Development of wood as an alternative fuel for large power generating systems. Annual report, January 3, 1978--October 31, 1978
The objective of the overall project is to develop a system for retrofitting fossil-fuel-fired boilers to burn wood. This effort is expected to provide the data for the design and fabrication of a prototype combustion module which will provide the design information for retrofitting of large-scale boiler systems. To achieve this objective, a small combustion module was designed, fabricated, and run as an integral part of this effort. This apparatus was used for parametric studies of wood pyrolysis and combustion with hot air. Tests in the module have shown that green wood, when pulverized to pass a half inch screen, burns in much the same manner as natural gas or oil when the primary and secondary air temperature is 1000/sup 0/F. Tests have been made with primary and secondary air temperatures up to 1040/sup 0/F and with air/fuel ratios varying from stoichiometric to 92% excess air. The maximum green wood feed rate was 1272 lbs per hour with a heat generation of 5.5 million Btu per hour. With heat loss due to the moisture in the wood having been taken into account, the overall heat release rate for the furnace with 1272 lbs of green wood per hour was 13,445 Btu per cubic foot per hour. The burning of the particles while in suspension was determined to be essentially complete with excess air in the 20 to 36% range and nearly so with no excess air when both primary and secondary air enters at 1040/sup 0/F. Results of an analysis of the burning in the module indicate that a 60,000 Btu/ft/sup 3//hr heat release rate can be achieved. Further performance tests on combustors and pulverizers and the retrofitting of a gas- or oil-burning central power station to burn wood are recommended.
- Research Organization:
- Aerospace Research Corp., Roanoke, VA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- ET-78-C-05-5682
- OSTI ID:
- 6020048
- Report Number(s):
- ORO-5682-8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
09 BIOMASS FUELS
BOILERS
RETROFITTING
COMBUSTORS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
WOOD
COMBUSTION
COMMINUTION
PYROLYSIS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
OXIDATION
POWER PLANTS
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
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