The Role of Fuel Moisture in Gas Turbine Processes
Imatran Voima (TVO) is the biggest energy producer in Finland. IVO builds, owns and operates several biomass combustion power plants and carries out active R&D work on further development of small-scale biomass and peat-fired power plants. Both conventional power plants based on fluidized bed boilers and future power plants based on gasification are also developed by IVO. Typically, biomass fuels have high moisture content. High moisture content of fuel has, however, a negative effect on power generation cycles because of higher combustion losses. IVO has researched and developed a steam drying system for small-scale gasification power plants for the sole domestic fuels peat and biomass. This is described and the experience gained in testing it is briefly reviewed. The main focus of this paper is the thermal analysis of pressurized steam drying for biomass gasification power plants. Special emphasis is given to the thermal analysis of fuel moisture in alternative power plant processes. Fuel moisture removal is analyzed as a separate process.