Biological Air Emissions Control for the Forest Products Industry of the. Future

Transcription

1 Biological Air Emissions Control for the Forest Products Industry of the Project Team Future US DOE DE-FC-36-04GO14310 Peer Review Atlanta Gibson Asuquo, U.S. DOE Project Officer Kim Jones, Sergio Santos, Lamak Baliwala, Texas A&M Kingsville James Boswell, Paul John, BioReaction Industries LLC John Cochran, Randy Bailey, Steven Petrin, Stimson Lumber Company

2 Outline Project Background Objectives Field Unit startup Preliminary results Technology marketing Milestones

3 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.

4 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.

5 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

6 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

7 Challenges for Biological Systems Large Footprint Media heterogeneity and compaction Unsteady inputs of VOCs Regulatory uncertainty for proof of reliability Operator training

8 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.

9 Data Collection Objectives Evaluate and verify VOC and HAP removal in the biooxidizer unit installed at the Stimson Lumber Company s Fiberboard Mill, specifically formaldehyde and methanol emissions by developing data to describe process conditions, such as water conditions based on flow and composition characteristics, which can be used to optimize bio-oxidizer removal efficiency for target VOCs and HAPs Develop data from the biofiltration system associated with the removal of particulate and condensable organic emissions, including resin-based and wax-based organic emissions, which contribute to opacity at Stimson Mill in Gaston, OR, with extrapolation to press emissions at similar wood product plants

10 Sequential Biological Treatment System Flow Example Bio air Vent ( S.S. Construction) TM Temp Vac Discharge Watering Circuits Inlet Air Source Vac Temp Humidifi cation/ Bioscrubber/ Biotrickling filter Temp Multi-layer Biofilter Induced Draft Fan ACFM Fresh Water Blow-Down Valve Flow To Discharge Resistance Heater 230 VAC, 1-Ph Central Controller Unit (120/ 240 VAC, 30 Amps, 1-Ph)

11 Biofilter Pilot Unit with a small footprint

12 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

13 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

14 Bio Unit Design Engineering for Press Vent Emissions Unit optimized for --- Emission retention time VOC and HAP Removals Particulate reduction Opacity output Cross-Flow Media Bio AIR AIRSPHERES

15 Data Collection Plan/Sampling Gas measurement and analysis Solid media sample analysis Recycle liquid analysis

16 Preliminary Results VOC Emissions FID Testing at Stimson Lumber Company 12/1/ Inlet PPM Outlet PPM Remova l % ) Hydrocarbon (PPM % Removal /1/ :11 12/1/ /1/ /1/ /1/ /1/ :28 11:52 12:09 12:33 13:10 12/1/ :35 12/1/ :51 12/1/ :08 0 Date/Time

17 Additional VOC Emissions Results FID Testing Stimson Lumber 12/19/ /19/ :53 12/19/ :01 12/19/ :10 12/19/ :18 12/19/ :26 12/19/ :48 12/19/ :56 12/19/ :04 12/19/ :13 12/19/ :21 12/19/ :45 Date/Time Total Hydrocarbon (PPM) % Removal In l e t P P M Ou tl e t P P M Rem o v a l %

18 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.

19 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

20 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 Ethylene Propane propylene butene butane trans 2 - butene n-pentane pentene pentane

21 Less soluble VOC Emissions Example 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 Acetone butanal Propanal Hexanal Alpha methyl styrene

22 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

23 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

24 Bench Scale Research Program Flow Control Side Port Sampling Solid Matrix Sampling Pressure, Moisture, CO 2, Ammonia, VOC testing

25 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).

26 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 industry with a biofilter, would result in monetary savings due to natural gas usage savings alone of from $153,300 to $306,600 dollars per year (a conservative $7/million BTU assumed price). Many wood product mills have RTOs, RCOs or a combination of the two with a combined capacity of 100,000 to 200,000 acfm which, if replaced with biooxidation systems, could save from slightly more than 44 billion BTU to in excess of 88 billion BTU annually at each facility. (for the entire US wood panel industry (assuming 80 mills), replacement of existing TOs with biooxidation systems could mean an energy savings of approximately 7 trillion BTU annually)

27 Additional BRI Marketing Efforts for Technology Application to FP Industries Weyerhaeuser Georgia Pacific Huber Engineered Woods Louisiana Pacific Boise Cascade

28 Updated Timeline - Milestones TASK 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

29 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

30 Biological Treatment for FP Industry Budget 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, ,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, ,237 1,625 3,300 4,000 9,319 Total 192,729 4,642 3,922 18,955 27,802 66,408 71,000

31 Budget Update, $ Estimated through 12/14/05 Budget Actuals Remaining Federal 192, ,729 71,000 Match - Stimson 92,000 57,765 34,235 *Includes BRI encumbrance for $45,700.