A: State-of-the-art, coal-fired boilers use air for the combustion of fuel. However, advanced combustion power generation burns fossil fuels in a high-oxygen concentration environment, rather than air. This strategy eliminates most, if not all, of the nitrogen found in air from the combustion process, resulting in flue gas composed of carbon dioxide (CO
2), water, contaminants from the fuel (including coal ash), and other gases that may infiltrate the combustion system. The high concentration of CO
2 (approximately 70 percent), along with the absence of nitrogen, simplify separation of CO
2 from the flue gas for storage or beneficial use. Thus, oxygen-fired combustion is an alternative approach to post-combustion capture for CO
2 storage from coal-fired systems. Examples of advanced combustion systems technology include oxy-combustion and chemical looping combustion. For further information, see:
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Advanced Combustion Systems
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Advanced Combustion Systems Technology Program Plan