Re: GAS-L: Re: small biomass power plants

[Peter Singfield <snkm@btl.net>]

At 10:23 PM 5/24/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>True enough in some areas, BUT!!!!!
>
>Other areas, with different circumstances have totally different economics.

OK -- but a more efficient system is a directly proportional smaller
system. And the smaller it gets -- the less expensive capital costs will be.

It takes a much large and much more expensive turbine to produce the same
power from low quality steam than it takes to produce power from high
quality steam -- if one ignores the use of exotic materials required to
achieve such.

I am allowed to ignore the use of such materials in a butane vapor cycle
because the temperature of operation will be the same as you low quality
steam turbine.

Increasing efficiencies has two direct results. 

One -- capital costs go down.

Two -- much more power is produced from the same amount of wastes -- saving
the burning of that much more fossil fuels.

>
>Biomass and waste materials often have 'tipping fees', which means you get
>paid to take them from those who produce them and have to pay to have these
>waste materials removed.

Yes -- in your part of the world. The part that is relatively a small
percentage of the total population of this planet.

I received an Email form an acquaintance in Ethiopia today. She lives in a
government compound of building surrounded with lawns. A large fight
erupted yesterday over the sale of the grass clipping -- two people were
killed during it.

There are no "waste" biomasses in "true" 3rd world!! This situation will
not improve as population increases keep diluting resources. An intelligent
move at this time would be to get serious about better efficiencies at
lower capital costs.

I once had this same conversation with Gene Hill of Hurst Boilers. And his
answer was that the owners were do very well with their present devices --
and did not wish to rock the boat.

I doubt any break throughs in biomass power plant developments can be
expected from this small part of our global society that uses the far
greatest amount of this planet's resources -- and pays to get rid of
biomass wastes -- be it partially consumed meals of "rich" foods -- or
furniture factory scrap -- or sewage sludge (fertilizer to everyone else)




Peter Singfield
COROGEN
Executive Director
Xaibe Village
Corozal District
Belize, Central America
Tel 501-4-35213
E-mail: snkm@btl.net



>
>Even without tip fees, waste is usually free. Add a small cost for
>densification (pelletizing or briquetting) & it is the same as coal as far
>as transportation, handling, storage, stoking, and waste disposal.
>
>If you have an open mind as to examining statistics, then call us.
>
>Jim Dunham
>Enviro Energy Corp
>816.452.6663
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Albrecht Kaupp" <ali@kaupp.net>
>To: <gasification@crest.org>; <bioenergy@crest.org>
>Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 9:37 PM
>Subject: small biomass power plants
>
>
>> Hallo, following with interest the discussion about this.
>>
>> "But there is no question high efficiency "micro" power plants operating
>on
>>  biomass can't be supplied -- and at a capital cost well within reason.
>>  Such a $300 US per kwh."
>>
>> We better get the units right. Does this mean US$ 300 per kW installed
>> capacity??? We are presently seriously thinking about using the newest
>steam
>> engine technology (www.spilling.de) again in the range of 150 kW to 2 MW
>> power. The best economical size seems to be 350 kW, however turn key cost
>> are much higher in the range of US$ 600.The engine is now oil free. That
>has
>> been our problem 10 years ago with such an engine.
>> Of course, there is always "boy scout" technology available made from tin
>> cans,etc. The last naive effort in this field, I heard about was a micro
>> steam turbine system of 5 kW with an overall efficiency from wood to power
>> of 1.6 %. A marvelous idea to further deplete natural resources. The
>notion
>> of "waste biomass" does not exist anyway. As soon as people discover a use
>> any delivered "waste" becomes pretty expensive.
>>
>> Albrecht Kaupp
>> Senior Advisor
>> Indo-German Energy Efficiency and Environment Project, IGEEP
>> 21 Jor Bagh, New Delhi 110 003, India
>> Tel +91-11-4603832-6 or +91-11-6864867 to 68
>> Fax +91-11-4603831 or +1-801-340-7905 (USA)
>> email: ali@kaupp.net
>>
>>


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