Biological Air Emissions Control for the Forest Products Industry of the
Future
Project Team Gibson Asuquo, U.S. DOE Project Officer Kim Jones, Sergio Santos, Lamak Baliwala, Texas A&M Kingsville James Boswell, Paul John,
Industries LLC John Cochran, Randy Bailey, Steven Petrin,
US DOE DE-FC-36-04GO14310 Peer Review – Atlanta - 4-6-06
BioReaction
Stimson Lumber Company
OutlineOutline¾ Project Background ¾ Objectives ¾ Field Unit startup ¾ Preliminary results ¾ Technology marketing ¾ Milestones
Problem Statement
Emissions of air toxics including methanol, formaldehyde, acetylaldehyde and acrolein must be limited under new MACT standards. Areas of focus for the forest products industry include refiners, drying areas, and press vents. Areas of specific focus for the pulp and paper industry include the brown stock washers, smelt dissolving tanks, seal tanks, knotter equipment and other process equipment areas.
Background
Previous research has demonstrated that bio-oxidation can be very effective over the VOC concentration ranges and gaseous flow rates from 100 to 5,000 ppmv and up to 50,000 scfm (85,0000 m3/hr, respectively (van Groenestijn and Hesselink, 1993; Devinny et al., 1999). Besides its high removal efficiency, low capital and operating costs, safe operating conditions, and low energy consumption, it does not generate undesirable byproducts and converts many organic and inorganic compounds into harmless oxidation products (e.g. water and carbon dioxide). Thus its reliability in its application to emission control in wastewater treatment plants is becoming well established.
Biofiltration
• Utilization of Natural Materials and Microorganisms Growing in a Media Bed to Destroy Organic Compounds and Remove Air Toxics from an Air Stream
• Addition of Biomass Support Media (Wood or other packing) improves biofilter performance through reduced pressure drop and improved air flow and contaminant distribution
Biofiltration Technology for Air Pollution Control
• Very moderate initial capital costs • Low operating costs • Large energy savings over RTO technology• Generates non-hazardous by-products • Treatment to handle wide range of VOCs • Consortium of microorganisms, once well
developed can handle moderate fluctuations in input gas content
Challenges for Biological Systems
• Large Footprint • Media heterogeneity and compaction • Unsteady inputs of VOCs • Regulatory uncertainty for proof of reliability
• Operator training
Project Objective
• Demonstrate the efficacy of a new approach using engineered biofilters for FP VOC control, based on sound biological design principles, but with innovative media providing more air to biofilm contact area, and structured components which eliminate the problems of compaction and collapse.
Data Collection Objectives • in the bio-
oxidizer unit installed at the Stimson Lumber Company’sFiberboard Mill, specifically formaldehyde and methanolemissions by developing data to describe processconditions, such as water conditions based on flow andcomposition characteristics, which can be used to optimizebio-oxidizer removal efficiency for target VOCs and HAPs
• the removal of particulate and condensable organicemissions, including resin-based and wax-based organicemissions, which contribute to opacity at Stimson Mill in
similar wood product plants
Evaluate and verify VOC and HAP removal
Develop data from the biofiltration system associated with
Gaston, OR, with extrapolation to press emissions at
Sequential Biological Treatment System Flow Example
(120/
Source
TM ( )
i
Vac
Humidifi /
i
l
Central Controller Unit
240 VAC, 30 Amps, 1-Ph)
Inlet Air
Bio•air VentS.S. Construction
Water ng Circuits
Temp
Temp
Induced Draft Fan 20 - 30 ACFM
Resistance Heater 230 VAC, 1-Ph
Fresh Water
Blow-Down Valve
To Discharge
Temp Vac
cationBioscrubber/
Biotr ckling filter
Mu ti-layer Biofilter
Flow
Discharge
Biofilter Pilot Unit with a small footprint
Field Pilot Unit milestones
• BRI unit mob to location Fall 04 • Location and ductwork design developed
• Building permit finally secured July 05 • Pad and ductwork construction phase
completed July 2005 • August 2005 Field Pilot Unit Startup
BioReaction Pilot Field Unit at Stimson Lumber Company, Gaston, Oregon
Plant Scale Biological Treatment Unit for VOC and Opacity Compliance, Stimson Lumber Company, Gaston Hardboard Plant
Bio Unit Design Engineering for Press Vent Emissions
Unit optimized for ---• Emission retention time • VOC and HAP Removals • Particulate reduction • Opacity output
CrossCross--Flow MediaFlow Media BioBio••AIRAIRSPHERESSPHERES™™
Data Collection Plan/Sampling
¾Gas measurement and analysis ¾Solid media sample analysis ¾Recycle liquid analysis
Preliminary Results VOC Emissions
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
12/1/ 12/1/ 12/1/
)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90l
l %
FID Testing at Stimson Lumber Company 12/1/05
12/1/2005 11:11
2005 11:28
12/1/2005 11:52
2005 12:09
12/1/2005 12:33
2005 13:10
12/1/2005 14:35
12/1/2005 14:51
12/1/2005 15:08
Date/Time
Hydr
ocar
bon
(PPM
% R
emov
al
In et PPM Outlet PPM Remova
Additional VOC Emissions Results FID Testing Stimson Lumber 12/19/05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
12/19
/2005 1
0:45
12/19
/2005 1
0:53
12/19
/2005 1
1:01
12/19
/2005 1
1:10
12/19
/2005 1
1:18
12/19
/2005 1
1:26
12/19
/2005 1
1:48
12/19
/2005 1
1:56
12/19
/2005 1
2:04
12/19
/2005 1
2:13
12/19
/2005 1
2:21
Date/Time
Tota
l Hyd
roca
rbon
(PPM
)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
10 0
% R
emov
al
In l e t P P M Ou tl e t P P M Rem o v a l %
Opacity Emissions
• Example observation of opacity at the biofiltration unit outlet were made on 12/1/05 and resulted in readings of 0-5 units of opacity – compliance for that particular period.
Less Soluble VOC Emissions
• Silicone lined gas sampling canisters used weekly at site to sample upstream and downstream air over approximately a one hour period
• Gas canisters sent to Texas A&M University-Kingsville Environmental laboratories for Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis
Example VOC Emissions Testing by GC-MS (Sample collected 8/30/05) using EPA TO-15 Method
VOC Inlet conc (ppm) Outlet conc (ppm) Removal Eff(%)
Ethane 1.09 0.00 99.69
Ethylene 2.51 0.01 99.75
Propane 0.34 0.02 95.23
propylene 2.38 0.00 100.00
1-butene 2.92 0.00 100.00
butane 1.70 0.00 100.00
trans 2 - butene 3.26 0.00 100.00
n-pentane 1.76 0.13 92.67
1-pentene 16.83 0.00 100.00
pentane 1.02 0.00 100.00
Less soluble VOC EmissionsExample VOC Testing by GC-MS
(Sample collected 8/30/05) calibration outside EPA TO-15 Method
Retention time Compound Corrected Inlet area units
Corrected outlet area
units
Potential RE %
4.89 Acetaldehyde 5401 0 100
7.1 Acetone 5223 98 98
11.35 butanal 508 26 95
11.5 Propanal 551 0 100
25 Hexanal 110 0 100
34.6 Alpha methyl styrene
114 21 81
Solid Media and Water Sampling
• Fourier Transform – Infra Red (FT-IR) analysis of biofilter media samples display extensive biologically based material and proteins
• Recycle water quality measurements show maintenance of adequate levels of dissolved solids, suspended solids, and conductivity
Additional Testing for Wider Unit Applications within FP Industry
• Optimization of soluble VOCs (formaldehyde) and less soluble VOCs (alpha-pinene) removal in biofilters
• Optimization of recycling rate in biotrickling filters for soluble VOC removal
• Publish benefits of engineered media for forest products applications
Bench Scale Research Program
• • •
CO2, Ammonia, VOC testing
• Flow Control Side Port Sampling Solid Matrix Sampling Pressure, Moisture,
Energy Savings Estimates for FP Industries
• A 50,000 acfm thermal oxidizer (TO); a RTO and/or RCO require significant amounts of natural gas for operation, since these two incineration technologies operate at high temperatures.
• The approximate natural gas usage for a 50,000 acfm RCO is 2.5 million BTUs/hr or 219,000 therm/yr, which is equivalent to 22 billion BTU/yr. An RTO of 50,000 acfm consumes approximately 5 million BTUs/hr or 438,000 therm/yr, which is almost two times as much as an RCO and is equivalent to 44 billion BTU/yr (for the entire US panel board industry the natural gas usage for VOC and HAP control is estimated at 3.85 trillion BTU/yr).
Energy Savings Estimates for FP Industries
• Since a biofiltration system does not use natural gas, replacing an RTO or a RCO in the forest products industrywith a biofilter, would result in monetary savings due tonatural gas usage savings alone of from $153,300 to$306,600 dollars per year (a conservative $7/million BTUassumed price).
• Many wood product mills have RTOs, RCOs or a combination of the two with a combined capacity of100,000 to 200,000 acfm which, if replaced with bio-oxidation systems, could save from slightly more than 44billion BTU to in excess of 88 billion BTU annually ateach facility. (for the entire US wood panel industry(assuming 80 mills), replacement of existing TOs with bio-oxidation systems could mean an energy savings ofapproximately 7 trillion BTU annually)
Additional BRI Marketing Efforts for Technology Application to FP Industries
• Weyerhaeuser • Georgia Pacific • Huber Engineered Woods
• Louisiana Pacific • Boise Cascade
Updated Timeline - MilestonesTASK 2004 2005 2006
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Design-Bench and Pilot Scale Field Pilot Unit Construction Develop Field Testing Plan Optimize Biotrickling Filter Optimize Biofilter Section Develop process models Optimize Water reuse Characterize Biofilm Product marketing Final Report/Publication
Acknowledgements
• U.S. DOE support Grant DE-FC-36-04GO14310y
• Stimson Lumber Company, Forest Grove, OR
• BioReaction Industries LLC • South Texas Environmental Institute, Texas A&M
University-Kingsville
Biological Treatment for FP IndustryBudget Recap
Description Budget 4th Qtr 04 1st Qtr 05 2nd Qtr 05 3rd Qtr 05 4th Qtr 05 Ending Balance
Salaries 42,000 3,038 2,475 3,250 6,600 8,406 18,231
Benefits 15,729 85 210 215 337 350 14,532
Travel 16,000 4,395 4,156 7,449
Operating 8,000 1,715 3,796 2,489
Sub-award 90,000 13,865 11,455 45,700 18,980
Sub-total 171,729 3,123 2,685 17,330 24,502 62,408 61,681
Indirect Cost
21,000 1519 1,237 1,625 3,300 4,000 9,319
Total 192,729 4,642 3,922 18,955 27,802 66,408 71,000
Budget Update, $Estimated through 12/14/05
Budget Actuals Remaining
Federal 192,729 121,729 71,000
Match -Stimson
92,000 57,765 34,235
*Includes BRI encumbrance for $45,700.
