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Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances

Abstract

There is over a million hand fired small heating appliances in Finland where about 5,4 million cubic meters of wood fuel is used. Combustion in such heating appliances is a batch-type process. In early stages of combustion when volatiles are burned, the formation of carbon monoxide (CO) and other combustible gases are difficult to avoid when using fuels that have high volatile matter content. Harmful emissions are formed mostly after each fuel adding but also during char burnout period. When the CO-content in flue gases is, say over 0.5 %, also other harmful emissions will be formed. Methane (CH{sub 4}) and other hydrocarbons are released and the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)-compounds can be remarkable. Some PAH-compounds are very carcinogenic. It has been estimated that in Finland even more than 90 % of hydrocarbon and PAH emissions are due to small scale wood combustion. Emissions from transportation is excluded from these figures. That is why wood combustion has a net effect on greenhouse gas phenomena. For example carbon monoxide emissions from small scale wood combustion are two fold compared to that of energy production in power plants. Methane emission is of the same order as emission from transportation and  More>>
Authors:
Oravainen, H [1] 
  1. VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)
Publication Date:
Dec 31, 1996
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
VTT-SYMP-163; CONF-9601128-
Reference Number:
SCA: 092000; 098000; PA: FI-97:003273; EDB-97:060342; SN: 97001773140
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2. symposium of the VTT research programme on chemical reaction mechanisms, Espoo (Finland), 29-30 Jan 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of New catalysts for clean environment; Maijanen, A.; Hase, A. [eds.] [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland)]; PB: 264 p.
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES; AIR POLLUTION CONTROL; CATALYTIC CONVERTERS; COMBUSTION; COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
OSTI ID:
464544
Research Organizations:
Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)
Country of Origin:
Finland
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE97740080; ISBN 951-38-4554-0; TRN: FI9703273
Availability:
OSTI as DE97740080
Submitting Site:
FI
Size:
pp. 243-258
Announcement Date:
May 14, 1997

Citation Formats

Oravainen, H. Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances. Finland: N. p., 1996. Web.
Oravainen, H. Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances. Finland.
Oravainen, H. 1996. "Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances." Finland.
@misc{etde_464544,
title = {Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances}
author = {Oravainen, H}
abstractNote = {There is over a million hand fired small heating appliances in Finland where about 5,4 million cubic meters of wood fuel is used. Combustion in such heating appliances is a batch-type process. In early stages of combustion when volatiles are burned, the formation of carbon monoxide (CO) and other combustible gases are difficult to avoid when using fuels that have high volatile matter content. Harmful emissions are formed mostly after each fuel adding but also during char burnout period. When the CO-content in flue gases is, say over 0.5 %, also other harmful emissions will be formed. Methane (CH{sub 4}) and other hydrocarbons are released and the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)-compounds can be remarkable. Some PAH-compounds are very carcinogenic. It has been estimated that in Finland even more than 90 % of hydrocarbon and PAH emissions are due to small scale wood combustion. Emissions from transportation is excluded from these figures. That is why wood combustion has a net effect on greenhouse gas phenomena. For example carbon monoxide emissions from small scale wood combustion are two fold compared to that of energy production in power plants. Methane emission is of the same order as emission from transportation and seven fold compared with those of energy production. Emissions from small heating appliances can be reduced by developing the combustion techniques, but also by using other means, for example catalytic converters. In certain stages of the batch combustion, temperature is not high enough, gas mixing is not good enough and residence time is too short for complete combustion. When placed to a suitable place inside a heating appliance, a catalytic converter can oxidize unburned gases in the flue gas into compounds that are not harmful to the environment. (3 refs.)}
place = {Finland}
year = {1996}
month = {Dec}
}