Development of a Software System to Facilitate Implementation of Coal and Wood Co-Fired Bilers

Abstract

Coal and wood co-fired boiler technology has improved significantly over the years. The term "co-firing", when used by members of the biomass or utility communities, has come to mean mixing a modest amount of clean, dry sawdust with coal and burning the sawdust coal mixture in a large, coal-burning, utility boiler. This paper discusses the development of a computer software system that interacts with the user and allows coal-wood co-fired boilers to be sized, priced, implemented, and operated properly. Information about the equipment that is required for the boiler replacement project is provided. Along with these features, the software would allow the user to determine energy and cost savings that would be available upon installation as compared to other types of boilers. The paper outlines how these savings are realized, and the steps that must be taken to ensure the proper operation of the boiler to achieve these savings. A sensitivity analysis has also been performed on the implementation of coal-wood co-fired boilers in order to determine the key factors influencing the project payback period. The key factors that are considered in the analysis are the boiler size, the annual operating hours, and the current fuel cost. Additional analysis has been done on the boiler size and the annual operating hours. This analysis allows the users to determine if their current facility falls into the feasible range for implementing a coal-wood co-fired boiler system.