#95-59

Contact: Mona S.Rowe,(516) 282-2345 or
Diane Greenberg, (516) 282-2347

Mailed 10/12/95

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LAB
SIGNS TWO NEW CRADAS

Upton, NY -- The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has signed two new Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). One CRADA will focus on developing a new residential oil burner with improved efficiency and reduced pollution. The goal of the other is to develop a dual-purpose condensing economizer, a heat exchanger used to recover energy from boiler flue gas. The new condensing economizer would increase heat energy for recycling and reduce pollution from flue gas generated by industrial power plants. Brookhaven has had extensive experience in developing these technologies as part of its Combustion Equipment Technology Program.

CRADAs are collaborative research ventures that promote the transfer of scientific expertise and technology from federal laboratories to industry. These CRADAs meet DOE's goals of improving energy efficiency in American homes and businesses, as well as decreasing pollution.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Albany, NY --

Developing and demonstrating a new high-efficiency oil burner with low air-pollution emissions

About 12 million homes in the U.S. are heated by oil, and approximately 350,000 oil burners are replaced every year in the nation. This market, as well as the European market with about an equal number of oil-heated residences, could be tapped by commercializing a new oil burner developed at Brookhaven.

The new burner uses low-pressure air to transform fuel into a fine spray for more efficient combustion. The unit requires only a fan to supply air for combustion, instead of an expensive compressor used in commercial burners. While the payback time for installing the new burner has not yet been determined, it is expected to be cost-competitive.

In addition to high efficiency, the other benefits of the new oil burner include lower emissions of the pollutants nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, reduced maintenance, long life, and the ability to function reliably with low electric power, low-quality fuel, and low-firing rates. Since the new burner is comparatively small compared to conventional burners, the entire heating system can fit into a small closet or hung on a wall to heat a small extension.

Brookhaven's participation in this CRADA is funded by DOE's Office of Building Technologies. NYSERDA has an exclusive license to the patented oil burner developed at Brookhaven, and the state agency has sublicensed it to Heatwise, Inc., in Ridge, Long Island, which plans to commercialize it.

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., New York, New York and Babcock and Wilcox Company, Barberton, Ohio --

Condensing economizers for improved efficiency and reduced pollution

In commercial power generation and process plants, flue gas is released into the air through a chimney. But if equipped with a heat exchanger called a condensing economizer, the heat energy and pollution trapped in flue gas could be captured for recycling and disposal, respectively.

Funded by the Office of Energy Research Laboratory Technology Applications Program, Brookhaven is working with Consolidated Edison and the Babcock and Wilcox Company to design a condensing economizer that will be at least 10 percent more efficient than the current technology. Also, it would be expected to capture over 90 percent of sulfur dioxide, and up to 90 percent of particulates from oil-fired plants, before these pollutants escape to the atmosphere. These dual-purpose units may allow utilities and industry to use cheaper fuel with higher sulfur content to run their power plants, resulting in improved competitiveness, while reducing sulfur emissions below current levels.

Babcock and Wilcox is interested in expanding the market for these condensing economizers to gas, oil, coal, wood and waste-fired plants. Babcock and Wilcox has formed a partnership with the Condensing Heat Exchanger Corporation in Albany, New York,to manufacture the new economizer systems.

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