Comparative Analysis of Primary and Secondary Emission Mitigation Measures for Small-Scale Wood Chip Combustion

Christian Gollmer (), Theresa Siegmund, Vanessa Weigel and Martin Kaltschmitt
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Christian Gollmer: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Eissendorfer Strasse 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Theresa Siegmund: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Eissendorfer Strasse 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Vanessa Weigel: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Eissendorfer Strasse 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Martin Kaltschmitt: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Eissendorfer Strasse 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: The objective of this study is to systematically investigate not only the influence of different additive types—beyond the much-considered case of aluminum-silicate-based additives—but also to carry out an additional comparison between primary and secondary emission mitigation measures during small-scale wood-chip combustion. Hence, combustion trials are realized within a 33-kW combustion plant. Pine wood chips additivated with 1.0 wt% a.r. of four additives have shown promising emission reduction effects in the past; namely kaolin (i.e., aluminum-silicate-based), anorthite (i.e., aluminum-silicate- and calcium-based), aluminum hydroxide (i.e., aluminum-based), and titanium dioxide (i.e., titanium-based). In addition to the primary mitigation measure (i.e., (fuel) additivation), an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) as a common secondary mitigation measure for total particulate matter (TPM) reduction is used for comparison. In addition to standard analyses (e.g., gravimetric determination of TPM emissions), an extended methodology (e.g., characterization of the elemental composition and ultrafine particle fraction of TPM emissions) is applied. The results show that the additivation of wood chips with kaolin and anorthite can lead to an operation of the combustion plant in compliance with the German legal TPM limit values by undercutting the absolute emission level achievable by the ESP. Additionally, kaolin and anorthite achieve significant reductions in carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, while kaolin simultaneously, and similarly to ESP, also leads to a shift in the particle size number distribution of PM emissions towards coarser particles. All additives show a significant reduction of potassium (K) emissions by the formation of high-temperature stable K compounds in the resulting ashes.

Keywords: wood chips; combustion; emissions; fuel additivation; electrostatic precipitator; total particulate matter; ultrafine particulate matter; carbon monoxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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