Product News
August 2013

Trying to keep up with all the latest products available in the biomass industry can be an impossible task, however, with the help of Wood Bioenergy magazine and our ever-updating blog site—you can now stay up-to-date on the products that really matter, and get first hand knowledge of their implementation and performance.

 

For the latest in product news, visit or blog site.

GE Power, PHG Blend Technologies

GE Power & Water and PHG Energy, a Nashville, Tenn.-based alternative energy equipment company, have successfully collaborated on an innovative project to produce electricity from waste material by employing gasification technology to power GE’s Clean Cycle heat-to-power generator.

 The Clean Cycle heat-to-power generator, a product manufactured by GE Power & Water, is used worldwide to convert waste heat into electricity. The new system PHG Energy (PHGE) developed starts with gasification of waste wood chips or other biomass to provide a clean-burning producer gas. That fuel is then combusted in a heating unit which supplies the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) with the thermal source it needs to operate efficiently, producing enough electricity to supply approximately 50 homes.

 “This system integrates three proven technologies: GE’s heat-to-power generator, PHG Energy’s gasifier and a standard heat exchanger,” says PHG Energy President Tom Stanzione. “The project is simple and elegant in its straightforward design, capable of operating on multiple and varied waste streams, and offers operating costs far below existing waste-to-energy generation systems in the marketplace.”  

 “Innovation such as this, involving our equipment, is exciting and opens doors to many applications,” says Brad Garner, President of GE’s Heat Recovery Solutions Div. “Our company is constantly seeking new technology to add to our array of distributed power systems. This is an area of waste utilization that offers tremendous potential, and we believe also can help our customers meet today’s pressing environmental challenges and energy demands.”

 The combined GE and PHGE project is being conducted in Gleason, Tenn. at a facility owned by Boral Brick Corp. Six industrial grade PHGE biomass fueled gasifiers, which were used to offset natural gas consumption in kiln firing, are currently being tasked for research and development by PHGE.   

 Electricity produced with GE’s heat-to-power generator unit is added to the grid through an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

 Configuring such a system commercially is currently under way in Covington, Tenn., where the city has engaged PHG Energy to build a waste-to-energy facility using both wood waste and sewage sludge as its fuel sources.The new plant will provide electric power and simultaneously save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in disposal costs and landfill fees. From a sustainability standpoint, the new system will not only divert material from a landfill, it also will eliminate the release of more than 450 tons of carbon into the air each year.

 Stanzione points out that PHGE is capable of providing the same technology in larger scale. He projects the next step as commercializing a generation plant between one and five megawatts utilizing a recently completed and tested PHGE gasifier that produces eight times the output of the current models.

Vecoplan Completes Feedstock System

Vecoplan LLC announced the recent commissioning of a multi-million dollar Alternative Fuel Feedstock Preparation System for the City of Edmonton (Alberta, Canada). An integral component in one of the world’s first industrial scale municipal waste-to-biofuels facilities, the mechanical feedstock preparation system will produce 100,000 dry tonnes (metric tons) of RDF per year. All feedstock will be waste that cannot be recycled or composted and has traditionally been sent to a landfill.

Vecoplan, under contract by the City of Edmonton, was responsible for all construction of the RDF/waste processing facility. The facility will supply processed feedstock to an adjacent waste-to-biofuels facility.

The Vecoplan feedstock preparation system incorporates advanced receiving, pre-shredding, conveying, screening, separating (ferrous, non-ferrous, density), and re-shredding. Once prepared for fuel conversion, the feedstock will be transported across an access road via a Vecobelt conveyor to an adjacent biofuels facility, where it will be stored in bunkers equipped with Vecoplan’s load-unload conveyor system and then meter fed for conversion via Vecoplan screw conveyors. Visit vecoplanllc.com.

UPM Signs Agreement With Renmatix

UPM and Renmatix Inc. have entered into a non-exclusive joint development agreement (JDA) in the area of biochemicals. Both companies will further develop Renmatix’s water-based Plantrose process to convert woody biomass into low-cost sugar intermediates for subsequent downstream processing into biochemicals. Offering cost-competitive bio-alternatives for select petrochemicals on an industrial scale is the long-term goal of this initiative.

 “It combines UPM’s core competencies in sustainable sourcing and efficient industrial processing of wood, with Renmatix’s unique conversion technology,” notes Michael Duetsch, Director of Biochemicals at UPM. “Access to second generation, lignocellulosic sugars through a process that uses almost no consumables is a crucial factor in Plantrose technology’s attractiveness.”

The Plantrose process employs water at very high temperatures and pressures to breakdown biomass through supercritical hydrolysis. Under such conditions water can act as both a powerful solvent and catalyst, creating rapid reactions.

W & B Introduces Metering-Surge Bin

The Model MSB6-20-O Metering-Surge Bin from Warren & Baerg can be used in agricultural, biomass and waste industries. This latest generation of metering bin allows the loading of fibrous materials with a front-end loader.

The metering-surge bin provides a consistent, positive and even flow of material for various applications. It provides cost effective metering of shredded or ground woods, stover, grasses, paper, cardboard, plastics, carpet and other similar materials from low rates to well over 100 TPH.

The bin is built with straight side walls or can have a flared front and back walls for additional capacity and loading room. The flared back is gusseted and supported. There are two doffers up front and a V-Level rake before the top doffer. Depending on the out flow tonnage required, the floor drive motors are 2 HP or less and 7.5 HP or less on each doffer. The differences between this bin and existing models is that it is open for loading with a front-end loader, has flared sides for more capacity and loading room, and has higher discharge flow rates. Visit warrenbaerg.com

Mid-Atlantic Expo Expects Huge Crowd

Exhibitor interest in the Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, set for September 20-21 near Selma-Smithfield, NC, continues to mount.

As of June 20 the following manufacturers/dealers and brands had enlisted for the event: River Ridge Equipment, CTR/CRTS, Alliance Tire, Thomas Tire, Maness Tire, Primex, John Deere, James River Equipment, Morbark, R.W. Moore Equipment, Caterpillar Forest Products, Prentice, Gregory Poole Equipment, Tigercat, Bullock Bros. Equipment, Cummins Engines, John Woodie Enterprises, Barko Hydralics, Rotobec, TimberPro, Peterson, Vermeer Mid-Atlantic, Bandit Industries, Cutting Systems, Colony Tire, Olofsfors, Husqvarna, Mid-Atlantic Stihl, Quadco USA, AgCarolina Farm Credit, Fastenal, Forestry Mutual Insurance, SVC Portable Roadway Systems, Maxi-load Scales, Lilley International, Pitts Trailers, Pinnacle Trailers, Triple-T Trucks, Big John Trailers, Palfleet, GCR Tires, NC Dept. of Labor-OSHA, Hatton-Brown Publishers, NC Assn. of Professional Loggers, NC Forestry Assn., NC Forest Service, Virginia Loggers Assn., South Carolina Timber Producers Assn., Maintenance Products, Engine Technologies, Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, Clemmons Educational State Forest, Johnston County Visitors Center, Tajfun USA, Stirling Pro­motions, US Pride Products and Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers.

Special guests/events include Swamp Logger Bobby Goodson, Chain Saw Collectors and the Prentice Loader Championship.

New to the show this year will be opportunities for both loggers and foresters to attend on-site continuing education classes and earn required credits and hours. Also new will be a band, Fogmaker, which will play at various times throughout the event.

To help educate today’s youth about the forest industry, show sponsors plan to again invite limited numbers of local middle school students.

With improving markets, attendance could easily outperform that of the 2011 expo, which drew 3,000 from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

 “We’re returning to the same splendid and convenient site, located less than 10 miles from I-95 and convenient to local motels and restaurants,” says Doug Duncan, Show Coordinator. “We’ve improved the layout over the 2011 show and will have more food vendors and a faster way of getting guests registered and through the gate. I encourage people to pre-register now to trim time at the gate and to save money.”

Admission is $20 per person (age 16 and older) but is only $15 per person when registering on-line. For more information or to pre-register—this service will be withdrawn on September 6—visit midatlantic-logging-biomass-expo.com.

Truck Weight Sensors Offer Alternative

Truck Weight has introduced a new wireless sensor for mechanical suspension systems that provides off-road and severe service fleets with a low-cost and simple-to-install alternative to traditional load-cell systems for onboard scales. With no modifications required, the new sensors may be easily installed on tandem spring, single point, camelback, walking beam, and Chalmers suspension systems. The sensors when used with Truck Weight’s Smart Scale onboard scales has been tested to be accurate within a range of 1-2%. 

 “After five years of testing and development, we now have a valuable solution that is perfect for mechanical suspension systems in a variety of off-road applications,” says Peter Panagapko, president of Truck Weight.

Panagapko adds that the new sensors also are significantly less expensive to maintain in the event of a failure that can often occur in demanding off-road commercial vehicle applications. Visit truckweight.com.

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