Combustion of char from pyrolyzed wood waste

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:7221174

Demeter, J J; McCan, C R; Ekmann, J M; Bienstock, D

The combustion and handling characteristics of char produced by pyrolysis of wood waste were determined in a 500 lb/hr pulverized-coal-fired (PCF) combustion test facility and as a slurry with No. 6 oil in a 100 HP oil-fired boiler. In the PCF combustor, tests were also run with a 50-50 blend of Pittsburgh-seam high-volatile coal with a high-volatile pyrolytic char as well as with a low-volatile pyrolytic char. Stable combustion could be maintained with a secondary air-preheat temperature of 600/sup 0/F, the temperature generally used when firing coal, at a carbon-combustion efficiency of 97.3 to 98.6 percent. With the low-nitrogen content of the char, nitrogen oxide emissions were very much lower than those obtained from coal (0.25 compared to 0.80 lb NO/sub 2//10/sup 6/ Btu) at the same firing conditions. The NO/sub x/ emissions obtained with the 50-50 blends appeared to be an average of the values obtained for the fuels separately. Similarly, the SO/sub 2/ emission was low with the char alone (0.18 lb SO/sub 2//10/sup 6/ Btu), and the emissions obtained with the blends were an average of the values obtained with the fuels separately. A 60-40 blend of pulverized char and the oil produced during pyrolysis combined with No. 6 fuel oil to obtain a slurry containing 30 percent char performed well in a 100 HP oil-fired firetube boiler modified to fire coal-oil slurries. Excellent flame stability was experienced and the carbon-combustion efficiency was similar to that obtained with No. 6 fuel oil and coal-oil slurry. Nitrogen oxide emissions were significantly lower than those obtained when firing coal-oil slurry, and the SO/sub 2/ emissions were about 50 percent lower. Some fouling of the small ports in the burner nozzle was experienced due to the accumulation of small fibers passing through the filter screen.

• Research Organization: Energy Research and Development Administration, Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Pittsburgh Energy Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7221174
• Report Number(s): PERC/RI-77/9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
BOILER FUEL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUEL OILS
FUELS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POWER PLANTS
PYROLYSIS
SOLID WASTES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTES
WOOD WASTES