LGR’s standard woody biomass-to-energy facility will utilize bubbling bed technology due to its demonstrated ability to provide more fuel flexibility than any other combustion technologies available, its demonstrated high thermal efficiency, and its low emissions profile. The bubbling bed is suitable for converting a wide range of materials containing varying moisture contents into usable energy while generating the lowest possible emissions. Bubbling bed combustion systems are located throughout the world and have been successfully converting biomass to energy for over 20 years.

Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustion Process

Fluidization is a term used to describe a phenomenon that passing an air stream vertically upward through a mass of solid particles creates. The upward velocity creates a lifting effect on the particles and results in the suspension of those particles within the air. As the air velocities are increased above a minimum fluidization velocity, the particles are no longer held to normal solid-to-solid contact and they begin to float and travel within the air stream. The fluidized media exhibits the physical characteristics of a fluid and resembles a pot of water in a rolling boil. These fluid properties provide a constant temperature environment with continuous scrubbing action and plenty of oxygen to consume the fuel particles. The bed also acts like a thermal sink helping to maintain a constant temperature when the heating content of the fuel fluctuates.

Any ash and char created from the combustion of that fuel, as it is slowly being burned, will be scraped off by the etching effect of the sand. This allows a new surface to be exposed to the combustion air and results in much faster and very complete thermal conversion of the fuel particle.