Annual brief overview
Fiscal 2011 Status of Demonstration Test
In 2011, between April and July, restoration works along with regular maintenance work obligated by the law were conducted. In late of July, we resumed the IGCC operation. Such tests were conducted, as fuel flexibility test for increase in the applicable coal types and confirmation of the design improvement effect on the heat exchanger (SGC) for minimizing the risk of clogging.
[Facility Restoration Work]
- <Objectives>
- ・Restore the IGCC facilities incurred by the big jolt and the tsunami caused by Large Earthquake on March 11th, 2011.
- <Result>
- ・Substantial works were begun on early May 2011 and restarted the gasification on July 19th 2011.
- ・We could verify the possibility of the quick recovery of IGCC even from the severe damages.
[Regular Maintenance Work]
- <Objectives>
- ・In Japan, Electricity Low stipulates the periodical maintenance to be conducted in each two years. Year 2011 correspond to the IGCC and we should conduct the maintenance works to meet the regulation.
- <Result>
- ・We conducted the maintenance works while conducting the restoration works on boiler, gasifier and liquid gas handling facility between April 25th and August 12th and checked the soundness of the facilities.
- ・Safety management examination was conducted in September 2011 and the certificate on the propriety of the works and facility was issued by the organization entrusted by the Japanese government.
[Coal type change test (RUN-14)]
- <Test Objectives>
- ・Another types of bituminous coal with different characteristics from the designed and previously tested coals are to be tested.
- ・Study on the effects of the design improvement for minimizing the clogging of the heat transfer pipe system in SGC.
- <Test Results>
- ・Three types of bituminous coals were successfully tested.
- ・Columbian coal of 50% content with the designed coal 50% was stably operated with the output of 225 MW which is the highest output at present on the IGCC.
- ・Russian coal with 100% content was stably operated with 225 MW output.
- ・Indonesian coal of 67% content with the designed coal 33% was stably operated with 175 MW output.
- ・Regarding the clogging of heat transfer pipe system in SGC, the performance on the devised pipe system was improved. However, during the operation when applying the Indonesian coal, the clogging had been gradually proceeded. Therefore, we halted the operation and cleaned the SGC system. After the cleaning, we resumed the operation and applied Indonesian coal again, which did not bring about no significant clogging.
