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How does an integrated gasification combined-cycle power plant use coal?
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coal utilization
Cross-regenerative coke oven. (A) Cross section, showing the alternating arrangement of flue walls and ovens; (B) longitudinal section, showing (left) a series of combustion flues in a single flue wall and (right) part of a long, slotlike oven.
An Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) power plant utilizes coal through a multi-stage process that improves energy conversion efficiency to approximately 42 percent.1
Instead of direct combustion, the plant first performs coal gasification, where coal is converted into a combustible gas mixture known as syngas. This is achieved by reacting the coal with oxygen, steam, or hydrogen at high temperatures.2
The IGCC process then proceeds as follows:
- Gas Turbine Operation: The produced syngas is burned to generate hot combustion products at temperatures reaching 1,600 °C (2,900 °F), which are used to drive a gas turbine.1
- Steam Turbine Operation: The exhaust gases from the gas turbine are captured and used to generate steam, which subsequently powers a conventional steam turbine.1
By combining these two cycles—gas and steam—the plant achieves higher efficiency than conventional coal-burning power plants.1