Oxyfuel combustion

In oxyfuel CO₂ capture, the fuel is combusted in pure oxygen instead of air. This gives a flue gas with a high CO₂ concentration, which makes it much easier to separate for transport and storage. The critical issues in oxyfuel CO₂ capture are the production of the oxygen and the combustion process itself. Both items are addressed in ECNs R&D program. 

1.                  Oxygen-selective membranes

The conventional technology for oxygen production is cryogenic air separation, which has a large energy consumption. Oxygen-selective membranes offer the opportunity to reduce the energy consumption, especially when integrated in the power cycle. ECN develops membranes that are able to operate under the specific conditions in a power plant. 

2.                  Coal combustion in oxygen

Combustion of fuels such as coal and biomass in pure oxygen instead of air, significantly changes the process. Especially the slagging and fouling is investigated in this program, which is carried out at the unit Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research.