David J. McCalden

Waste Classification of Slag Generated in a Pilot-Scale Entrained-Flow Gasifier

Series of gasification tests have been completed in the pilot-scale entrained-flow slagging gasifier at CanmetENERGY using Canadian coals, oil-sand coke, and blends of these fuels to determine if the produced slags are nonhazardous in nature. Solid wastes generated during these tests were analyzed for their trace metals, crystallinity, and toxic constituent leaching tendency in an attempt to provide more insight into the possibility of disposal or by-product use of gasifier-produced solid waste. The gasification tests were performed at conditions representative of commercial gasifiers using a dry-fuel-feed configuration. The lower-volatility elements were found to partition between the slag and process-water solids (PWS) collected after gasification of the oil-sand coke. The less volatile group 1 elements tended to be enriched in both solid streams, whereas the slightly more volatile group 2 elements tended to exhibit higher enrichment in the PWS. Slag samples were found to be inert with regard to their leaching potential, and so these materials can be considered nonhazardous.

High temperature monitoring of an oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustor using femtosecond infrared laser written fiber Bragg gratings

Femtosecond pulse duration infrared laser (fs-IR) written fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), have demonstrated great potential for extreme environment sensing. Harsh environments are inherent to the advanced power plant technologies under development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The performance of new power systems are currently limited by the lack of sensors and controls capable of withstanding the high temperature, pressure and corrosive conditions present. This paper discusses fabrication and deployment of several fs-IR written FBG arrays, for monitoring the temperature distribution within a fluidized bed combustor. Results include: calibration data to ~ 1100 °C, discussion of deployment strategies, contrast with thermocouple data, and comments on reliability.

Entrained-flow gasifier and fluidized-bed combustor temperature monitoring using arrays of fs-IR written fiber Bragg gratings

Femtosecond written fiber Bragg gratings, have shown great potential for sensing in extreme environments. This paper discusses the fabrication and deployment of several fs-IR written FBG arrays, for monitoring main-spool skin temperatures of an entrained-flow gasifier, as well as the internal temperature gradient of a fluidized bed combustor.

Combustor deployments of femtosecond laser written fiber Bragg grating arrays for temperature measurements surpassing 1000 °C

Femtosecond Infrared (fs-IR) laser written fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), have demonstrated great potential for extreme sensing. Such conditions are inherent to advanced power plant technologies and gas turbine engines, under development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and the ability to measure temperature gradients in these harsh environments is currently limited by the lack of sensors and controls capable of withstanding the high temperature, pressure and corrosive conditions present. This paper reviews our fabrication and deployment of hundreds of fs-IR written FBGs, for monitoring temperature gradients of an oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustor and an aerospace gas turbine combustor simulator.