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    Biomass Energy

    Biomass to Energy

    Typically, with most biomass fuels such as wood-based fuels, the furnace will see a large amount of grate ash, a negligible amount of wall ash and a small amount of glassy ash in the form of slag and clinker which, if untreated, will eventually plug the unit. Biomass fuel contains contaminants from several possible sources, often in the form of sands and salts (in the case of wood) which:

    • are incorporated in the cells of the wood during growth;
    • lodge in the bark during growth; and
    • are collected during harvesting, transport and processing of the fuel.

    These contaminants will have a range of sensitivity to heat; they may ionize, melt or be unaffected. In the case of wood, when the fuel is delivered to the furnace it will contain some of the previously listed contaminants. They will react as follows:

    • larger sand, rocks and other heavy materials will separate and be removed on or through the grate;
    • lighter materials will be carried up by the burning process;
    • temperature resistant materials will carry over;
    • melted materials may stick to boiler surfaces as slag and clinker; and
    • ionized materials will join in with the flue gas (become sticky as they cool), and then deposit on the surface that cools them.

    How does CoMate help?

    When CoMate is applied, it will activate in the combustion zone and cause slag/clinker deposits to be friable and easy to remove, keeping the unit free of problematic deposits throughout its operating cycle. The effects of CoMate begin very quickly, and over time the benefits become increasingly numerous and significant as fouling conditions progressively improve. Normally, without CoMate, when ash deposits are removed from the cooler portions of the boiler, it is in the following forms:

    • colloidal glass beads formed from completely melted or ionized silicates;
    • pieces of melted, lava-like material; and
    • sharp, broken, heat resistant materials.

    All of these materials can be abrasive, with broken material typically the most abrasive.

    When CoMate is used in a furnace, it will increase the furnace temperature and reduce the fraction of unaffected ash. Old ash

    deposited in the boiler will be removed by attrition from areas inaccessible by normal cleaning methods. While this old ash is being removed, there may be a higher fraction of broken ash carried over. This is a short-term event, and once the unit is clean the ability of dust collectors to remove heat resistant ash will improve and it will be beneficial to operate the collectors to prevent abrasive carryover.

    The overall result is a continuously cleaner system with better dust collection performance, reduced O&M costs, and lower particulate emissions.

    What about waste fuels such as MSW?

    Don’t forget! – CoMate is fuel-independent. As CoMate addresses combustion directly, we can easily apply the technology to your waste-to-energy plant. Each application can be quite different from the next. As such, we would like to speak to you directly to learn more about your operation. Once informed, we can provide you a no-obligation recommendation to review with you.