Development of small, modular biomass power systems
- Peninsula Energy Partners, Los Altos, CA (United States)
- IVO/EPRI, Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- Bechtel Corp., San Francisco, CA (United States)
This paper describes a collaborative effort between the Electric Power Research Institute, Bechtel Corporation and Imatran Voima Oy. The goal is commercialization of a biomass-fueled, modular (50 to 250 kW) heat and power technology for distributed applications. The technology to be selected will not present any major technical challenges, but first and foremost must be simple and reliable. Additional criteria include: acceptable capital cost, fuel flexibility, and the capability for meeting local environmental standards. As the capital cost of small units will be influenced by economies of fabrication, the economic viability of these systems depends upon the size of the domestic and international markets. Thus, evaluation of available conversion technologies was undertaken concurrently with a broad-based market assessment. The technology scan included all the commercial and pre-commercial biomass systems that could be located. Information was sorted into five categories: (1) gasifiers with either diesel or spark-ignited engines; (2) indirectly fired gas turbines; (3) directly fired gas turbines; (4) pyrolysis processes with diesel engines; or (5) conventional steam-cycles. The evaluation of the technologies was based on the above criteria, along with the recognition that the levelized cost of power from the system must be competitive with available diesel generation. The market for these systems within the contiguous 48 states is expected to be limited to situations involving forest ecosystem improvements and the reduction of forest fire hazards, and/or clean-up and remediation following natural disasters. Another North American market is remote villages in Canada and Alaska. By far the largest market is in developing nations where two billion people are without electricity for lighting, water pumping or refrigeration. Serving this latter market presents a major challenge, as each system will require establishment of a whole new local infrastructure.
- OSTI ID:
- 478692
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960958-; TRN: 97:002640-0083
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Partnerships to develop and apply biomass technologies, Nashville, TN (United States), 15-19 Sep 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Bioenergy `96: Partnerships to develop and apply biomass technologies. Volume I and II; PB: 1171 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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