Residential wood combustion technology review: Volume 1. Final technical report, July 1997--July 1998

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:339579

Houck, J E; Tiegs, P E

The report gives results of a review of the current state-of-the-art of residential wood combustion (RWC). The key environmental parameter of concern was the air emission of particles. The technological status of all major RWC categories--cordwood stoves, fireplaces, masonry heaters, pettel stoves, and wood-fired central heating furnaces--was reviewed. Advances in technology achieved since the mid-1980s were the primary focus. Key findings of the review included: (1) the new source performance standard (NSPS) certification procedure only qualitatively predicts the level of emissions from wood heaters under actual use in homes; (2) woodstove durability varies with model, and a method to assess the durability problem is controversial; (3) nationally, the overwhelming majority of RWC air emissions are from noncertified devices (primarily from older noncertified woodstoves); (4) new technology appliances and fuels can reduce emissions significantly; (5) the International Organization for Standardization and EPA NSPS test procedures are quite dissimilar, and data generated by the two procedures would not be comparable; and (6) the effect of wood moisture and wood type on particulate emission appears to be real but less than an order of magnitude.

• Research Organization: OMNI Environmental Services, Inc., Beaverton, OR (United States); Environmental Protection Agency, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Div., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 339579
• Report Number(s): PB--99-122111/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
AIR POLLUTION
FLY ASH
MOISTURE
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SPACE HEATING
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES
WOOD FUELS