skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Alkali deposits found in biomass boilers: The behavior of inorganic material in biomass-fired power boilers -- Field and laboratory experiences. Volume 2

Abstract

This report documents the major findings of the Alkali Deposits Investigation, a collaborative effort to understand the causes of unmanageable ash deposits in biomass-fired electric power boilers. Volume 1 of this report provide an overview of the project, with selected highlights. This volume provides more detail and discussion of the data and implications. This document includes six sections. The first, the introduction, provides the motivation, context, and focus for the investigation. The remaining sections discuss fuel properties, bench-scale combustion tests, a framework for considering ash deposition processes, pilot-scale tests of biomass fuels, and field tests in commercially operating biomass power generation stations. Detailed chemical analyses of eleven biomass fuels representing a broad cross-section of commercially available fuels reveal their properties that relate to ash deposition tendencies. The fuels fall into three broad categories: (1) straws and grasses (herbaceous materials); (2) pits, shells, hulls and other agricultural byproducts of a generally ligneous nature; and (3) woods and waste fuels of commercial interest. This report presents a systematic and reasonably detailed analysis of fuel property, operating condition, and boiler design issues that dictate ash deposit formation and property development. The span of investigations from bench-top experiments to commercial operation and observations includingmore » both practical illustrations and theoretical background provide a self-consistent and reasonably robust basis to understand the qualitative nature of ash deposit formation in biomass boilers. While there remain many quantitative details to be pursued, this project encapsulates essentially all of the conceptual aspects of the issue. It provides a basis for understanding and potentially resolving the technical and environmental issues associated with ash deposition during biomass combustion. 81 refs., 124 figs., 76 tabs.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3]; ;  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States). Combustion Research Facility
  2. Miles (Thomas R.), Portland, OR (United States)
  3. California Univ., Davis, CA (United States)
  4. National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
  5. Foster Wheeler Development Corp., Livingston, NJ (United States)
  6. Bureau of Mines, Albany, OR (United States). Albany Research Center
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Miles (Thomas R.), Portland, OR (United States); California Univ., Davis, CA (United States); Foster Wheeler Development Corp., Livingston, NJ (United States); Bureau of Mines, Albany, OR (United States). Albany Research Center
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
251289
Report Number(s):
NREL/TP-433-8142-Vol.2; SAND-96-8225-Vol.2
ON: DE96007898; TRN: AHC29614%%17
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Mar 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; REFUSE-FUELED POWER PLANTS; BOILERS; WOOD-FUEL POWER PLANTS; FOULING; STRAW; COMBUSTION; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; WOOD FUELS; PAPER; DEPOSITION; ASHES; COMBUSTION PROPERTIES; COCOMBUSTION; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; COMBUSTION KINETICS; PILOT PLANTS; NUTS; OLIVES; RICE; GRAMINEAE

Citation Formats

Baxter, L.L., Miles, T.R., Miles, T.R. Jr., Jenkins, B.M., Dayton, D.C., Milne, T.A., Bryers, R.W., and Oden, L.L.. Alkali deposits found in biomass boilers: The behavior of inorganic material in biomass-fired power boilers -- Field and laboratory experiences. Volume 2. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/251289.
Baxter, L.L., Miles, T.R., Miles, T.R. Jr., Jenkins, B.M., Dayton, D.C., Milne, T.A., Bryers, R.W., & Oden, L.L.. Alkali deposits found in biomass boilers: The behavior of inorganic material in biomass-fired power boilers -- Field and laboratory experiences. Volume 2. United States. doi:10.2172/251289.
Baxter, L.L., Miles, T.R., Miles, T.R. Jr., Jenkins, B.M., Dayton, D.C., Milne, T.A., Bryers, R.W., and Oden, L.L.. Fri . "Alkali deposits found in biomass boilers: The behavior of inorganic material in biomass-fired power boilers -- Field and laboratory experiences. Volume 2". United States. doi:10.2172/251289. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/251289.
@article{osti_251289,
title = {Alkali deposits found in biomass boilers: The behavior of inorganic material in biomass-fired power boilers -- Field and laboratory experiences. Volume 2},
author = {Baxter, L.L. and Miles, T.R. and Miles, T.R. Jr. and Jenkins, B.M. and Dayton, D.C. and Milne, T.A. and Bryers, R.W. and Oden, L.L.},
abstractNote = {This report documents the major findings of the Alkali Deposits Investigation, a collaborative effort to understand the causes of unmanageable ash deposits in biomass-fired electric power boilers. Volume 1 of this report provide an overview of the project, with selected highlights. This volume provides more detail and discussion of the data and implications. This document includes six sections. The first, the introduction, provides the motivation, context, and focus for the investigation. The remaining sections discuss fuel properties, bench-scale combustion tests, a framework for considering ash deposition processes, pilot-scale tests of biomass fuels, and field tests in commercially operating biomass power generation stations. Detailed chemical analyses of eleven biomass fuels representing a broad cross-section of commercially available fuels reveal their properties that relate to ash deposition tendencies. The fuels fall into three broad categories: (1) straws and grasses (herbaceous materials); (2) pits, shells, hulls and other agricultural byproducts of a generally ligneous nature; and (3) woods and waste fuels of commercial interest. This report presents a systematic and reasonably detailed analysis of fuel property, operating condition, and boiler design issues that dictate ash deposit formation and property development. The span of investigations from bench-top experiments to commercial operation and observations including both practical illustrations and theoretical background provide a self-consistent and reasonably robust basis to understand the qualitative nature of ash deposit formation in biomass boilers. While there remain many quantitative details to be pursued, this project encapsulates essentially all of the conceptual aspects of the issue. It provides a basis for understanding and potentially resolving the technical and environmental issues associated with ash deposition during biomass combustion. 81 refs., 124 figs., 76 tabs.},
doi = {10.2172/251289},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}

Technical Report:

Save / Share:
  • Alkali in the ash of annual crop biomass fuels creates serious fouling and slagging in conventional boilers. Even with the use of sorbents and other additives, power plants can only fire limited amounts of these fuels in combination with wood. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), US Department of Energy, and the biomass power industry carried out eight full-scale firing tests and several laboratory experiments to study the nature and occurrence of deposits with the goal of increasing the quantities of these biofuels that can be used. This report describes the results of the laboratory and power plant tests thatmore » included: tracking and analyzing fuels and deposits by various methods; recording operating conditions; and extensive laboratory testing. The paper describes the occurrence of deposits, fuel and deposit analyses, boiler design and operation, fouling and slagging indicators, and recommendations. 37 refs., 41 figs., 17 tabs.« less
  • This report presents the results of tests for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and inorganic trace elements in the effluent of eleven coal stoker fired boilers. These data are part of a larger stoker test program whose main objective was to produce information which will increase the ability of the boiler manufacturers to design and fabricate stoker boilers that are an economical and environmentally satisfactory alternative to oil and gas-fired units. The objectives of the SASS testing portion of this program are to determine the organic and inorganic makeup of boiler emissions which cannot be detected by using the standard EPAmore » Method 5 train. SASS tests were conducted in accordance with EPA Level 1 guidelines. Twenty-three SASS tests were run on 11 different coal stoker fired boilers to determine emissions data for 74 inorganic trace elements and 21 PAHs. The emissions of most concern are the suspected carcinogens or the emissions with high probability of being carcinogens. The inorganic trace elements that were investigated and are listed as carcinogens and high probability carcinogens by the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards are: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, and nickel. The SASS emissions data are presented in three different sets of units: nonograms per joule of energy input, micrograms per dry standard cubic meter of flue gas sampled, and grams per kilograms of fuel input. To protect the interests of the host boiler facilities, each site has been given a letter designation. A complete description of each unit and all tests run at each site can be found in the corresponding site reports referenced at the end of this report. This report contains a description of the test equipment and procedures, analytical procedures, data reduction techniques, the test data, and a brief description of each facility tested and the coals fired. 4 figures, 16 tables.« less
  • This report discusses the results of a field investigation of full-scale baghouses collecting fly ash at five coal-fired power plants. All five plants burned western, low-sulfur, subbituminous coal and were equipped with baghouses cleaned by reverse gas. Since all of the baghouses operated with clear stacks, particulate collection efficiencies were not measured. Instead, attention was focused on parameters associated with pressure drop, which is important because it is directly related to operating and capital costs. Cleaning-cycle information was taken at the baghouses, and measurements were made of air-to-cloth ratio and tube sheet pressure drop. In addition, seasoned bags and bagmore » samples cut from seasoned bags were weighed to determie dustcake areal loading. Average drag (presure drop/air-to-cloth ratio) and drag measured using these bag samples were recorded. Also, data on the chemical analysis of the coals and their resultant fly ash were gathered, and particle size distribution measurements were made on fly ash samples. Electrical resistivity was measured on fly ash from three locations. 8 refs., 33 figs., 38 tabs.« less
  • This document includes 39 engineering drawings covering the process flow, site, layout, equipment, pipes, heat exchanger, heat recovery steam generator, etc. (DLC)
  • A full scale demonstration of the dry removal of SO/sub 2/ with nahcolite (naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate) was conducted at Public Service Company of Colorado's Cameo Unit No. 1. This is a 22 MW coal-fired boiler retrofitted with a fabric filter. In the dry SO/sub 2/ removal process nahcolite is pulverized and injected into the flue gas stream ahead of the fabric filter and downstream of the air preheater. The nahcolite collects on the bags and the SO/sub 2/ is removed as the flue gas passes through the filter cake. The objectives of the program were (1) to demonstrate themore » operability of the injection technique and the level of SO/sub 2/ removal attainable on a full scale utility system under typical operating conditions, and (2) to assess the impact of nahcolite injection on the operation of the fabric filter. The test program demonstrated SO/sub 2/ removals in the range of 75 to 83 percent with the injection of a stoichiometric amount of nahcolite into the flue gas. The rate of reaction between nahcolite and SO/sub 2/ was decreased when baghouse temperature was reduced from 300/sup 0/F to 275/sup 0/F. This effect lessened the average SO/sub 2/ removal to nearly 40 percent when injecting near stoichiometric amounts. In addition to SO/sub 2/ removal, the dry injection of nahcolite also resulted in a simultaneous removal of nitric oxide on the order of 8 percent to 14 percent. Nahcolite injection had no substantial impact on the fabric filter operation. The rate of change in flange-to-flange pressure drop during filtration increased by about 0.1 inch H/sub 2/O/h (20 percent) due to nahcolite injection. A second phase of testing is currently planned at the Cameo facility to address the effectiveness of other sodium-based materials as dry SO/sub 2/ scrubbing agents including trona and soda ash. 28 figures, 16 tables.« less