Abstract:
The control of the amount of alkali vapors in the flue gas at the gas turbine inlet is very important for the coalfired combined cycle power system. Based on the Gibbs free energy minimization principle of chemical equilibrium, two models of coalfired process and alkali migration were developed using Aspen Plus software to explore the migration mechanisms of alkali metals during coalfired process. Moreover, the effect of conditions on the limit level of alkali vapors were predicted. The model results show that in a wide reactor temperature range from 850K to 1650K, the concentration of alkali vapors increases with increasing the reactor temperature. Below 1400K NaCl vapor and KCl vapor are the major alkali metal species in the gaseous phase, and the concentration of Na2SO4 vapor is much higher than that of K2SO4 vapor. At below 1500K, concentrations of alkali vapors increase with the increase of chlorine in coal. At a constant temperature, concentrations of alkali vapors decrease with increasing the reactor pressure. Under atmospheric pressure, the concentration of alkali vapors is decreased to 2.4×10-8 by weight in 972K with 0.1% chlorine in coal, and when the chlorine in coal are 0.05% and 0.01%, the reactor temperature should be increased to 990K and 1025K to limit concentrations of alkali vapors lower than 2.4×10-8, respectively.