Objective
The project is designed to demonstrate on a large capacity heating installation (40 MW) that it is possible to replace heavy fuel oil by natural gas, a non-polluting although more expensive energy, with no increase in operating costs.
It consists in extrapolating and testing on an industrial scale a new technology based on enthalpy exchanges through porous walls, the feasibility of which has been established using a 500 kW steam pump.
The exceptional energy performances of these "porous exchanger" boilers result in:
- an energy saving of between 30 and 50 %,
- elimination of S02 emissions,
- reduction in C02 (between 20 and 50 %) and NOx (over 80 %) emissions,
- operating costs close to, and even below, those of installations currently
functioning with heavy fuel oil.
The project had to be stopped because the porous exchanger was not operating properly. Every time the boiler was started, important retentions of water took place in the central part of the exchanger; they altered the fumes-air exchange and drained the combustion air pipe.
1. THE POROUS EXCHANGER TECHNOLOGY :
The efficiency expected of the installation requires the construction of a boiler which enables raising of the fume dewpoint from 56 deg. C to over 70 deg. C. We therefore endeavour to capture the enthalpy contained in the residual fumes in order to reheat and saturate the combustion air. To do so, the fumes are in contact with a porous and water absorbing exchanger wall, the other side of which is in contact with the cold, dry combustion air. The water obtained from condensation of the steam contained in the fumes impregnates the fabric, makes it air and fume-proof, migrates through the pores and is reconverted into steam in the combustion air.
2. THE INSTALLATION :
The boiler shall consist of a suitable heater, a recuperator designed for condensation, a porous exchanger and a combustion head enabling functioning with a high temperature saturated combustion air.
The demonstration is at STRALSUND KNIEPER-WEST (Mecklenburg - Ex GDR)) in a complex consisting of five interconnected heavy fuel oil boilers, coupled to the main water network supplying 8000 dwellings. Only one of these boiler units shall be fitted with an ALTAREX 9 MW "porous exchanger" boiler system which shall always function as the main boiler, the other four boilers being equipped with conventional gas boilers, operating as backups.
3. ECONOMIC ASPECTS :
The forecast calculations for the project impact on energy consumption and the environment show: - a cost of energy produced of 117 FF/MWh
- a reduction in pollution consisting of:
* in relation to the current FUEL OIL solution: elimination of S02 emissions and particles a 50 % reduction in C02 emissions. an 80 % reduction in NOx emissions.
* in relation to a conventional GAS solution: a 12 % reduction in C02 emissions a 70 % reduction in NOx emissions.
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DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
75015 PARIS
France