European Bio-Energy Projects

The Hungarian participant will facilitate access
to the use of biomass in energy production by
the Newly Associated States of Eastern and
Central Europe.
Exploitation of results will be ascertained by
the two industrial partners Tech-wise and EHN
Division Biomasa SA. They will benefit from
the results of the project through reduced
emissions and improved availability of existing
straw-fired power plants, thereby reducing the
operating costs. The results of the project will
be used efficiently for the improvement of nextgeneration
biomass power plants. The two
companies, especially Tech-wise, are involved in
the engineering and design of new straw-fired
power plants.
Progress to date
Twelve types of straw from different origins
were collected and chemically analysed. The
samples represent a broad range of elemental
composition of high-alkali biofuels. Four key
samples, selected for study by all partners,
were characterised by TG/DSC measurements.
A study was carried out on the transformation of
K, S and Cl, and the emission of HCl and SO2 in
straw-fired grate boilers (Figure 1). The measuring
data from four different boilers were applied for
this study. The emissions of SO2 and HCl show
large daily variations and cannot be simply
correlated to the content of S and Cl in the straw.
Figure 2: New TOF
HPMS system.
Figure 1:
Transformation of
K, S and Cl species
in straw-fired grate
boilers.
They are strongly influenced by the molar ratio
of K/(Cl+2S). A precise physicochemical model
of HCl and SO2 generation needs improved
fundamental knowledge which will be available
at the end of this project.
Laboratory investigations have been carried out
on the release from biomass and biomass coal
blends in grate firing, fluidised bed combustion
and suspension firing without additives, and
mass spectrometric release investigations
without additives. A new high-pressure mass
spectrometer (HPMS) was set up providing real
on-line hot gas composition (Figure 2). In addition,
numerical simulations of the combustion
chemistry were started. Both the combustion
temperature and the ash composition have
severe impact on the extent of Cl, K and S
release to the gas phase. The release of K
depends on the chlorine content and on the
K/Si ratio, because K can be bound in silicates.
Therefore, the K release is reduced by cocombustion
due to the alkali uptake by silica.
The release of SO2 and HCl is strongly influenced
by the association of S and Cl in the biomass.
High amounts of potassium lower the SO2 release
by formation of potassium sulphates. Silica
promotes the release of SO2 by potassium
capture inhibiting the K2SO4 formation.
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INFORMATION
References: ENK5-CT-2001-00517
Programme:
FP5 - Energy, Environment and
Sustainable Development
Title:
Biofuels for CHP Plants - Reduced
Emissions and Cost Reduction in the
Combustion of High Alkali Biofuels – HIAL
Duration: 36 months
Contact point:
Klaus Hilpert
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
K.Hilpert@fz-juelich.de
Partners:
Forschungszentrum Jülich (D)
Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Energia Hidroelectrica de Navarra (E)
City University (UK)
Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest (HU)
TU Delft (NL)
TECH-WISE (DK)
EC Scientific Officer:
Petros Pilavachi
Tel: +32-2-2953667
Fax: +32-2-2964288
petros.pilavachi@cec.eu.int
Status: Ongoing