Development of wood as an alternative fuel for large power generating systems. Annual report, January 3, 1978--October 31, 1978

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6020048· OSTI ID:6020048

Hamrick, J. T.

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)
• OSTI ID: 6020048
• Report Number(s): ORO-5682-8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200108 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Fuels-- (1980-)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
296001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power Generation-- (-1989)
299003* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
BOILERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTORS
COMMINUTION
DECOMPOSITION
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
OXIDATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER PLANTS
PYROLYSIS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RETROFITTING
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WOOD