Case History 18

BIOMASS TO ENERGY PILOT PLANT

Virginia, USA

Casing Diameter: 7 inches
Elevation: 13 feet
Rate per hour: 31 tons
Material: Stainless Steel and Ceramic Balls
Temperature: 800°F

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A startup biomass to energy company contacted Olds Elevator about a bulk material elevator for a very special purpose: elevating stainless steel and ceramic balls at 800°F. After extensive testing of the customers’ materials in Olds test lab under ambient conditions Olds Elevator designed and built an elevator to handle the dense materials at high temperature.

The Olds elevator was used to circulate “heat carrier balls” that were used to drive a thermochemical reaction of the biomass in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere to accomplish pyrolysis of the biomass rather than combustion.

Since the operation was a pilot plant operated only 1 shift per day the elevator was expected to withstand 100’s of cycles for high temperature and cooling to ambient temperature. The elevator was designed to accommodate the thermal expansion of the rotating lift tube and the fixed screw of several inches without mechanical interference.

The elevator was operated successfully for over 2 years without breakdown or failure.

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