Results of Our Research Efforts

Demonstration Test

Particulars and Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview)

IGCC demonstration tests were conducted over a period of about 3 years and 7 months, starting with ignition of the gasifier in September 2007, and continuing up to March 2011. The test was conducted according to the schedule shown below. In general, all of the initial targets were achieved.

Further tests are planned for the next two years, from fiscal 2011 through the end of fiscal 2012, to (a) respond to new issues that have arisen, and to (b) aim at continuing maturation of IGCC technology, focusing on reliability, economic feasibility, and coal-type adaptability. Our underlying plan is to tie these efforts into the smooth commercialization of these systems.

Demonstration Test Schedule

Demonstration Test Schedule

Verification Items and Particulars of Demonstration Testing

Item Goal
1) System Safety and Stability Demonstrate safe shutdown when plant malfunctions, and safe handling of coal gas.
2) Reliability Run continuously for at least 2000 hours (equivalent to 3 summer months) to confirm reliability.
3) Coal Type Flexibility Collect data while running coal types outside of the design specs. Data is to be used to support future commercial design.
4) High Efficiency Achieve targeted thermal efficiency, to show that system delivers the high efficiency that is said to be IGCC's greatest advantage.
5) Durability Run for long period, then conduct overhaul inspection to demonstrate durability.
6) Economy Use operational performance as a basis for comprehensive evaluation of costs (construction costs, operating costs, maintenance costs etc.), and evaluate economic feasibility.
1) System Safety and Stability
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Safe shutdown when plant malfunctions.
  • • Simulated a malfunction and tested interlocks to confirm safe plant shutdown.
 Confirmed that system is stable.
Objective accomplished
• Safe handling of coal gas.
  • • Ran various trials and adjustments, and confirmed that gas handling is always safe and that there are no operational errors.
  • • Confirmed system stability by demonstrating stable continuous operation at rated load (250 MW).
2) Reliability of the Facility
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Run continuously for 2000 hours.
(Equivalent to 3 months of summer.)
  • • Confirmed stable operation over 2039 consecutive hours.
 Achieved continuous-run target. Going forward, will also check durability over mid-to-long-term continuous operation.
Objective accomplished
3) Coal Type Flexibility
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Collect data while running on coal types outside of the design specs.
  • • Operated plant on three different types of sub-bituminous coal, and collected operational data.
  • • In some cases, coal characteristics caused blockage in heat-transfer piping in the heat exchanger (SGC) downstream of the gasifier.
 Analyzed operation when using three coal types outside the range of the design specs, collecting data to be used to support future design of commercial-level facilities.
In some cases, blockage occurred in the SGC heat-transfer piping downstream of the gasifier.
Results made it clear that various countermeasures would be needed to prevent problems caused by different coal types.
Objective accomplished
4) High Efficiency
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Targeted thermal efficiency (Achieve LHV 42% LHV at sending end)
  • • Achieved 42.9% LHV at sending end.
 Demonstrated high efficiency.
Objective accomplished
5) Durability
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Run for long period, then do overhaul inspection to evaluate durability.
  • • Ran 5000 hours in one year.
  • •After running 5000 hours, conducted overhaul inspection. Confirmed that there were no critical device faults.
 Confirmed that the tested equipment has an appropriate IGCC design. Going forward, will also check durability over mid-to-long-term continuous operation.
Objective accomplished
6) Economy
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Evaluate economic feasibility based on operational performance.
  • • While it seems that gasified-coal systems will have higher construction and repair costs. relative to pulverized-coal systems, we expect that they will also deliver better thermal efficiency and low fuel costs.
 Based on the results, it seems quite possible that gasified coal may deliver power-generating costs equal to or lower than those for pulverized coal. Yet, it will be required to enhance precision of these systems for lower repair costs.
Objective accomplished

New verification items and their contents

1) Reliability
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Confirm the mid-to-long term durability of the igcc facilities including countermeasures implemented during the past testing.
  • • Coutermeasures to initial stage troubles are working well in 2011.
  • • Additional two countermeasures to mid-and-long rerm troubles were implemented in 2011and their durability would be verified in 2012.
 in progress
Confirm the mid-to-long term durability with te results of further operation in 2012.
2) Coal Type Flexibility
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Establish the measures against the troubles accompanied by some coal types.
  • • Another types of bituminous, Columbian Russian and Indonesian coals were in use and operational data were collected in 2011.
  • • Some coal type brought about clogging in SGC heat exchanger piping facility.
 in progress
Another types of coal are to be tested in 2012.
3) Economy
Verification Items (Overview) Results of Demonstration Testing (Overview) Evaluation
• Increase in samples of maintenance and inspection results for analysing the maintenance cost which should be compatible with conventional purverized coal fired generation.
  • • Design improvement in SGC Heat exchanger is underway.
  • • Prolongment of inspection periods under study.
 in progress
Cost reduction measures are to be worked out reflecting the operation and maitenance experiences in 2012.

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