## Ultra **- lo** **w Emissions, European**  **- sty**  **le**

**Wo od and Biomass Combustion**  **Te chnology** 

**Raymond J. Albrecht, P**  **.E. Buildings**  **Resear ch**  **NYSERDA Albany**  **, NY**  **Gasification and Staged**  **Combustion -**  **a path to lower**  **e missions,**  **higher e**  **fficiency and**  **incr eased**  **market success Firew**  **ood and w**  **ood pellets**  **account for 25**  **percent of heating**  **energy in**  **Au stria** 
**BL T is the leading**  **independent certification**  **lab in Europe for biomass**   ** fired** **heating sy** **stems**

## Improved Energy and Environmental Performance

Of Wood and Biomass
- fired Heating Systems in Austria

**Decreasing emissions**  **Increasing CO2 in exhaust**  **(less excess**  **combustion air)** 

## Wo od and Biomass Emissions Standards and Actual Performance in Austria

**Note: 10 mg/MJ is approximately**  **0.02 lb/MMBtu** 

## To tal Annual Emissions from Small Wood and Biomass Combustion in Lower Austria

**Note: Av**  **erage PM values have continued to decrease**  **wi th time** 

## Improved Energy and Environmental Performance

Of Small Wood and Biomass
- fired Heating Systems in Austria

**Increasing efficiency** 

## Sales of Wood and Biomass Boilers in Lower Austria

## Key Components of Clean Wood Combustion

**Gasification wit**  **h 20 to 40 percent**  **of total air flow**  **to primary**

**combustion chamber**  **Maintain approximately**  **1200 degrees F**  **Low a**  **ir velocity**

**to minimize fly** 

**a sh** 

## Key Components of Clean Wood Combustion

**Pre -**  **heated secondary**  **combustion air and insulated**  **secondary combustion**  **chamber Significant**  **residence time in secondary**  **combustion chamber** 

## Key Components of Clean Wood Combustion

**Forced combustion air supply**  **Oxy gen sensor** 

## Key Components of Clean Wood Combustion

**Large w ater**  **volume in boiler or secondary**  **storage tank** 

## Key Components of Clean Wood Combustion

**Electrostatic filter**  **- separator** **Wood gasification -** **ty pe boiler**  **imported from Denmark** 

**No emissions data**  **directly available**  **but European version (w**  **ith electronic**  **air fuel ratio control)**  **show s clean combustion**  **performance KWB W** **ood Am**  **erican Oil -** **fired NOx 0.08 0.10**  **lb/MMBtu CO 10 to 60 10**  **- 30 ppm**  **PM 0.01 0.005**  **lb/MMBtu Note: Secondary** 

**conversion of SO2 to sulfate**  **aerosols from oilheat**  **not addressed here** **Gasification boiler**  **manufactured in Czech Republic** 



## More Examples of Gasification
- ty pe, Wo od
- fired Boilers

## Sw iss Research
- Wo od Combustion PM vs Diesel Soot

**Poor w ood**  **combustion show**  **s higher PA**  **H levels than diesel**  **soot Clean w**  **ood combustion**  **eliminates most**  **PA H**  **formation**

## Sw iss Study of PM Emissions in Gasification Boilers vs. Percentage Air Flow

into Primary (Gasification) Combustion Chamber

**Optimal: about**  **one -** **third of air flow** **i nto primary**  **combustion chamber** 

## Sw iss Wo odstove Emissions Research

**790 mg/m3 approximately equal to 4 gm/hr** 

## Sw iss Research
- Chemical Composition of PM from Wood Combustion

**Poor combustion -**  **PM carbon**  **- based**  **Clean combustion -**  **PM inorganic**  **salt -**  **based**

**Comparison of PM**  **filters from diesel**  **and clean**  **wo od combustion** 

## Sw iss Research on Health Ef fects
- Clean Wood Combustion vs Diesel

## Pellet Heating Systems In Austria

**New e**  **missions standards**  **implemented in early**  **1 990's**  **led to development of**  **ultra -**  **clean pellet**  **combustion technology**  **Bulk delivery**

**and storage of pellets**  **Pellet heating**  **sy stem**  **sales have sky**  **rocketed In**  **Au stria and several**  **other European countries Sales**  **of pellet -** **fired sy** **stems now equal**  **or exceed oil**  **- fired**  **heating sy** **stems in several regions of Europe** 

## Pellet Stove Te sting at Brookhaven National Laboratory

USEP A CTM 39 Te st Method
- Dilution T unnel Sampling Stoves operated wi th automatic controls

**Am erican**  **NOx 0.150 + lb/MMBtu**  **CO 300 + ppm PM**  **2.5 0.07**  **- 0.2**  **lb/MMBtu**
**PM 2.5 emissions**  **10 -**  **20 times higher than for**  **oil -** **fired heating**  **sy stems** 

### KWB **Am erican**  **NOx 0.14 0.15 lb/MMBtu CO 10 to 25 300 + ppm**  **PM 0.01 to 0.03 0.07 -**  **0.2 lb/MMBtu**

## Electrostatic Particle Filter for Clean Wood Combustion Systems Ruegg
- Cheminee AG in Switzerland 75
- 90 percent removal ef ficiency

## PM Emissions (lb/MMBtu) and Energy Ef ficiency vs Fuel T

ype
**OWB standard -**  **Phase I 0.44**  **input 30 -**  **40 % ?**  **OWB standard -**  **Phase II 0.32**  **output EP**  **A certified**  **wo odstove (non**  **- cataly**  **tic) 0.78**  **approx. 70 %**  **EP A**  **certified wo**  **odstove (cataly tic)**  **0.42 approx.**  **Am erican pellet**  **stoves 0.07**  **- 0.2**  **60 -**  **80 % Au**  **strian pellet stoves**  **0.01 -**  **0.02 80**  **- 90 %**  **Au strian w**  **ood -** **fired boilers**  **0.01 -**  **0.04 80**  **- 90 %**  **No. 2 oil -** **fired boilers**  **0.005 80**  **- 90 %**  **500 ppm S oil -** **fired boilers**  **0.001 500 ppm S**  **- B20 oil**  **- fired**  **boilers 0.0008**  **15 ppm ULS oil -** **fired boilers**  **0.00002 -**  **0. 00004 Natural**  **gas -** **fired boilers**  **0.00002 80**  **- 90 %** 

## Crop
- based Pellet Fuels

Ash and Sulfur Content

**Crop -**  **based solid**  **biofuels show** **i nteresting**  **potential but high (3**  **- 5 %**  **) ash contents**  **can cause**  **operating challenges**  **Some crop -**  **based pellets**  **have 0.1 % s**  **ulfur content**  **(equivalent to high sulfur**  **heating oil)**  **SO2 emissions not thoroughly**  **tested ye**  **t**

## Multi
- biomass Fuel Boiler

**Manufacturer claims**  **Capability**

**to handle high ash content**  **fuels**

# Thank Yo u!