. The method includes (a) contacting the mercury in the flue gas with a solution containing at least one chloride-containing salt dissolved in a solvent by injecting the solution into the flue gas duct at an injection location, in order to oxidize mercury into HgCl2, (b) heating the solution prior to or after step (a) to at least about 300° C., and (c) removing oxidized mercury from the flue gas with a device for removing particulate solids from the flue gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating coarse particles from a stream of gas entrained with a mixture of coarse and fine particles includes an outer casing, an inner casing disposed within the outer casing and configured to define a passageway between the outer casing and the inner casing through which the stream of gas and mixture of coarse and fine particles can flow substantially upwardly, a plurality of angled vanes for imparting a rotational flow to the stream of gas and particles as the stream passes from the passageway to within the inner casing in order to separate the coarse particles from the fine particles entrained within the stream of gas, a plurality of outlets for discharging the stream of gas and fine particles from the apparatus, and at least one distribution vane pivotably mounted with respect to the outlets for controlling the distribution of fine particles among the various outlets by affecting the rotational flow of the stream of gas and fine particles.

Abstract: A system for removing gas from a stream of a mixture of gas and particulate solids. The system includes a separation vessel having an upstream end portion and a downstream cowl portion, the upstream end portion having an inlet for introducing the stream tangentially into the vessel to separate centrifugally from the stream (i) a rich portion, comprising a solids-rich mixture, proceeding along a helical path at an outer annular portion of the separation vessel to the cowl portion, and (ii) a lean portion, comprising a solids-lean mixture, proceeding along a helical path at an inner portion of the separation vessel to the cowl section, multiple helical ports through which the rich portion proceeds axially through the cowl section, without significantly losing its momentum, to be discharged axially from the separation vessel, and multiple passages between the helical ports through which the lean portion proceeds radially outwards to be discharged from the separation vessel.