Biomass district heating systems provide heat to multiple buildings from a single source by distributing hot water through underground pipes. The benefits of district heating are:
Biomass district energy systems generate multiple savings by using a more efficient central heating system and replacing expensive fuel that is imported to the community with lower cost, local fuel.
Biomass systems are based on locally managed resources providing more energy stability. Biomass protects users from price shocks and shortages associated with other energy sources and enable local institutions to budget with confidence..
Biomass district energy systems can be a major catalyst to the community by
displacement of imports, generation of benefits from the multiplier effect,
avoiding wood waste disposal costs, creating jobs associated with installation
operation and maintenance of systems, funding hazardous fuels reduction in
nearby forests, and increasing the disposable income of energy users.
Biomass
Engineering At Althouse
Since biomass
technology is not well developed in the United States. Althouse inc. has
partnered with BIOS BIOENERGIESYSTEME GmbH of Graz Austria,
an internationally recognized team of engineers in the research,
development, design and optimization of plants for heat and power production from
biomass fuels. Bios has successfully designed and implemented over 500 biomass
district heating systems.
The skills and
experiences of the BIOS engineers cover the whole field of thermal biomass
utilization (combustion, gasification and CHP systems) from the development of
energy master plans and feasibility studies to the detailed planning and the
realization of plants.
BIOS
has cooperation agreements with the Institute of Chemical Engineering
Fundamentals and Plant Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria,
which ensures a direct access to new developments and innovative technologies.
BIOS gained international experience by participating in international R&D
and demonstration projects.
Dr. Obernberger, the
head of BIOS, is the Austrian representative in the IEA Bioenergy Agreement,
Task 32 “Biomass Combustion and Co-firing” and scientific advisor of the
European Commission, DG TREN, Section “Biomass and Waste”.
The experience
gained by BIOS in already realized projects as well as the existing knowledge in
detailed engineering of thermal biomass conversion systems makes sure that the
work performed by Althouse Inc. meets the present state-of-the-art.
Althouse Inc. is a reliable partner for all fields concerning thermal biomass utilization. Our solutions offer the newest developments and innovations. Capabilities are:
· Energy master plans
· Feasibility studies
· Preliminary plant design, commissioning and detailed engineering for:
o biomass district heating plants,
o biomass CHP (Combined Heat and Power)
o cooling systems based on biomass combustion (absorption refrigeration technology)
· Invitation of tenders
· Supervision of plant construction and initial operation
· Monitoring and process optimization
· Assessment of the demand of heat for all types of consumers in the region concerned
· Computer aided design of the network of pipes
· Commissioning
· Detailed engineering, invitation of tenders
· Supervision of construction and initial operation
· Monitoring and performance optimization
Design
of special units for biomass combustion plants
· Biomass drying and storage facilities
· Fuel delivery systems
· Furnace technology and control systems
· Flue gas condensation units and control systems
· Flue gas treatment units (dust and heavy metal precipitation, NOx, SOx and HCl reduction, PCDD/F reduction)
· Flue gas, power and efficiency measurements for plant commissioning
· Flue gas measurements (CO, CO2/O2, TOC, NOx, SO2, HCl, NH3, dust, heavy metals)
· Detection of the particle size distribution by impactor measurements and the density of fly ashes (for the proper design of dust precipitators)
· Hot gas in-situ measurements by FT-IR spectroscopy (CO, CO2, CH4, NH3, H2O)
· Hot gas dust and aerosol measurements (in furnaces and boilers)
· Biomass fuel analyses (elemental composition)
· Ash analyses (complete and correct detection of elements by pressurised acid digestion and ICP / AAS measurement; ash particle analysis by electron microscopy SEM / EDX including computer-aided line and area scanning methods).
· Condensate and boiler water analysis (elemental composition)