Techno-economic sustainability analysis of biomass fired industrial boiler: biomass evolution as heat and power generation source

• Published in: IET renewable power generation Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 650 - 658
• Main Authors: Awan, Muhammad Bilal, Iqbal, Tanveer, Yaseen, Saima, Nawaz, Saad, Ali, Chaudhry Haider
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 18.03.2019
• Subjects: biofuel; biomass evolution; biomass fired industrial boiler; biomass‐fuelled boiler; boilers; Case Study; cogeneration; energy conservation; energy conservation opportunities; environmental‐friendly fuel; excess air percentage; exergy; exergy mathematical models; exergy pathways; fossil fuels; heat generation source; power generation source; rice husk‐based fixed bed boiler; stack gas oxygen content; stack gas temperature; sustainable co‐generation fuel; sustainable development; sustainable power generation fuel; sustainable resources transition; techno‐economic sustainability analysis; thermodynamics; thermodynamics analysis; energy conservation opportunities; thermodynamics; excess air percentage; biomass evolution; sustainable power generation fuel; cogeneration; environmental-friendly fuel; power generation source; rice husk-based fixed bed boiler; exergy pathways; stack gas temperature; exergy mathematical models; biomass-fuelled boiler; techno-economic sustainability analysis; biofuel; biomass fired industrial boiler; boilers; sustainable development; thermodynamics analysis; fossil fuels; exergy; energy conservation; heat generation source; sustainable co-generation fuel; stack gas oxygen content; sustainable resources transition
• ISSN: 1752-1416; 1752-1424; 1752-1424
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-rpg.2018.5934

To control the drastically changing environment, fossil fuels to sustainable resources transition are indispensable. Biomass has huge potential as sustainable power generation fuel, but the detailed investigation is needed to ensure the profitable usage of biomass. The principal aim of this study is to investigate the energy conservation opportunities in a biomass-fuelled boiler. An extensive thermodynamics analysis (using energy and exergy mathematical models) of a rice husk-based fixed bed boiler has been conducted. Research has provided measures to optimise the operational parameters of the boiler. Energy and exergy pathways of the boiler have been critically analysed to trace the pivotal cause of losses and irreversibilities in the boiler. A robust parametric study has evaluated the impacts of excess air percentage, stack gas temperature, and stack gas oxygen content on the boiler performance. Cycle tempo software is used to trace the energy losses through the stack gas. Based upon recommended improvements, analysed boiler efficiency can be increased by 3–4% with minimum savings of 150,000 US$/year. It is concluded that rice husk is an environmental-friendly fuel and it has huge potential as sustainable co-generation fuel. This comprehensive analysis has provided a framework for future studies to analyse the performance of any boiler.