Why CoMate?
The utilization of biomass fuels, primarily wood and wood waste, is the oldest method of producing heat ever conceived. Today, biomass is still the fuel of choice for many industries throughout the world, such as pulp and paper, board manufacturing and energy production, to name just a few. But since the first caveman ever played with fire, the need to efficiently capture heat, manage ash, and control emissions have been a constant struggle. Even in today’s most advanced systems, these concepts are at the heart of every combustion system design. But what if these issues could be handled even more effectively by the simple addition of a fireside additive to the combustion chamber?
Simple. Clean. Cost Effective.
CoMate is just that solution. Imagine operating your industrial furnace or boiler at peak efficiencies for extended periods of time without needing to shut down due to ash accumulation. What if your combustion system could produce more energy, reach higher loads, burn less fuel, and your emissions were visibly cleaner. What if you could do all this while reducing your operating and maintenance costs? That is the promise of CoMate; a simple, easy to use fireside additive.
The Problem of Ash Formation
CoMate is a very unique fireside additive that works on multiple levels. To understand why CoMate is such an asset to any biomass burning operation, we must first understand the nature of ash formation and how it is typically handled.
During the combustion process, non-combustible materials in the fuel, along with a small portion of un-burned carbons, remain in the flu gases. Some of this material falls harmlessly to the furnace floor while some of it is carried through the boiler and collected in ash hoppers or expelled out the stack. This ash is generally not a hindrance to the boiler’s operation. However, a portion of this residual material (ash) will adhere to the cooler surfaces in various regions throughout the boiler. These ash deposits are influenced by many variables, such as the propensity of the ash to slag, the moisture content in the fuel, the temperature profiles throughout the boiler, flu gas flow patterns and velocities, etc. This type of ash formation is problematic to boiler operators as it tends to inhibit heat transfer and disrupt the flow of flu gases. This ash also tends to be very difficult to remove.
One way to combat this ash formation is with the use of sootblowers. Although sootblowing can be effective in some circumstances, it is generally avoided as much as possible. As part of normal boiler operation, it is always beneficial to minimize the amount of water entering in or with the fuel so as to reduce the time needed for combustion. Sootblowers inject feedwater at high velocities onto specific areas of the boiler to remove ash; a highly inefficient process. Since sootblowers also add steam to the flue gas, reducing sootblowing also aids in efficient operation by reducing flue gas volume, provided cleanliness can be maintained.
Another common method used by operators to reduce ash accumulation problems is the use of fuel or fireside additives. These additives come in many forms and serve many purposes. Generally, most ash treatments either modify ash fusion temperatures or create cleavage planes on the surface of the deposits.
CoMate is very different. It functions as two products in one, a combustion catalyst and an ash modifier.
