(649h) Biomass Cofiring with Postcombustion Carbon Capture Baseline Testing at Und Eerc

The University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) performed testing to establish a baseline of postcombustion carbon capture performance when combined with coal- and biomass-derived flue gas. Goals of the project were to generate flue gas from a matrix of coal types and biomass types and to vary the concentrations of the fuels. Carbon dioxide was separated downstream of the combustion system using monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent. Solvent performance and contaminant accumulation were examined. The work was supported through U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory funding.

The EERC conducted tests using a pulverized fuel-fired combustion pilot system. The controls utilized included selective catalytic reduction for NO_x control, wet flue gas desulfurization for SO₂ control, and an electrostatic precipitator for particulate removal. The test plan included 15 weeks of testing using three different ranks of coal (North Dakota lignite, Powder River Basin subbituminous, and eastern bituminous) as baselines and then blended with wood and corn stover at 17.5% and 35%. Each week of testing was targeted toward a specific coal or coal–biomass blend. An additional test, which ran for 230 hours, was performed on 100% corn stover. Operational data, observations, key findings, and recommendations will be presented.