Solid Fuel to Natural Gas Conversions for Circulating Fluid Bed Boilers

Author(s):  
Bill Gurski ◽  
John Guarco ◽  
Nando Nunziante

Recent discoveries of vast natural gas reserves in the United States have led to increased domestic natural gas production, resulting in lower prices. Utility and large industrial facilities are performing solid fuel conversions on their boilers to natural gas as a cost-effective and efficient fuel solution. Natural gas is not only economically beneficial but also environmentally efficient with cheaper prices and reduced SO2, NOx, and CO2 emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently released mandatory requirements that directly affect the cost effective operation of solid fuel boilers, resulting in natural gas becoming a more economically appealing choice of fuel for facility operators. As more facilities consider boiler fuel conversions, it is important to understand all facets of the conversion, from the thermal evaluation of the boiler, to the complete design, supply and installation of the new firing system. Zeeco will provide specific details and recommended practices from a recent Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) Boiler solid fuel conversion to natural gas application designed for 1.3 billion Btu/hr of heat input for the maximum continuous steam rating. The information will detail the boiler conversion from a solid fuel fluid bed to a 100% natural gas fired boiler design. Thermal performance results, design and supply of the complete new gas firing system, and installation conversion assistance for the boiler modifications and firing system installation details are also provided.

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 641-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Allen ◽  
David W. Sullivan ◽  
Daniel Zavala-Araiza ◽  
Adam P. Pacsi ◽  
Matthew Harrison ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1565-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline B. Alden ◽  
Subhomoy Ghosh ◽  
Sean Coburn ◽  
Colm Sweeney ◽  
Anna Karion ◽  
...  

Abstract. Advances in natural gas extraction technology have led to increased activity in the production and transport sectors in the United States and, as a consequence, an increased need for reliable monitoring of methane leaks to the atmosphere. We present a statistical methodology in combination with an observing system for the detection and attribution of fugitive emissions of methane from distributed potential source location landscapes such as natural gas production sites. We measure long (> 500 m), integrated open-path concentrations of atmospheric methane using a dual frequency comb spectrometer and combine measurements with an atmospheric transport model to infer leak locations and strengths using a novel statistical method, the non-zero minimum bootstrap (NZMB). The new statistical method allows us to determine whether the empirical distribution of possible source strengths for a given location excludes zero. Using this information, we identify leaking source locations (i.e., natural gas wells) through rejection of the null hypothesis that the source is not leaking. The method is tested with a series of synthetic data inversions with varying measurement density and varying levels of model–data mismatch. It is also tested with field observations of (1) a non-leaking source location and (2) a source location where a controlled emission of 3.1  ×  10−5 kg s−1 of methane gas is released over a period of several hours. This series of synthetic data tests and outdoor field observations using a controlled methane release demonstrates the viability of the approach for the detection and sizing of very small leaks of methane across large distances (4+ km2 in synthetic tests). The field tests demonstrate the ability to attribute small atmospheric enhancements of 17 ppb to the emitting source location against a background of combined atmospheric (e.g., background methane variability) and measurement uncertainty of 5 ppb (1σ), when measurements are averaged over 2 min. The results of the synthetic and field data testing show that the new observing system and statistical approach greatly decreases the incidence of false alarms (that is, wrongly identifying a well site to be leaking) compared with the same tests that do not use the NZMB approach and therefore offers increased leak detection and sizing capabilities.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.. Francis-LaCroix ◽  
D.. Seetaram

Abstract Trinidad and Tobago offshore platforms have been producing oil and natural gas for over a century. Current production of over 1500 Bcf of natural gas per year (Administration, 2013) is due to extensive reserves in oil and gas. More than eighteen of these wells are high-producing wells, producing in excess of 150 MMcf per day. Due to their large production rates, these wells utilize unconventionally large tubulars 5- and 7-in. Furthermore, as is inherent with producing gas, there are many challenges with the production. One major challenge occurs when wells become liquid loaded. As gas wells age, they produce more liquids, namely brine and condensate. Depending on flow conditions, the produced liquids can accumulate and induce a hydrostatic head pressure that is too high to be overcome by the flowing gas rates. Applying surfactants that generate foam can facilitate the unloading of these wells and restore gas production. Although the foaming process is very cost effective, its application to high-producing gas wells in Trinidad has always been problematic for the following reasons: Some of these producers are horizontal wells, or wells with large deviation angles.They were completed without pre-installed capillary strings.They are completed with large tubing diameters (5.75 in., 7 in.). Recognizing that the above three factors posed challenges to successful foam applications, major emphasis and research was directed toward this endeavor to realize the buried revenue, i.e., the recovery of the well's potential to produce natural gas. This research can also lead to the application of learnings from the first success to develop treatment for additional wells, which translates to a revenue boost to the client and the Trinidad economy. Successful treatments can also be used as correlations to establish an industry best practice for the treatment of similarly completed wells. This paper will highlight the successes realized from the treatment of three wells. It will also highlight the anomalies encountered during the treatment process, as well as the lessons learned from this treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  

The Role of Science in Developing Enhanced Oil & Gas Resources, Being Environmentally Sound, & Protecting Water Use • Global transformation with fossil fuel as primary source which have an effect on GDP, export/import changes, and global effects on pricing • History of evolution of oil and gas production in the United States • Global development: European Community, India, China, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico all have proven reserves • All time high extraction of tight natural gas and oil being environmentally sound and protecting domestic water supplies • Hydraulic fracking below potable water supplies • Drilling Diagrams – Vertical and Horizontal, Proper Casing  Record pace of pipeline construction to supply refineries & terminal ports  Pronounced effect on GDP • Natural gas treatment, delivery, from source to energy deficient countries exported as LNG • Cost subsidies and economic pricing of oil and gas extraction, hydro power, coal, nuclear, wind, and solar. Cost of power by region • There are no “Dry Holes” and more attributes of highly advanced geological technology


Author(s):  
W E Short II

The chemical and petrochemical industries have decades of experience in specifying metallic piping lined with non-metals as a cost effective alternative to high-priced alloy materials of construction for piping in corrosive service. Early on, application of plastic piping was essentially limited to atmospheric chemical sewage service and to above-ground vents and drains. However, applications and usage of plastic piping continue to increase as engineers become more confident in specifying plastic materials and mechanical contractors gain experience with their installation. Non-metallic materials are being developed that are not only corrosion resistant but also have increasingly higher pressure and temperature capabilities. Plastic double-containment piping has experienced tremendous growth for handling hazards and toxic fluids. In the United States, recent dramatic growth of plastic double-containment piping applications has been, to a large extent, for compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations of the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Related EPA regulatory efforts were accelerated in 1988 by more stringent amendments to this legislation. Industry in the United States must comply with these EPA regulations by December 1998. Plastic piping and metallic piping lined with non-metals have been covered to some extent by the ASME B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping Code for several years. The distinctive requirements of non-metallic piping and piping lined with non-metals were incorporated into the 1980 edition as a separate Chapter VII, which is dedicated to this growing area of interest in piping. This paper provides an overview of the present coverage of non-metallic piping lined with non-metals in the ASME B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping Code (1). Some topics that warrant further investigation are presented as well.


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 239-247
Author(s):  
Philip Wolstenholme

To prepare dried municipal sludge material for use by the fertilizer industry, Ocean County Utilities Authority, New Jersey needed a process to increase the size of their sludge particles to between 1 and 3 millimetres. Several processes were evaluated during the planning and design phases of the project. The most cost-effective and reliable process was pressure agglomeration by compaction with a roll press, followed by granulation and screening of the compacted material. This process was tested with a sample of the Authority's digested sludge, which had been dried in a laboratory-scale evaporator. Fullscale compaction and granulation test equipment was used at a laboratory in West Germany to confirm the feasibility of the process and to develop data for the design of the project. As a result of its “innovative” approach to sludge processing, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) qualified this $60 million project for special funding. The project is nearing construction completion and due to be commissioned in spring of 1990.


Author(s):  
Jared D. Harris ◽  
Samuel E. Bodily ◽  
Jenny Mead ◽  
Donald Adolphson ◽  
Brad Carmack ◽  
...  

Jane Barrow, CEO of Caprica Energy, must recommend to the board which of three potential “unconventional ” natural-gas development sites in different parts of the United States the company should pursue. The case takes place in January 2011, when the “low-hanging fruit ” of natural-gas production in the United States had essentially been picked. All three of the potential sites (shale, coalbed methane, and tight sands) would require hydraulic fracturing, a process of removing gas that was formerly considered inaccessible by injecting water and chemicals into the ground. Because of emerging concerns about the potential harm “fracking ” can do to drinking water, Barrow must not only analyze which site might be most profitable but also what the potential risks to the environment and area residents might be.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Z. Li ◽  
Mumbi Mundia-Howe ◽  
Matthew D. Reeder ◽  
Natalie J. Pekney

The United States Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Inventory only recently updated the emission factors of natural gas gathering pipelines in April 2019 from the previous estimates based on a 1990s study of distribution pipelines. Additional measurements are needed from different basins for more accurate assessments of methane emissions from natural gas midstream industries and hence the overall climate implications of natural gas as the interim major energy source for the next decade. We conducted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) survey and a ground-based vehicle sampling campaign targeting gathering pipeline systems in the Utica Shale from March to April in 2019. Out of 73 km of pipeline systems surveyed, we found no leaks on pipelines and two leaks on an accessory block valve with leak rates of 3.8 ± 0.4 and 7.6 ± 0.8 mg/s. The low leak frequency phenomenon was also observed in the only existing gathering pipeline study in Fayetteville Shale. The UAV sampling system facilitated ease of access, broadened the availability of pipelines for leak detection, and was estimated to detect methane leaks down to 0.07 g/s using Gaussian dispersion modeling. For future UAV surveys adopting similar instrument setup and dispersion models, we recommend arranging controlled release experiments first to understand the system’s detection limit and choosing sampling days with steady and low wind speeds (2 m/s).


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 3317
Author(s):  
Efstratios Nikolaivits ◽  
Andreas Agrafiotis ◽  
Eirini Baira ◽  
Géraldine Le Goff ◽  
Nikolaos Tsafantakis ◽  
...  

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant categorized as a priority pollutant by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency, posing adverse health effects on humans and wildlife. Bioremediation is proposed as an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to traditional physicochemical remediation techniques. In the present study, fungal strains were isolated from marine invertebrates and tested for their ability to biotransform 2,4-DCP at a concentration of 1 mM. The most competent strains were studied further for the expression of catechol dioxygenase activities and the produced metabolites. One strain, identified as Tritirachium sp., expressed high levels of extracellular catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity. The same strain also produced a dechlorinated cleavage product of the starting compound, indicating the assimilation of the xenobiotic by the fungus. This work also enriches the knowledge about the mechanisms employed by marine-derived fungi in order to defend themselves against chlorinated xenobiotics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (21) ◽  
pp. 12915-12925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Omara ◽  
Naomi Zimmerman ◽  
Melissa R. Sullivan ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Aja Ellis ◽  
...  

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