97/03581 Pelletize to reduce fuel costs and emissions

Abstract

Electric utilities and other companies that burn coal as a beat source are responding to increasing competitive pressures by pursuing all possible ways to reduce fuel costs, the primary cost of generating electricity. One cost saving measure that is gaining popularity is to supplement traditional coal supplies with waste byproducts from other industries. Such byproducts include fees, sawdust, wood chips, various types of sludge, and food wastes. Although many of these byproducts are available at little or no cost, the coal users are limited in their abilities to use the byproducts because their facilities were designed to handle coal that has different chemical and physical properties than the byproducts. However, by contracting with a third party to combine the waste byproducts with coal and pelletize them into a coal-like fuel, these coal users can achieve a fuel savings without the capital expense for retrofitting existing coal handling and combustion systems. CQ Inc. currently provides such a fuel to a Westvaco facility in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. This paper reviews current technologies for producing coal like fuel from waste byproducts and coal fines. It presents some economics for stoker and pulverized coal-fired boilers. It also summarizes the emissions reduction potential for boilers thatmore » utilize waste byproducts in a coal-like fuel.« less