Biomass Torrefaction Workshop

Biomass Upgrading Basics

Luis M. CerezoTechnical Executive Renewable Energies

Pensacola, FlApril 13, 2011

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Biomass……… a diverse energy source

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US BIOMASS FEED STOCKS ARE ABUNDANT

BIOMASS CONSUPTIUM FOR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION MAY DOUBLE EVERY 10 YEARS UP TO 2030

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US AVAILABILITY OF SUSTAINABLE BIOMASSNREL/TP-560-39181 Dec 2005

SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS MAY SUBSTITUTE > 10% COAL GENERATION IN THE US BY 2030

PROVIDING > 500 BILLION kWh/YEAR

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BIOMASS FOREST AND CROP DISTRIBUTION

ABOUT 350 MILLION DRY TONS/YEAR >450 MILLION DRY TONS/YEAR

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BIOMASS…… IS A DIFFICULT ENERGY SOURCE

• PRODUCTION

• HARVESTING/COLLECTION

• HANDLING

• TRANSPORT

• STORAGE

• PRE-TREATMENT (MILLING..)

• FEEDING

• CONVERSION

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BIOMASS CO-FIRING CONCEPTS

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DRIVERS FOR BIOMASS CO-FIRING

• Reduce CO2/SOx Emissions• Federal/States Targets for RPS• Co-firing Biomass is the Lowest

Capital and O&M cost option• Shortest term , Lowest risk option• Advantage of high efficiency of large

coal plants (coal 38%, dedicated biomass 25%)

• Reduction of NOx and SOx emissions• Co-firing diversifies Plant fuel Portfolio• Jobs creation

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CO-FIRING BOILER MODIFICATIONS FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• BIOMASS FUEL CHARACTERISTICS(PARTICLE SIZE, ASH MELTING AND SOFTENING TENDENCY, CHLORINE CONTENT, CALORIFIC VALUE, REQUIRED RESIDENCE TIME IN THE FURNACE..)

• EFFECT OF SLAGGING, FOULING, LIFE-TIME

• EFFECT ON H/T SURFACES OF DEPOSIT FORMATION

• IMPACT ON EMISSIONS AND EFFICIENCY

• BOILER OUT-PUT POTENTIAL REDUCTION

• LIMITATIONS ON BIOMASS % FROM MILLING AND AIR/FUEL FEED CAPACITY

• OVER-ALL TECH PERFORMANCE• SITE SPECIFIC ENG AND DESIGN

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EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION OF MEASURES IN MITIGATING BIOMASS CO-FIRING PROBLEMS (EUR 22461 EN)

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Biomass Pre-Treatment to reduce co-firing constraints“BIO-COAL”

• Coal is conventional

• Turn Biomass into Bio-coal– High Energy density

• >3x biomass/1,5-2x wood pellets

– Water resistant• No swelling or des-integration

– No/less bio-degradation– Excellent Grindability

• Similar to coal

– Good Combustion and Gasification properties

– >>15% Biomass Heat InputCo-firing FEASIBLE

CHALLENGE…GET A HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND AFFORDABLE COST FOR BIO-COAL

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Pyrolysis/Gasification/Combustion Processes

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TORREFACTION ..General process Description (ECN.nl)

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Biomass Quality Improvement through Torrefaction+ Pelletization(ToP) =BIO-COAL (ECN)

Bio-Coal

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Good grindability and reactivity of ToP biomass(ECN tests)

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ToP PRE-TRATMENT RANGE OF APPLICATIONS

• CO-FIRING IN “PULVERIZED COAL”EXISTING BOILERS >> 25% HEAT INPUT

• BIOMASS STORAGE AND LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORT (IMPORTS)

• (CO-)FIRING IN EGF GASIFIERS FOR POWER (IGSCC) O FUELS

• SMALL SCALE PELLET BOILERS AND STOVES

FT

REACTOR

EFG-SIEMENS

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MARKET HIGH POTENTIAL STATES FOR ToP CO-FIRING

SCREENING CRITERIA• AVG. DELIVERED COAL PRICES

• HIGH COAL USE FOR GENERATION IN PC BOILERS.

• LOW-COST BIOMASS FEED STOCK

• HIGH RPS REQUIREMENTS

• CO2 CAP AND TRADE

• LAND FILL TIPPING FEES

Ontario (CANADA) has a very high potential too

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Some ToP COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES

• ECN (NL)…………………….MOVING BED REACTOR

• TOPELL (NL)………………..TORBED REACTOR

• AIRLESS SYS (UK)…………SUPERHEATED STEAM REACTOR

• STRAMPROY/BGP (NL)……CDS-AIRLESS Dryer REACTOR

• WYSSMONT (USA)…………DISK TURBO-DRYER REACTOR

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Keys to reduce ToP Total production costs

• OPTIMIZATION OF TORREFACTION CONDITIONS

(T, RESIDENCE TIME, NET PROCESS EFFICIENCY)

• OPTIMUM OUTPUT CAPACITY• USE BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK AS UTILITY

FUEL IF BELOW AUTOTHERMAL OPERATION

• FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY• SPECIFIC GAS FROM DRYING

CLEANING TECHNOLOGIES• INTEGRATION OF TORREFACTION AND

PELLETIZING PROCESSES TO IMPROVE ENERGY BALANCE.

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EPRI’s ToP Development Activities 2009-2011

1- Issued TOP Technology Assessment Report #1018661 03/2009

2-Issued TI Aspen Plus Torrefaction Model #1020506 12/2009

3-Issued TI Small Scale Production Testing of TOP from woody and herbaceous feedstock #1020508 4/2010

4-Issued Test Burns of Torrefied wood # 1017602 6/2010

5- Front End Engineering and Design of Small Modular Movable ToP plants Report # 1022209 11/2010

6-On-going Biomass washing- leaching technology Bench Batch Testing Summary Report scheduled 5/2011

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Together…Shaping the Future of Electricity

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DIRECT CONTACT MOVING BED DRYER & TORREFACTION REACTOR (ECN- GEA..)

• Compact reactor

• Small Foot print

• High heat transfer rates

• Accurate T control

• Uniform product quality Feed Stock flexibility

• Low Capital Investment

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Wyssmont Turbo-Tray Convection Dryer for torrefaction

• UNIFORM /RAPID DRYING

• PRECISELY CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE

• LOW ENERGY/LABOR COSTS

• CONTINOUS FEED EASY TO ADJUST

• SELF CLEANING WIPING ACTION

• EASY STAR-UP ON DIFFERENT MATERIALS

• LOW MAINTENANCE COST

• HIGH RELIABILITY

• CAN USE ANY SUPLEMENTAL HEATING MEDIUM (STEAM , WASTE GAS, ELECTRICITY

• VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION (LOW FOOT PRINT)

• ACCURATE SCALE-UP

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THE SPIRAL FLASH CONVECTION REACTOR

(TORFTECH UK)-…GMF–GOUDA (NL)..GEA-NIRO…

• HIGH SCALABILITY OF THE PROCESS PLANT

• SMALL REACTOR SIZE PER GIVEN CAPACITY DUE TO BETTER HEAT TRANSFER WITHIN THE REACTOR

• GOOD CONTROLLABILITY OF THE REACTOR

• LOW MAINTENANCE DUE TO LACK OF MOVING PARTS

• HIGH THOROUGH AND HOMOGENOUS PROCESS THANKS TO FASTER KINETICS

• LOW PRESSURE RESULTING IN HIGHER ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• TOLERANCE OF WIDE RANGE OF FEED PARTICLE SIZE AND MOISTURE CONTENT

• RAPID START-UP/SHUTDOWN

• LOW SOLIDS HOLD-UP PROVIDES PROTECTION FROM FEED BLOCKAGES/ INTERRUPTIUMS.

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BGP ENG+STRAMPROY(NL) MILD PYROLYSIS TORREF-PROCESS FOR BIOMASS (Airless-SHS dryer)

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Airless Systems..SHSteam Dryer-Torrefaction

• Continuous feed Dryer and Torrefaction system. High throughput

• Smaller plant, capital and operating cost savings

• Superheated steam at atmospheric pressure

• Reduced drying times• Recapture and reuse heat and

fuel from in process biomass• Not need of a hot air exhaust

stack• Demin. Water, no noxious

emissions, reduced anti pollution costs

• Quick start-up time• High efficiency ratio (>85%)

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ToP

WP

EC FGW AW

Typical BIOMASS Mwth SUPPORTED vs. P-PLANT DISTANCE (miles)

FGW.Forest Green Wood AW. Agricultural Wastes EC. Energy Crops WP. Wood Pellets ToP. Torrefaction+Pelletizing