Hog Fuel (Wood Waste) Boiler Feed Metering Bins
This case study is an example of a retrofit of wood waste or hog fuel metering bins that are metering fuel into a power boiler. The retrofit was completed in 2015.
The Challenge
Prior to the retrofit, the pulp mill had a single live bottom bin discharging into five inlets. The bin suffered from chronic plugging causing the mill to either burn gas at a high expense or live with a lower steam output and lower pulp production. To minimize plugging issues, the mill was forced to run the live bottom bin with a very low head of fuel.
Why the Existing Conventional Screw-Type Feed Bins Were Suffering from Chronic Plugging and Inconsistent Discharge
The live bottom bin suffered from many of the challenges typical of conventional feeders. First, the screw augers have a propensity to compact material against the front of the bin wall. As wood fuel is sheared from the storage bin, due to interlocking and friction, the fuel being carried out carries fuel above it. And this fuel travelling above the outlet is compacted against the bin wall. The problem is that wood waste gains significant strength when it is compacted. Once the fuel above the outlet gains sufficient strength it will bridge over the outlet resulting in inconsistent discharge and plugging. Second, the screw augers withdraw material from the back of its opening, leaving a stagnant pocket of material at the front. This limited withdrawal of material has several consequences. First, it means that not only is gravity acting on a smaller area, but it also means that the stagnant material is allowed to compress and compact over time under its own weight. The more wood waste compacts, the stronger it gets. Eventually the material will be strong enough to form a stable bridge. Second, uneven withdrawal promotes a funnel flow discharge pattern, which promotes rat-holing.
Kamengo’s Solution
In contrast to the live bottom bin, the Kamengo Feeder withdraws material evenly from its full opening. Further, the opening of a Kamengo Feeder can be made as wide as needed and as long as desired. For this retrofit, Kamengo replaced the live bottom bin with five individual metering bins, each with its own Kamengo Feeder. Because the Kamengo Feeder withdraws material evenly from its entire opening, all of the material above the feeder is in motion during discharge, resulting in a mass flow, or first-in, first-out discharge. Handling a low bulk density, easily compactible bulk solid like wood waste in mass flow is important to ensuring a reliable system.
Finally, the Kamengo Feeder delivers a very steady, predicable discharge of fuel into the boiler. This is necessary for maintaining a predictable pyrolytic reaction in the boiler. The steady discharge of fuel from the Kamengo Feeders improved boiler efficiency and resulted in higher steam-output with lower emissions.
Learn More
To learn more about the physics of storage bin and feeder design as well as the root causes of bin plugging, please download our white paper entitled: The Design of Reliable Storage Bins and Feeders for the Biomass Industry.