Guidelines for cofiting refuse-derived fuel in electrical utility boilers

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Proceedings of the American Power Conference; (USA)

OSTI ID:7050914

McGowin, C R ^[1]; Joensen, A W ^[2]; Fiscus, D E ^[3]; Wolfs, K E; Ege, H D ^[4]; Savage, G M ^[5]

---

1. Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
2. Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames, IA (USA)
3. Midwest Research Inst., Kansas City, MO (USA)
4. Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co., Kansas City, MO (USA)
5. Cal Recovery Systems, Inc., Richmond, CA (USA)

Since the 1970s, nine electric utilities in the United States have cofired refuse-derived fuel (RDF) prepared from municipal refuse with coal or oil in electric utility boilers. Of these, four are continuing to cofire RDF as of 1988, the others having discontinued operations for a variety of reasons, mostly economic. In order to document this experience and provide a basis for planning future RDF cofiring projects, EPRI and the U.S. Department of Energy cosponsored the development of guidelines for RDF cofiring. The guidelines, discussed in this paper, address the procedures for evaluating proposed RDF projects, RDF specifications and preparation, impact of RDF cofiring on power plant performance and operation, design criteria for RDF handling and other equipment, environmental control systems, capital and O and M cost estimates, economic analysis, and the breakeven RDF value to the utility. The economic analysis suggests that the value of RDF to the utility is only a fraction of the value of the fuel replaced, because the incremental fuel savings derived from RDF cofiring are at least partially offset by the incremental capital and O and M costs.

• OSTI ID: 7050914
• Report Number(s): CONF-880403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Proceedings of the American Power Conference; (USA) Journal Volume: 50
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
092000 -- Biomass Fuels-- Combustion-- (1990-)
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200103* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste-Fueled Systems
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
BOILERS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
CONTROL
COST ESTIMATION
DESIGN
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EPRI
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXIDATION
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFUSE DERIVED FUELS
REFUSE-FUELED BOILERS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS