Engineering development of coal-fired high-performance power systems

In Phase I of the project, a conceptual design of a coal-fired high performance power system was developed, and small scale R&D was done in critical areas of the design. The current Phase Of the project includes development through the pilot plant stage, and design of a prototype plant that would be built in Phase 3. Foster Wheeler Development Corporation is leading a team of companies in this effort: AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems, Bechtel Corporation, University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The power generating system being developed in this project will be an improvement over current coal-fired systems. The following goals have been identified that relate to the efficiency,emissions, costs and general operation of the system: total station efficiency of at least 4 percent on a higher heating value basis; emissions--NOx {lt} 0.06 lb/MMBtu, SOx {lt} 0.06 lb/MMBtu, particulates {lt} 0.003 lb/MMBtu; all solid wastes must be benign with regard to disposal; over 95 percent of the total heat input is ultimately from coal, with initial systems capable of using coal for at least 65 percent of the heat input; 10 percent lower cost of electricity relative to a modern coal-fired plant conforming to NSPS. The base case arrangement of the HIPPS cycle is a combined cycle plant, and is referred to as the All Coal HIPPS because it does not require any other fuels for normal operation. An alternative HIPPS cycle uses a ceramic air heater to heat the air to temperatures above what can be achieved with alloy tubes. This arrangement is referred to as the 35 percent natural gas HIPPS. 2 refs., 11 figs. 3 tabs