Wood boiler technology & applications Marc Howell Business Development Manager Wood Energy Ltd

Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan

“Energy in Sustainable Buildings” - WHE seminar, Brecon, 17th August 2006 3 Automatic Wood Heating Modern high efficiency automatic biomass boilers incorporate state of the art control technology

Provides equivalent or greater levels of efficiency, reliability and convenience to that of fossil fuel machines

¾ Fully automatic feed ¾ Automatic ignition ¾ Capacity control ¾ Remote system control and monitoring ¾ Efficiency 90% + ¾ Very low emissions and ash content ¾ High reliability 4 The underfed hearth wood-boiler.

• From 25kW to 650kW • Efficiency; 91% at full-load, 92% at part load. • Utilise drier fuels from 35% MC down to 10% - chips and pellets • Fully modulating down to 20% MCR • Automatic heat exchanger cleaning • Automatic control of hearth temperature 5 The stepped-grate wood-boiler.

BINDER Josef Maschinenbau u Handels GmbH Mitterdorfer Straße 5 A-8572 Bärnbach • From 150kW to ~ 10MW E-Mail : [email protected] Tel.: +43 (0) 3142 / 22 5 44 Internet: www.binder-gmbh.at Fax.: +43 (0) 3142 / 22 5 44-16

• Efficiency; 91% at full-load, 92% Unterschubrostfeuerung mit Stokerschnecke at part load. • Can utilise a wide range of fuels from 55% MC down to 10% - chips and pellets • Fully modulating down to 40% MCR (or 20% MCR for fuels < 35% mc) • Take ~3 hours to come up to operating temperature from cold • Automatic ash removal • Automatic heat exchanger cleaning • Automatic hearth temperature control 6 Boiler Control

Graphics System provides remote on-site/off-site monitoring and control capability Key design issues

–Managing low loads –Choice of wood-fuel –Space for fuel storage & boiler 8 Managing Low loads

• An accumulator (buffer) tank allows a wood-boiler to cycle efficiently when the load is below the “turndown”.

• It can also provide peak power and so reduce boiler size (and cost). Managing low-loads 10 Wood fuel selection

Wood pellets. 1. ~ 3.2 MWhrs/cu.m 2. Can be pumped up to 30m from delivery lorry - or tipped. 3. A handful of UK producers, but increasing Wood chip. 1. ~ 0.8 MWhrs/cu.m 2. Tipping is best – quick, quiet & versatile. 3. 100s of UK producers.

Or both ? 11 Case Study 1 – New Debating Chamber, NAW, 12 Case Study 1 – NAW - 360kW boiler 13 Case Study 2 – Penmorfa District Heating

Penmorfa - CC • County Council Offices • Sheltered Housing • Nursing Home • Small district heating loop fuelled by 550kW wood-boiler and 250kW oil for peaks 14 Penmorfa

• Underground 80 cu.m fuel store – enables a wide variety of filling vehicles. • Versatile fuel extraction system works with pellets or chips. • Robust auger system is quiet. Case Study 3 - Llandrindod High

450kW Step-grate machine Maximum moisture 55% 16,000 Litre buffer tank Remote monitoring & control Carbon Trust exemplar project Llandrindod Wells High School 17 Summary

¾ Biomass Heating is a mature technology, providing high efficiency and high reliability heating, and steam for industrial projects with a potential role in a wide range of end-uses

¾Fuel quality and handling are important aspects of the system design

¾Buffer tank design allows greater efficiencies and lower capital costs 18 Thanks!

Contact: Marc Howell – [email protected] Tel: 01446 781415