Benefits of Fluidized Bed Combustion Available as an online document.

Flexible Fuel Boiler Cures "The Natural Gas Blues" (PDF 48 Kb) -  January 2007 - Historically, ethanol plants and other industrial steam users have produced steam with natural gas-fired boilers. These gas boilers are relatively inexpensive to construct but leave their owners completely dependent upon the volatile natural gas market. Price fluctuations, supply disruptions and curtailment in the natural gas market have had, and will continue to have, a substantial impact on the profitability of these plants. The bottom line profit impact caused by wild increases in natural gas prices is the basis of "The Natural Gas Blues." Many companies have cured "The Natural Gas Blues," increasing their profitability and limiting their energy cost fluctuations by adding a flexible fuel boiler system.

Cellulosic Ethanol - "Producing ethanol from cellulose promises to greatly increase the volume of fuel ethanol that can be produced in the U.S. and abroad. A recent report found the land resources in the U.S. are capable of producing a sustainable supply of 1.3 billion tons per year of biomass, and that 1 billion tons of biomass would be sufficient to displace 30 percent or more of the country's present petroleum consumption."  Renewable Fuels Association - Resource Center

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Issues First Reliability Assessment (PDF 111 Kb) -  October 16, 2006 - The adequacy of North America's electricity system will decline unless changes are made soon, Rick Sergel, president and CEO of NERC announced today.  NERC's  2006 Long-Term Reliability Assessment Report analyzes the adequacy of electricity supply and transmission reliability in North America through 2015, and calls for actions to improve bulk power system reliability.

REPOWERING OPTIONS: Retrofit of Coal-Fired Power Boilers using Fluidized Bed Biomass Gasification (PDF 90Kb) -  The recent focus on renewable energy utilization and its environmental benefits has increased the interest in repowering existing boilers and converting to co-firing of biomass with coal.  Many potential pulverized coal boiler conversions have been postponed due to concerns over capacity derating and reduced efficiency and reliability resulting from combining lower grade biomass fuels directly with coal.  An alternative exists in fluidized bed gasification technology for biomass and wastes which has been demonstrated successfully for over fifteen years in systems installed by EPI.  Although relatively small in size as compared to utility sized power boilers, these gasifiers have displayed creditable performance and availability and paved the way for further application to repowering opportunities.

Advancing Waste to Energy Technology Design and Performance of EPI Fluidized Bed RDF-Fired Power Plants Worldwide (PDF 2580Kb) -  This paper reviews the evolution to-date of the EPI fluidized bed technology, specifically as it is adapted for refuse derived fuel (RDF) fired waste-to-energy facilities. Basic design criteria, equipment configurations and emission requirements over the past fifteen years are discussed.  Operating data from the most recent facilities along with the design issues and performance improvements are presented.  The recent facilities in Italy represent the most advanced design to meet the projected European Community standards for waste to energy system emissions which are more stringent, in most cases, than comparable standards in the U.S.

 

	Green Power Initiative - Renewable Green Energy In Fossil Fuel Fired Power Plants using Low-Impact Biomass Gasifier Additions for Coal and Oil Fired Facilities (PDF 648Kb) -  Global warming, acid rain, pollution induced environmental and human damage and use of nonrenewable resources are a few of the issues that are being attributed, fairly or unfairly, to the fossil fired power industry.  Significant incentives exist, and are increasing, to convert existing fossil fuel fired power capacity to green power renewable biomass fuel sources.
	Board Plant Energy Systems with Total VOC Destruction Using Closed Loop Fluidized Bed Combustion Technology (PDF 37Kb) -  EPI has developed a method, using our advanced fluidized bed combustion technology, to destroy volatile organic compounds (VOC's) produced in board plants including OSB, MDF, LVL, LSL, and plywood.  This process effectively eliminates the need for costly wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP's), and regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTO's).
	Paper Sludge - Waste Disposal Problem or Energy Opportunity (PDF 111Kb) -  This paper describes two new fluidized bed energy systems constructed to generate process steam and power while simultaneously solving paper mill sludge disposal problems. Equipment design parameters are discussed, operational problems are described, and emissions from the units are detailed.
	Design & Performance requirements for a Fluidized Bed Boiler firing Municipal Refuse Derived Fuel in Ravenna, Italy (PDF Format 248Kb) - Solid Waste...the subject that will not go away!  In spite of legislation, public pressures, recycling efforts, and just about every other recourse known to man, the volumes of solid, industrial, and municipal wastes continue to increase.
	Flue Gas Desulfurization in Fluidized Bed Boilers Firing Paper Sludge (PDF Format 83Kb) - Fluidized bed combustor/boiler systems have become the technology-of-choice to convert paper sludge and deinking sludge into usable forms of energy.  One of the major advantages of this technology is it's ability to achieve very low gaseous emissions, including the ability to abate SOx emissions.
	Difficult Fuels and Stringent Emissions Requirements Influence Combustion Technology Preference in Europe (PDF 676Kb) - European countries are in a quandary about what to do with waste products.  High population densities and low land availability have brought waste disposal problems to the highest level of concern.  Recently two waste burdened companies, in Italy, chose fluidized bed technology to dispose of waste and produce electricity.  This paper examines the driving forces and the decision process that influenced these companies to choose energy production with fluidized bed combustion over the other options available for the waste disposal.  It also examines new European and Italian emissions requirements for combustion systems and how these requirements affect the option to produce energy from waste.  The paper also explores how the companies were able to qualify for substantially increased power sales rates over conventional energy production methods.
	Special Earth day report "The Environmental Imperative for Renewable Energy: An Update"  Published by REPP "Renewable Energy Policy Project" www.repp.org, April 2000 (PDF 334Kb) - Every option for generating electricity affects the environment. As this survey makes clear, our air, climate, water, land and wildlife, are all affected by our choice in energy production. Renewable technologies are substantially safer than some alternatives. The environmental imperative remains clear: The future must be renewable.
	The Value of the Benefits of U.S. Biomass Power  Published by NREL, November 1999 (PDF 707Kb) - Biomass power has always been used to generate power in the forest products industry, but its widespread use for supplying power to the U.S. grid is a relatively recent phenomenon. Today independent biomass power generators supply 11 billion kWh/yr to the national electricity grid and, in the process, provide an environmentally superior disposal service for 22 million tons/yr of solid waste
	Climate of Opportunity:  Renewable Energy After Kyoto Published by REPP "Renewable Energy Policy Project" www.repp.org, July 1998 (PDF 137Kb) - This paper discusses the business opportunities for renewable energy opened by ongoing international climate negotiations, and considers who has to accomplish what to take advantage of those opportunities.

"Woody Biomass:  Fuel for Wildfires or Feedstock for Bioenergy" by C. Scott Miller