Treatment of Flue Gas in a CO2 Capture Pilot Plant for a Commercial CFB Boiler

The problem of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from flue gas, particularly from flue gas originating from coal-firing CFB systems, is currently an important challenge. Many centers around the world have tested post-combustion CO2 capture systems. One of these systems, operated using DR-VPSA adsorption technology (dual-reflux vacuum pressure swing adsorption), was tested under the Strategic Project in Poland. The flue gas in this study originated from a supercritical CFB boiler (460 MWe). An important problem involved in capturing CO2 from flue gas is the occurrence of SO2 and NOx. These substances have a negative effect on the CO2 adsorption process. In this study, commercial impregnated activated carbon was used to remove SO2 and NOx from CFB flue gas in the pre-treatment section during the tests of a pilot CO2 capture unit in a large-scale CFB boiler at the Lagisza Power Plant (Poland). The spent activated carbon was analyzed using several different methods (N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, and TG) to evaluate the efficiency of the operation and life span of the adsorbent used in the SO2 and NOx removal unit. The results demonstrate that using commercial impregnated activated carbon in the pre-treatment section ensures sufficient flue gas purification and the removal of sulfur oxides but remains insufficient for nitrogen oxides.