10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Abstract View
Operating Characteristics of Residential Wood Heaters for Emission Measurement
REBECCA TROJANOWSKI, Thomas Butcher, George Wei, Yusuf Celebi, Jake Lindberg, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Abstract Number: 1346 Working Group: Combustion-Generated Aerosols: the Desirable and Undesirable
Abstract The increased use of wood as a heating fuel in residential buildings has increased concern about the potential environmental health and safety impacts. The increased use is partially due to the historically cheaper cost of wood fuel, but also because the technology offers a renewable alternative to fossil fuel heating. In addition, single room heaters using either pellets or cordwood can help offset significant amounts of home heating oil or propane without the larger investment of replacing a boiler. While wood is seen as carbon neutral fuel and considered to be an important player in the transition to renewable fuel sources, it suffers from higher particulate matter (PM) emissions in comparison to oil or natural gas fired systems.
As of 2015, residential wood combustion (RWC) devices were responsible for more than 45% of PM2.5 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5μm) in Europe. Similarly, biomass burning in the United States (US) accounts for more than one-third of primary PM2.5 emissions and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the three largest sources of PM2.5 as utility fuel, RWC and prescribed burning (land management tool to maintain forest health). Specifically in New York State (NYS), residential wood heating contributes 275% more PM2.5 than all industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) heating emissions combined, 550% more PM2.5 than the electricity generation sector, and 35% more PM2.5 than the transportation sector; overall, contributing more than 90% of the PM2.5 emissions in NYS even though it only provides less than 2% of NYS overall heating needs.
With incentive programs across the world (primarily Europe and North America; specifically in New York State (NYS) - Renewable Heat New York (RHNY) that promote the use of biomass as a renewable fuel source, it becomes very important that we are aware of how wood smoke contributes to ambient air quality. In order to provide information to regulatory agencies, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has partnered with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to characterize the emissions from a variety of residential wood heating devices. These devices include stoves and boilers; conventional and more innovated modern units that have been operated in a manner which is more reflective of in-field use. Specifically, this work focuses on the operating practices of the heating units and why these practices are so important for emission characterization.