## European Low **- emissions**  **High -**  **efficiency Biomass**  **- fired**  **Technologies NESCAUM Directors**  **Meeting**

**Boston, MA June 26, 2008** 
**Raymond J. A lbrecht,**  **P.E. New York State**  **Energy Research and Development**

**Au thority**  **Al bany,**  **New York Lisa Rector**  **Senior Policy A nalyst**  **NESCA UM**  **Boston, MA**

# Biomass **Combustion Take Home Message** 

**Low e**  **missions Possibly**  **Energy efficiency Possibly**  **Economic benefits Yes** 

### The Concern **Sw iss Research**  **- Chemical Composition of PM from W** **ood Combustion** 

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

**Comparison of PM filters**  **from diesel**  **and clean w ood combustion** 

## Sw **iss Study** 

**of Relative T** 

**oxicity of W** **ood Smoke vs. Diesel Soot** 

# Are European Boilers Cleaner???

# Comparative Emissions Commercial boilers Energy Ef ficiency (%) Fine particle emissions

(lb/MMBtu) US Conventional wood chip 70 - 75 0.2 European high ef

ficiency and low emission chip or pellet (residential and commercial) 85 - 90 0.01 - 0.07 European high ef

ficiency and low emission chip or pellet w/ ESP or baghouse 85 - 90 0.002 - .02 No. 2 oil (2500 ppm S) 80 - 85 0.005 No. 2 oil (500 ppm S) 80 - 85 0.001 NO. 2 oil (15 ppm S) 85 - 93 0.00002 - 0.00004 Natural Gas 80 - 90 0.00002

## Improved Energy **and Env ironmental Performance**  **Of Wo**  **od and Biomass -** **fired Heating Sy** **stems**

**Decreasing emissions Increasing**  **efficiency**

## To **tal Annual Emissions from**  **Small W ood and Biomass Combustion**  **in Low er**  **Austria**

**Note: A**  **ve rage**  **PM v alues**  **hav e**  **continued to**  **decrease w ith time** 

# Potential Markets for W**ood and Biomass -** **fired Sy stems** 

**Schools Businesses**  **District Heating Firew**  **ood and w ood**  **pellets account**  **for 25**  **percent of heating**  **energy i**  **n Au**  **stria BL**  **T is the leading independent**  **certification lab in**  **Europe for biomass**   ** fired** **heating sy** **stems Au**  **strian Bio**  **- Energy**  **Centre w orks w**  **ith industry**  **o n R&D**  **challenges**

# Low**E missions W** **ood Combustion T echnology** 

**Gasification and Staged Combustion**  **- separate**  **paths for primary** 

**a nd secondary** 

**c ombustion**  **air .**  **Ab out**  **40 or 50 percent primary a**  **ir .**  **Maintain about**  **1200 deg F in gasification chamber** **. Low er temperature**  **gasification helps**  **to reduce soot**  **formation by**  **r educing**  **fuel rich,**  **high temperature**  **zones in flame. Al**  **so reduces**  **ash -**  **based particle**  **formation.**

# Te **chnology Requirements for** 

**Low E**  **missions W ood Combustion** 

• **Pre -**  **heated combustion air** • **Insulated secondary combustion chamber**  • **Residence time in secondary combustion chamber** • **Oxygen sensor to automatically control Ai**  **r/Fuel Ratio**  • **Forced combustion air supply to control firing rate** • **Computer aided analysis to optimize firebox design** 

# European Woodstove Manufacturers

• RIKA
• The Eco - plus

– Modulated air flow

– CFD air flow models

# Specht

– Twinfire

# Sw **iss Wo**  **odstove Emissions Research Field Em**  **issions Ty**  **pe 1 Pre** 
**– NSPS**  **g/hr Ty**  **pe 2**

**ceramic. g/hr**  **Ty pe 3** 

**Staged Comb.**  **g/hr** 

## Filterable **PM** 

# 24.8 0.7 0.3 **TO C**  

# 37.0 2.7 <0.02 **Secondary filter**  

# 8.6 0.6 <.005 **To tal**  **condensables** 

# 45.6 3.3 <0.03 **To tal PM**  

# 69.9 4.0 0.40 0.40 g/hr = 0.13 lb/mmBtu

# Residential furnaces

• KWB

– wood boiler systems from 10

– 300kW

– Standard features include autom atic ignition, autom atic boiler cleaning and autom atic ash and soot extraction 

# • Other industry leaders include Kohlbach and Urbas**European Wood**  **Am erican Oil**  **- fired**  **NOx 0.08 0.10 lb/MMBtu**  **CO 10 to 60 10 -**  **30 ppm PM**  **0.01 -**  **0.07 0.005 lb/MMBtu**  

## Ty **pical Emissions from European**  **Wo od**  **- fired**  **Boilers up to 1 or 2 MMBtu/hr** 

# Commercial Units

• **Stricter emission**  **standards in Europe**

– In Switzerland, new units over 1.8mmBtu required to have ESP now . By 2012 existing units must have ESP or equivalent controls

– Before controls (ESP or baghouse), total PM emissions range from 0.01 to 0.07 lb/mmBtu

– Most units are equipped with multi - cyclone and baghouse or ESP • **European systems capable of meeting standards,**  **US units**  **would not** 

# Comparison of European and US **Wood Emission Standards lb/mmBtu** 

**0.054 0.054**  **0.01 0.**  **6**

**0. 3**  **0. 25**  **0.2 0.**  **1 0**  **0. 1**  **0. 2**  **0. 3**  **0. 4**  **0. 5**  **0. 6**  **0. 7** 

**Cu rre**  **nt**

**Sw is**  **s Cu** **rre nt**  **Ge rma**  **ny Ge**  **rma ny** 

**2015 NY** 

**l im**  **it NH** 

**l im**  **it VT**  **lim**

**it RI** **l im** 

**it MA** 

# • Industry leaders in Europe include:

– Schmid http://www.holzfeuerung.ch

– Kohlbach http://www.kohlbach.at

– Bertsch http://www.bertsch.at

– Standard

# Post **- Combustion T**  **reatment In Europe use of**  **advanced controls is commonplace!!** 

• **Cy clones**  **– used as first**  **stage of control**  **to eliminate coarse particles**  **but not**  **vi ew**  **ed as adequate control** 

• **Baghouses –**  **used but expensiv e**  **and require maintenance**

• **ESPs –**  **commonly**

**u sed and**  **effectiv e**  **wi th fine**  **particles but**  **are vu**  **lnerable to**  **fouling under heav** **y load conditions** 

### Electrostatic Particle Filter for Clean W**ood Combustion Systems**  Ruegg - Cheminee AG in Switzerland

# So what else is happening in

Europe???

## Pellet Heating **Sy stems**  **In Austria** 

**New e**  **missions standards**  **implemented in**  **early 1**  **990's led to dev** **elopment of**  **ultra -**  **clean pellet**  **combustion Bulk deliv** **ery a**  **nd storage of pellets Pellet**  **heating sy** **stem sales hav** **e sky**  **rocketed In**  **Au stria**  **and sev eral**  **other European countries**  **Sales of pellet**  **- fired**  **sy stems**  **now equal or exceed**  **oil -** **fired heating**  **sy stems**  **in sev** **eral regions of**  **Europe Fuel standards**  **for pellets**  **– size, makeup, binders, etc** 

# Micro CHP

# Integration w **ith Solar Thermal Energy** 

## Agricultural **- based**  **Fuels**

### Crop **- based Pellet Fuels** 

**As h**  **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**

## Oeko **Therm -**  **manufacturer of biomass** 

**boilers for fuels**  **wi th**  **high ash content**

**Located in southern**  **Germany**

## Sales of W **ood and Biomass Boilers**

# Questions???