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dc.contributor.authorWright, Zackery
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-27T23:07:39Z
dc.date.available2018-03-27T23:07:39Z
dc.date.issued2016-05
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11122/8227
dc.descriptionMaster's Project (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2016en_US
dc.description.abstractBiomass energy has been a topic of great interest over the previous few years in Alaska; especially when various fuel sources were priced at a record high. Interior Alaska has the potential to utilize woody biomass to offset the use of coal in many of its power generating facilities. In this study, woody biomass in the form of clean aspen (Populus tremuloides) chips was cofired with Usibelli coal at the Aurora Power Plant facility in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. Biomass was successfully cofired at low average rates of 2.4% and 4.81% of total energy value. Combustion gasses were analyzed using measuring probes in the exhaust stack. The 2.4% biomass test saw, on average, an increase in CO and CO₂ by 95ppm and 2%, respectively. A decrease in NOx of 1ppm was observed. During the 4.81% biomass test, CO increased by 83ppm, NOx decreased by 18ppm, and CO decreased by 1%. Opacity increased by 0.1% during the 2.4% biomass test and 0.17% during the 4.81% biomass test. The challenges facing a small scale facility in Interior Alaska are also presented. The testing exemplified that the use of biomass in stoker/grate boilers in Alaska is technically feasible with relative ease. No technical barriers to cofiring at low levels on an on-going basis were found at the Aurora Power Plant and this conclusion would likely hold true at similar facilities in interior Alaska.en_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectBiomass energyen_US
dc.subjectAlaskaen_US
dc.subjectFairbanksen_US
dc.subjectCarbon dioxide mitigationen_US
dc.subjectCoal-fired power plantsen_US
dc.subjectFuelen_US
dc.subjectBiomassen_US
dc.subjectCombustionen_US
dc.subjectAurora Power Plant (Fairbanks, Alaska)en_US
dc.subjectPopulus tremuloidesen_US
dc.subjectInterior Alaskaen_US
dc.subjectCo-combustionen_US
dc.titleCofiring coal and biomass at Aurora Power Plant in Fairbanks, Alaskaen_US
dc.typeMaster's Projecten_US
dc.type.degreems
dc.identifier.departmentDepartment of Mechanical Engineering
dc.contributor.chairHuang, Daisy
dc.contributor.chairNicholls, David
dc.contributor.committeePeterson, Rorik
dc.contributor.committeeSchnabel, William
refterms.dateFOA2020-03-05T15:01:19Z


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