BioOil Application Demonstrations

Dynamotive's BioOil Fuels Orenda's Gas Turbine at West Lorne Cogeneration Plant

Orenda, Magellan Aerospace Corp.

One of the first major opportunities for BioOil utilization came about through co-operation with Orenda Aerospace Corporation and the proposal to use BioOil to run their aero-derivative turbine to generate electric power. Initial trials clearly indicated BioOil could substitute for the kerosene distillate that usually serves as turbine fuel. With a few alterations to the fuel preparation and firing systems of the OGT 2500 gas turbine package, a full-scale demonstration test was set up at the Magellan Aerospace Center in Toronto with the 2.5MW turbine operating successfully on BioOil. This project culminated with the transfer of the turbine to the Erie Flooring Plant in West Lorne, Ontario, Canada, combining it with Dynamotive’s 100 tonnes per day pyrolysis plant, making this project the world’s first BioOil fired co-gen plant.

Measured levels of CO, SO2, and NOx in BioOil off gases are similar to those of natural gas, and lower than those of diesel fuel. BioOil is essentially a sulphur-free fuel and therefore SO2 levels are almost zero. Figure 1 shows the NOx emissions profile from burning BioOil in a Magellan, Orenda division gas turbine (OGT 2500).

Figure 1: Measured Levels of NOx vs. Engine Power

Figure 2: % Particulates vs. Engine Power

Natural Resources Canada, CANMET – BioOil fuel firing nozzle tests

Dynamotive received a grant from NRCAN to experiment with and develop a burner nozzle suitable for combustion of BioOil in collaboration with CANMET. This test was based on CANMET’s previous experience with the coal liquid mixture (CLM) nozzle test. Dynamotive forwarded to CANMET BioOil from whitewood and whitewood/bark feed stock for this test. The test was completed successfully November 1st 2000 at CANMET’s facilities in Ottawa when it was established that BioOil firing can burn to completion and with a controllable flame configuration using standard burner nozzle and registered technology.

Ontario Greenhouse Tests BioOil in Boilers

Top Gro Greenhouse, Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada

This test was a simple demonstration of substituting heating oil #2 with BioOil fired in a standard industrial type 100 psig Cleverbrook hot water fire tube boiler. The existing fuel train was used with changes made to the electronic flame safety system, the mechanical fuel air ratio and the burner management. One tonne of BioOil was fired as a single fuel, maintaining the heating requirements for several hours. Substantial reductions in flue gas NOx emission were noted.  The existing automatic instrumentation followed the load demand and no smoke or lingering BioOil odour was noticed clearly indicating complete and successful combustion.

Lime Kiln, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Burner tests with BioOil fuel showed it to be a viable alternative to Natural Gas (NG) because it atomizes and burns well with a similar flame. The axial temperature and calcinations profiles were similar and the lime reactivity was not affected by firing BioOil.

Lumber Kiln, Canfor Lumber Mill, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

A combustion test of whitewood and whitewood/bark BioOil was carried out in Prince George on a lumber kiln dryer. Two loads of lumber (each 168,000 fbm) were dried in two separate runs. The initial and final moisture of lumber was 42% and 12.8% for the first load and 56% and 15.4% for the second load respectively (46.9 hrs drying time for each load). 9,987 kg of whitewood / bark and 8,501 kg of whitewood BioOil were used for drying the two loads of lumber.   The testing results showed that BioOil exhibited good ignition characteristics and was an effective substitute for natural gas in the lumber kiln dryer. 

Aluminum Smelter, ALCOA Baie-Comeau, Québec, Canada

A total of 19 tonnes of BioOil from hardwoods was combusted.  The BioOil came from Dynamotive’s pyrolysis plant at Erie Flooring in West Lorne, Ontario The test comprised two phases; both of which were successfully completed. The first and most important phase involved increasing the temperature of an aluminium furnace to the required operational parameters within a specific timeframe. The second phase required the maintenance of temperature in the furnace at operational parameters. The strict Alcoa test conditions and temperature requirements were met fully, indicating that BioOil can be used as a viable fuel alternative.

Further, the tests indicated that firing BioOil may be able to meet even more stringent conditions than those met by heating oil #2 (the fuel currently used by Alcoa) because it can offer an improvement in heat transfer and provide energy savings from an overall reduction in heat input.

Green House Gas credits

Replacing fossil fuel use with BioOil will also generate Green House Gas emissions reduction credits.  These credits could then be traded through domestic trading systems or through the established international mechanisms set out under the Kyoto Protocol.  The quantity and value of these credits will depend on what type of fossil fuel BioOil is displacing and where the credits are traded.