Chemical Looping Combustion

Basics

• Often abbreviated as CLC
• A form of Oxy-Fuel Combustion Process technology using metal oxides as the oxygen source, thus air never contacts the combustion chamber thus making the formation of nitrogen dioxides near impossible
• Assuming the fuel used is either pure carbon, or methane, there should be no heavy metals or hydrogen sulphide as well
• Uses a Fluidized Bed Gassifier for syngas production, then Fluidized Bed Reactor with the metal oxide as a sort of air free burner
• This also lowers the total flue gas volume, and makes the composition near pure carbon dioxide and water vapor
• The water vapor can be condensed leaving near pure carbon dioxide
• RESEARCH NEEDED
  • The mechanism of transfer between fluidised beds
  • If NOx is produced and how much
  • What oxides to use and if they need a substrate etc
  • Pollution/Tar Issues?

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Chemical Looping Combustion
• AN Article on CLC this is aimed twards coal, and the website covers many non-renewable resources, so possible bias (although they do cover biomass and other renewables as well)
• A Research Paper on Carrier Oxide Development
• A Research Paper on CLC
• A A University of Iowa Article on the Subject
• A Paper on a 10 (thermal) kilowatt biomass clc reactor, using iron oxide as a carrier
• Meant for coal, seemed to seperate gassification, and CLC?
• Chemical-Looping Combustion of Biomass in a 10 kWth Reactor with Iron Oxide As an Oxygen Carrier