STAC

Project Information Center

Field Trial of a High Capacity Gas-Fired Paper Dryer

Objective

The primary objective of this two-year effort will be to field-evaluate and confirm the technical and economic benefits of an innovative, lower cost, Gas-Fired Paper Dryer (GFPD). The key features of this technology are a rotating drum inner surface that contains a dimpled profile that intensively transfers heat from the combustion products produced by a flame sheet to the paper web.

Budget

The budget to support the project performance totals $1.4 million and is made up of non-federal contributions (cash and in-kind) by the project team with the balance made up of federal cost share.

Benefits

The anticipated results from the field demonstration of this high-efficiency gas-fired dryer should ultimately provide the opportunity for the paper industry to reduce energy consumption by up to 7% while at the same time increasing productivity by 10 to 20%. If 15% of the conventional steam-heated drum dryers in USA are replaced by this new technology, the energy use could be cut by as much as 11 trillion Btus per year and emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) could be reduced by 740 tons annually. This technology is expected to be especially beneficial to space- and steam-limited paper mills that are interested in increasing their productivity. Although the payback period will be site specific, it is estimated as one year or less based on the productivity benefit alone.

Timeframe

The first year of the program assumes the full-scale GFPD design and engineering based on the results of previous development and pilot-scale evaluation at the WMU pilot paper machine. In second year, GFPD including the low-NOX combustion system, rotating drum with the dimpled inner surface are to be fabricated and an extensive field trial is going to be conducted at the state-of-the-art high-speed linerboard producing machine. Sponsoring organizations include the U.S. Department of Energy, the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, the National Association of State Energy Officials, the Minnesota State Energy Office and the GTI Sustaining Membership Program.

Methodology

Design data acquired from a previous development and pilot-scale evaluation project will provide the basis for designing a full-scale GFPD system that mostly comprises of combination of the advanced heat transfer enhancement technique and flame sheet produced by low-NOX ribbon burner that is completely combusted in the cylindrical annulus. A heat recovery system allows recuperating of heat from the combustion products by preheating combustion air to up to 600°F. The GFPD configuration provides a straightforward retrofit option for existing steam dryers with significant technical and economic benefits that include: 1) increased production rate; 2) improved energy efficiency at elevated TAPPI drying rate and 3) significant reduction in pollutant emissions.

Contacts:

Minnesota Department of Commerce, State Energy Office
85 7th Place East, Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 297-2326
Contact: James Madson
Email: James.Madson@state.mn.us

Partners:

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) - technology developer
West Michigan University (WMU) - paper science advisor
Groupe Laperriere & Verreault USA Inc. (GL&V) - major dryers manufacturer
Flynn Burner Corporation (FBC) - combustion equipment manufacturer
Liberty Paper Inc, an LDI Company - linerboard manufacturer, Industrial host site

Cost:

Total project cost: $1,424,850
STAC-DOE portion: $634,850
Participant portion: $790,000

Statement of Work and Status

Quarterly Reports

Below are the quarterly reports as provided by the project to STAC, excluding some non-substantive and financial information. All available reports are listed below.

Last Updated: 08/29/07