ABSTRACT
The functionality of fluidized bed equipment is limited by its fuel feed system. A major fraction of
the interruptions in the operation of a fluidized bed unit can be attributed to the breakdown of its
feed system. This system is vulnerable, especially for biomass or when the solid fuel picks up an
excessive amount of surface moisture from rain or snow while lying in an outdoor stockyard. A
fluidized bed plant feeds the fuel into the furnace or gasifier directly after crushing without drying
or pulverizing it as is done in a pulverized coal-fired (PC) boiler. Thus, a blockage could easily
occur either in the fuel bunker or in the feeder itself due to the surface moisture of the fuel.
Excessive fines in the fuel also reduce its mobility interrupting the boiler operation.
