TECHNOLOGY REVIEW OF BIOMASS COFIRING PROJECTS

Notice Date

August 30, 2001

Contracting Office

DOE/National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, MS 921-107, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940

ZIP Code

15236-0940

E-Mail Address

mohn@netl.doe.gov (mohn@netl.doe.gov)

Description

SUBJECT: Biomass Cofiring Projects. DESC: The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA intends to award a purchase order on a sole-source basis to Foster Wheeler Energy Services Inc,. Clinton, NJ to provide all materials, support, work or services in accordance with the following Statement of Work.. Background: The USDOE has supported biomass cofiring projects over the past decade. Currently, a DOE/NETL cooperative agreement with EPRI is concluding that contained numerous of the tests that were completed. However, other major tests are underway and being completed that together with the structure of the DOE/EPRI Program will provide a compendium of useful information. This work order will accomplish the following: (1) Review the basic principles of the cofiring technology including the detailed characteristics of the biomass and fossil fuels involved, the combustion processes and mechanisms being driven, and the potential benefits and issues that result from these combustion process modifications. (2)Document the contribution that cofiring can make to increasing the use of biomass in energy supply when completely commercialized. (3) Review the progress made at all major cofiring demonstrations including the demonstrations at Willow Island and Albright Generating Stations, the demonstration at the Ottumwa Generating Station, the demonstration at Dunkirk Station, and prior demonstrations sponsored by Southern Company, EPRI, and other organizations. (4) Clearly identify the technical issues that have been resolved including equipment issues, define the unresolved technical issues, and outline demonstrations that may be used to resolve those issues. This review, when completed, will provide significant information supporting the program to complete the commercial implementation of cofiring generally considered to be the best near-term strategy to increase the use of biomass as a renewable resource in the generation of electricity. Statement of Work. In performing this technology review, Foster Wheeler will complete a review of the information available on biomass fuels and the fossil fuels that they will be cofired with. This review will focus upon not only the traditional proximate and ultimate analyses, but also on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), structural analysis with Carbon 13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance testing, and kinetics profiling focusing upon devolatilization of the biomass. In selected, critical, fuel cases Foster Wheeler will subcontract with the Energy Institute of Pennsylvania State University to perform two additional fuel analyses. These will complement the existing fuels analyses performed by Pennsylvania State University and will address both residues and energy crops. Foster Wheeler will also utilize existing data to evaluate the impact of the inorganic matter in biomass and associated coals on the cofiring process. This fuels analysis is not the primary focus of the investigation. Rather it provides a tool to integrate the analysis of a diverse group of demonstrations. The demonstrations themselves, and their results, are the focus of the analysis. Cofiring tests and programs have varied in length, cofiring percentage, technology, biomass fuel, and technical significance. Foster Wheeler will select demonstrations that have made significant technical advances including those funded by USDOE through NETL, the Golden, CO Field Office, NREL, and other locations as appropriate. Foster Wheeler will visit those demonstrations, interview key personnel, review available data concerning outcomes, and review the identification of unresolved issues resulting from those demonstrations. Foster Wheeler will also review its own significant databases concerning the cofiring demonstrations and biomass studies that it led or participated in to evaluate the cofiring technology. Foster Wheeler will review the literature concerning papers presented and reports prepared addressing the considerations of fuel characteristics, combustion processes at full scale, cofiring demonstrations, and technology issues. The review process will include statistical analyses of all results available in order to discern common trends and unique results. Careful attention will be paid to firing conditions not related to cofiring per se (e.g., settings of overfire air dampers) as they relate to test results. Careful attention will be given to elucidating the specific impacts of biomass on overall boiler performance. These impacts will then be related back to the fundamental characteristics of the biomass fuel. Key to this report is the fact that all test results will be subjected to additional analyses in order to evaluate similarities between test results and statistical trends that represent the experience of many demonstrations. The review process will also include discussions with plant managers and related plant personnel concerning the following issues: (1) Plant concerns and considerations regarding testing at its outset. (2) Plant concerns at the conclusion of the test program. (3) Evaluations of specific equipment as selected. (4) Recommendations regarding further programs Project Deliverable. The project deliverable will be a report focusing upon the demonstrations completed or underway and evaluating those demonstrations in an integrated fashion. The issues of fuels, combustion, and equipment performance are used as tools to integrate the analyses of the demonstrations. This purchase order is being issued to Foster Wheeler Energy Services Inc. because the project will be conducted by a team lead by Dr. David A. Tillman. Dr. Tillman (Foster Wheeler) who was the principal subcontractor to EPRI and he personally conducted the design, construction, and testing of all tests within the DOE/EPRI Program. These tests are detailed below. In addition to the work on the DOE/EPRI Agreement, he has been involved in almost all the other cofiring tests conducted in the U.S. and has first-hand knowledge of all projects. Other staff as appropriate will support him. Dr. Tillman is the Manager of Fuels Engineering and has led the Foster Wheeler technical team approaching its cofiring assignments. Other team members include The Energy Institute of Pennsylvania State University, under the leadership of Mr. Stanley Miller. The Institute will perform two fuels analyses as required. It is projected that three fuels will be characterized under this program. This organization has extensive experience in biomass cofiring through fuel characterization and the development of its own program for fluidized bed cofiring. Numerous analyses have been conducted by this organization on fuels for the DOE/EPRI Program. This team is uniquely qualified to perform the analysis. The programs and projects performed by Foster Wheeler, include the following: (1) Cofiring demonstration at Albright Generating Station of Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC; (2) Cofiring demonstration at Willow Island Generating Station of Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC; (3) Primary Technical Contractor for the Cofiring Program of the Electric Power Research Institute including the following demonstrations: (A) Seward Generating Station, GPU Genco; (B) Bailly Generating Station, NIPSCO; (C) Allen Fossil Plant, TVA; (D) Kingston Fossil Plant, TVA; (E) Colbert Fossil Plant, TVA; (F) Michigan City Generating Station, NIPSCO; (G) Shawville Generating Station, GPU Genco. (4) Preliminary Engineering of the Test Facility at Ottumwa Generating Station, Alliant Energy. (5) Test Support to Southern Company for testing at Gadsden Station, Alabama Power. (6) Test Support to University of Wisconsin for testing at Blount St. Station, Madison Gas & Electric. (7) Leadership of numerous specialized studies for EPRI, TVA, and others including detailed fuel characteristics (with Pennsylvania State University), safety concerns regarding spontaneous combustion, application of advanced combustion technologies (e.g., slagging combustion) to cofiring, development of an alternative fuels database, and cofiring modeling at numerous locations. Since Foster Wheeler (Dr. Tillman) have been involved in the majority of biomass cofiring tests in the United States and is preparing a similar report on the DOE/EPRI Biomass Cofiring Program, Foster Wheeler (Dr. Tillman) is uniquely qualified to perform and manage the work being purchased under this order. This request is considered to be sole source to Foster Wheeler Energy Services Inc. Therefore, no solicitation will result from this announcement. This award shall be made using simplified acquisition procedures. However, all responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by NETL. The responses must convey the ability of the response to meet the stated requirements. The documentation shall include descriptive literature containing sufficient technical literature to establish a bonafide capacity of meeting this requirement. Responses may be mailed to U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, ATTN: Mr. Robert L. Mohn -- MS 921-110, PO Box 10940, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-094. Request for information should be addressed to Mr. Robert L. Mohn, FAX 412-386-5770. Technical Representative Mr. Sean Plasynski 421-386-4867.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010904/SPMSC002.HTM (W-242 SN50W4O0)