The major advantages of fluidized bed combustors are
[66]:
² uniform temperature distribution due to intense solid
mixing (no hot spots even with strongly exothermic reactions);
² large solid–gas exchange area by virtue of the small
solids grain size;
² high heat-transfer coefficients between bed and the heat
exchanging surfaces;
² the intense motion of the fluidized bed makes it possible
to combust a wide range of fuels having different sizes,
shapes, moisture contents and heating values. The fuel
supplied can be either wet or dry and either a paste or a
solid;
² the high heat capacity of the fluidized bed permits stable
combustion at low temperature (ca. 8508C), so that the
formation of thermal and prompt nitrogen oxides can be
suppressed;
² no moving parts in the combustion chamber.
Set against these advantages are the following disadvantages
[66]:
² solid separation or gas purification equipment required
because of solids entrained by fluidizing gas and the high
dust load in the flue gas;
² erosion of internals resulting from high solids velocities;
² possibility of defluidization due to agglomeration of
solids;
² partial load operation requires special technology.