OMAFRA Update Small Biomass Heating Demonstration

Transcription

1 OMAFRA Update Small Biomass Heating Demonstration Project partners: OMAFRA/EMB, OSCIA, University of Guelph, Forman Farms Project Collaborators: MOECC, MNRF, NRCan Terrence Sauvé, OMAFRA/EMB March 2016 Thunder Bay Update

2 Demonstration Project Objectives Define best management practices for the operation and the use of low-cost emissions monitoring tools, such as flue gas thermocouple and oxygen sensors. Provide air emissions quantification for briquette from forestry or agricultural residues. The results shared with Natural Resources of Canada under the Development/Adaptation of Standards for Solid Biomass Fuel and Heating Equipment in Canada initiative. The results will be shared with MOECC to complement the data obtained from the Small Wood Fired Combustor Air Emission Compliance Testing at Confederation College

3 Equipment small cordwood hydronic heater (1) Polar Manufacturing, MB, Canada North American model: Two-stage combustion Top chamber = pyrolysis Lower chamber = somewhat controlled combustion ~ 5 ft 3 (small) firebox Does not use a water thermal storage tank No combustion controls or sensors, on-off mode Must constantly re-load

4 Equipment small cordwood hydronic heater (2) Fröling Heizkessel GmbH., Austria, EU European model: Two-stage combustion Top chamber = pyrolysis Lower chamber = controlled combustion ~7ft 3 (small) firebox Must use a water thermal storage tank Advanced combustion controls and sensors Regularly cold starts

5 What s the big difference? But that something is in your car! Oxygen sensor located in the flue gases for monitoring air/fuel ratio (measures Lambda) Assures complete combustion of dryer biomass (below 25% MC) Usually, hydronic heater will reduce secondary air to achieve close to ~7% O 2 Maintains optimum air ratio when running at small and high loads for biomass that doesn t burn evenly ( dry wood chips, firewood or ~moist pellets)

6 Piping diagram small greenhouse Diagram curtsey of

7 New concept vs traditional heating systems Hot water storage buffer tanks 1. Your hydronic heater is sized at 200,000 BTUh in a 3hr burn, but your house only uses 12,000 BTUh does that make sense? 2. High performance hydronic heaters are not made to run at 20% load for 80% of the time, efficiency = quick and hot fire + store heat 3. If you run at 20% load, then you are starving your fire and making loads of creosote = not at 86% efficiency anymore! Diagram curtsey of UK Biomass Energy Center

8 Small Greenhouse Forman Farms Approx. size 25 x 60 in double-poly Growing organic greens Designed for -10 degrees C outside temp and +10 C inside temp Oil furnace backup for peak heating (with run timer) Approx. peak heat load of 78, degrees C gallon water storage tank ~ 200 lbs firewood/day

9 Fröling FHG 50 kw peak (170,000 BTUh) 7.4 ft 3 firebox Polar G2 50 kw peak (170,000 BTUh) 5.6 ft 3 firebox Finalized construction in April 2015 Emissions and performance testing in September, October 2015 Completing 2-3 day test runs with each biomass this winter Data logging every minute the energy flow Can determine overall seasonal efficiency

10 Sept. + Oct Emissions and Performance TESTO350 probe TESTO 350 Gas analyzer Canister w/ vacuum is Particulate Matter

11 Biomass tested to date Re-Treeved logs. Timmins, ON. High ash. Made from mixed forest logging residues. Flax shives logs. Carmen, MB. High ash and doesn t burn quick. Made from flax processing waste. CANWICK octogonal logs (hole in the center). Groupe Savoie, NB. Low ash. Made from mixed forest logging residues. CANWICK large blocks Groupe Savoie, NB. Low ash. Made from mixed forest logging residues.

12 Gas analyser - TESTO350 Provides on-the-fly basic exhaust parameters for combustion 5 Cells gas (CO2, CO, O2, CxHx, NOx, Sox) *** TESTO 380 on the market that gives 5 cell gas + PM 2.5

13 Contacts Harold B. Rudy, Executive Research and Business Development Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Guelph Terrence Sauvé, Farmstead Optimization and Safety Eng. OMAFRA, EMB, Alfred Resource Center