Fluidized Bed Combustion

Fluidized Bed Combustion, method of heat production in which a solid fuel is burned while suspended by an upwardly moving gas or air stream. Although fluidized bed boilers can be operated using various solid fuels, including wood and municipal wastes, the process has become commonly identified as one of several commercially promising clean coal technologies. In this application, coal is mixed with limestone and burned as a suspended mass on a cushion of air. The limestone absorbs 90 to 95 per cent of the resulting sulphur dioxide, while the boiler's lower operating temperature inhibits nitrogen oxide formation.