The evaluation of a biomass-derived liquid product as a fuel for boiler applications
The handling properties and combustion, flame and heat transfer characteristics of a fuel produced from wood and cellulosic products by a rapid thermal process (RTP) were investigated. The resulting pyrolysis liquid fuel products were supplied from a small 50 kg/h pilot plant for comparison with commercially available No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oil at the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC). In all, four projects were undertaken, each to meet different objectives. The combustion tests were conducted in the CETC pilot-scale calorimetric flame tunnel furnace, rated at 0.7 MW{sub {sub th}}. Early results indicated that the raw unscreened product could not be handled in CETC`s air-atomizing burner without further screening of large char particles. The fuel developer then produced a product which was screened to pass 150 {micro}m size. This fuel product burned satisfactorily, producing significantly lower carbon monoxide levels in the flue gas, especially with higher than ambient air-atomizing temperatures. These later fuels were then used to complete the four projects. In one of the projects, a laboratory-scale 35 kW screening facility, developed by CETC to assess liquid fuel quality in terms of handling, ignition, combustion quality and emissions, was used to provide feedback to the fuel developer as part of this project. It was recommended that a product screened to below 150 {micro}m be supplied in sufficient quantities to undertake further pilot-scale combustion tests in order to determine the beneficial effects of increasing combustion air and fuel temperatures and the use of mechanical atomizers, as well as to obtain a more comprehensive analysis of the combustion products, especially with respect to organic emissions. In the meantime, commercial development of the fuel is progressing, both in North America and Europe.
- OSTI ID:
- 427877
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961006-; ISBN 0-7918-1795-4; TRN: IM9708%%204
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1996 international joint power generation conference, Houston, TX (United States), 13-17 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1996 international joint power generation conference -- Volume 1: Environmental control/fuels and combustion technologies. EC-Volume 4; FACT-Volume 21; Smouse, S.M. [ed.] [Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center]; Gupta, A. [ed.] [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)]; PB: 516 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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