Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BELENUS (Lowering Costs by Improving Efficiencies in Biomass Fueled Boilers: New Materials and Coatings to Reduce Corrosion)
Período documentado: 2020-09-01 hasta 2021-08-31
BELENUS will reduce bioenergy CAPEX and OPEX through a holistic approach to prevent mainly corrosion in the boiler, in particular in superheater tubes: a) new surface engineering: biomass corrosion highly resistant coatings on creep resistance materials; b) new strategies of welding and bending for coated tubes improving the quality and efficiency of boiler components; and c) new online corrosion monitoring system specifically designed for biomass CHP plants. These contributions will allow raising the plant efficiency by increasing the operating temperature resulting in reducing the fuel expenditure and providing flexibility by allowing the use of different types of biomass, as well as the lifetime of critical components of biomass fired boilers. Finally, modelling and lifetime prediction tools and cost and life cycle analysis undertaken so the optimum materials and coatings are chosen from the durability, economic and environmental perspectives, maximising the sustainability in economic and environmental terms.
WP1 was focused in selecting biomass fuels, alloys and coatings systems, as well as defining the test parameters regarding lab, pilot and plant scale and the test matrices for corrosion, erosion and mechanical testing.
In the WP2 a total of 30 coatings on SVM12 steel were developed by different deposition technologies. They were screening tested (500 h) under simulated fire- and steam-side in WP3. From that test, the best performing systems have been reengineered to optimize their quality and have been produced for long-term test, mechanical (tensile and erosion), bending and pilot plant testing (tests on-going). On the other hand, electrochemical sensors for on-line corrosion monitoring were also developed and pre-tested in steam at lab scale. Currently, its behaviour has been validated under biomass atmosphere at pilot plant scale.
Most of the work at that scale (WP4) was focused on biomass fuel and ash characterisation, as well as modelling of the combustion process for all the selected biomass fuels and analysing leaching procedures (not considered in the GA). In addition, studies about the biomass preparation (pelletized) and continuous feeding methodology were carried out for commissioning the pilot plant of 10 kWth was achieved. In the WP5, thermo-physical simulation of uncoated and coated samples integrity after welding processes by means of heat affected zone (HAZ) experiments was performed. Transversally, in the WP6, a modelling method for analysis of fouling risks by coupling computational fluid dynamic modelling (CFD) and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, a first set of calculation to predict the stable phases formed on the best performing materials, as well as starting the lifetime assessment and methodology development with a SVM12 tube case and LCAs of some coatings were performed. At full scale in the WP7, trial tube with 18 trial coatings was installed within the final superheater of the Steven’s Croft boiler, as well as corrosion probes and online corrosion monitoring system, which will be installed in Blackburn Meadows boiler, have been manufactured. Additionally, another corrosion probe and erosion probes (not considered in the GA) are being developed. Regarding dissemination activities have been the most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, due to the cancellation of face-to face events and the delays in other WPs. Therefore, WP8 was focused on maximise it through the project website (https://belenus-project.eu) and social networks (LinkedIn and Twitter). Finally, in the frame of WP9, coordination and management administrative activities have been performed (GA, SC meetings organization, amendment process, evaluation of the pandemic impact on the activities of the project, etc.). The project progress from technical and financial points of view have been monitored monthly by means of work package leaders and coordinator meetings. In addition, the project coordinator has centralizes the coordination activities among the project consortium and the European Commission (EC).