12.

MATERIAL, HEAT AND POWER BALANCES FOR PULP

MILLS
Table of content
COMBUSTION OF BARK ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Grate firing......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Fluidized bed technology.................................................................................................................................... 1
HEAT AND POWER BALANCES .................................................................................................................................. 2
SODIUM AND SULFUR BALANCE ............................................................................................................................... 5
QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Kaj Henricson
Professor Pulping Technology
Lappeenranta University of Technology
August 2004

Educational course material and only for internal and personal use during
the course: An introduction to chemical pulping technology.

Combustion of bark
Bark is created at the pulp mill when round wood is debarked at the mill. The bark is used for the
production of heat. Pulp mills use two combustion technologies for bark: grate firing and fluidized
bed technology.
Grate firing
The combustion of solid fuels in grate or stoker fired boilers takes place in a bed at the bottom of the
furnace. Grate firing is the traditional method for the combustion of solid fuels such as bark. There
are many applications of grate or stoker firing systems in use for burning different solid fuels at pulp
mills. The fuel burns on some type of a grate through which some or all of the combustion air
passes.
The grate construction is either stationary or moving. Stationary grates are more common in small
boilers. Larger boilers such as the bark boilers in the pulp and paper industry have mechanical or
moving grates with automatic feed of fuel and ash removal. Numerous constructions exist
depending on the fuel used, boiler size, boiler manufacturer, etc.

Fapet 6B: p.B225

Picture 1. Grate firing of bark

Fluidized bed technology
Grate firing was the only combustion technique in use for the combustion of bark and wood waste in
the pulp and paper industry until the 1970s. Fluidized bed technology has, however, replaced grate
firing as the dominating combustion technique for bark boilers. Fluidized bed boilers provide higher
fuel efficiency, lower emissions, less maintenance and better fuel flexibility. The major
disadvantage with grate boilers in the pulp and paper industry is that they cannot burn large
quantities of waste sludge from pulp or paper mills.
In a fluidized bed boiler, the fuel is fluidized by blowing air through the solid bed material. Picture 2
shows the operating principle of a fluidized bed. It illustrates the behavior of a bed of sand particles
as a gas flows through the bed at different velocities. As the velocity increases, the bed becomes
1

fluidized. The two types of fluidized boiler are bubbling bed and circulating bed boilers. Both types
of fluidized boilers are in use in boilers in the pulp and paper industry.

Fapet 6B: p.B228

Picture 2. Two types of fluidized bed systems are available today for the combustion of bark and wood
wastes: the bubbling fluidized bed boiler (BFB) and the circulating fluidized bed boiler (CFB)

Gasification of solid fuels, such as bark and wood waste, can be used in the pulp and paper industry
to produce combustible gases for the limekiln as a substitute for oil. Picture 3 shows the process
diagram for a circulating fluidized bed gasifier connected to a lime kiln. There are a few installations
of this type in industrial operation.

Fapet 6B: p.B239

Picture 3. Process diagram for a circulating fluidized bed gasifier connected to a lime kiln

Heat and power balances

Cogeneration of steam and power at pulp mills is done in the power plant of the pulp mill. The
power plant is usually equipped with three boilers: recovery boiler, bark boiler and power boiler.
The recovery boiler and bark boiler operate with steam parameters of 9MPa-10MPa and 490C500C. Picture 4 shows the basic power plant configuration. The small power boiler is used mainly
for start-up and other special situations at the pulp mill.
2

Bark and wood waste from pulpwood are fired in the bark boiler. Biofuel from outside the mill can
be fired together with bark when such fuels are available at an economical price.

Fapet 6B: p.B327

Picture 4. Pulp mill power plant

Table 1 shows some typical heat and power balances for a Scandinavian pulp mill in the production
of bleached kraft pulp. There is a need for a condensing turbine to handle the surplus heat energy at
the pulp mill. Pulp mills produce excess power that can be sold or used in some integrated industrial
process such as integrated paper making.
Table 1.

Pulp Mill Heat and Power Balance

Heat, GJ/ton
Production
Black liquor
Secondary heat
Bark

Consumption
Process heat
Back pressure turbine
Condensing turbine
Cooling water
19.8 Total

18.0
0.7
1.1

Total
Power, kWh/ton
Production
Back pressure turbine 790
Condensing turbine
620
Total
1410

Consumption
Mill consumption
Sold power
Total

10.4
2.9 (790 kWh/ton)
2.3 (620 kWh/ton)
4.2
19.8
740
670
1420

The power production capacity of a pulp mill can be increased if the temperature and pressure of the
steam ahead of the turbine can be increased. Table 2 shows an example of the effect of the pressure
and temperature of the recovery boiler on the production of back pressure power. Recovery boilers
are being developed for higher steam values.
Table 2.

An example of the effect of pressure and temperature of the recovery boiler

Steam ahead of turbine

Power production

Typical today
60bar
450C
695kWh/ton

Max today
90bar
510C
835kWh/ton

Future target
110bar
530C
895kWh/ton

It has been predicted that future technology for the combustion of black liquor will be based on
black liquor gasification. Table 3 shows the difference between the combustion of black liquor in a
recovery boiler and by gasifying and combusting. The technology for black liquor gasification has
been tested in a small scale but there are still technical and economic problems to be solved before
large industrial plants can be built.
Table 3.

Difference between the combustion of black liquor in a recovery boiler and by gasifying and
combusting

Steam from black liquor GJ/ton

Back pressure turbine, kWh/ton
Condensing turbine, kWh/ton
Gas turbine, kWh/ton
Total power production, kWh/ton

Recovery boiler
18.0
790
620
1410

Black liquor gasifier

12.1
370
170
1510
2050

A kraft pulp mill has a surplus of power and the surplus will increase as technology develops. The
combined production of kraft pulp and mechanical pulp or paper is an interesting technical
alternative as the processes can be integrated regarding the production and consumption of steam
and power. The excess heat and power of the pulp mill can be balanced by consumption in the
production of paper, board or mechanical pulp. Table 4 and Table 5 show the heat and power
requirements for some mechanical pulp and paper production methods.
Table 4.

Energy consumption and recovery of energy in mechanical pulping

Mechanical pulp and

freeness, ml CSF
GW
350-30
PGW
350-30
PGW-S
350-30
RMP
350-30
TMP
400-30
CTMP
700-30

Energy consumption,
kWh/ton of pulp
1,100-2,200
1,100-2,200
1,100-2,300
1,600-3,000
1,800-3,600
1,000-4,300

Recoverable energy
as hot water, %
as steam, %
20
30
20
30
20
30
20
20
40-45
20
40-45
BAT

Table 5.

Heat and power demand in paper production

Newsprint
Special newsprint
Uncoated wood containing
Coated wood containing
Uncoated wood free
Coated wood free
Tissue paper
Kraft liner
Fluting medium
Folding box board
Bleached kraft board
Sack paper
Other kraft paper and kraft board
Other paper and board

GJ/ton
4.5-5.3
4.5-5.3
4.5-5.4
4.6-5.3
6.6-7.1
5.5-7.8
6.9
5.8
5.6
6-7
7.1-7.7
6.9
7.3
7.5

kWh/ton
550-585
570-590
610-720
700-770
535-670
720-850
1,010
530
510
560-740
600-870
1,000
850
700
Fapet 6B: p.B441

Sodium and sulfur balance

Wood is a complex material, and any system design must account for each of the components of
wood and transformation products derived from wood. Any wood component entering must exit as
product or solid waste or by emission to the air or aqueous environment. The same applies to all
materials entering the mill in the form of for instance fuels and chemicals.

Fapet 6B: p.B441

Picture 5. Pulp mill material input and output

In the recovery cycle, the inventory and balances of the cooking chemicals consisting of sulfur and
sodium are essential for kraft pulp mills. Closing the mill circulation and reducing emissions leads
to a situation where there can be a surplus of sulfur or sodium or both in the process.
In the production of kraft pulp, the input and output of sodium and sulfur must be kept in balance
and the sulfidity of the cooking liquor must be at the target level. The process losses and the fresh
input chemicals should stay equal so that the sulfidity stays at a constant level and the liquor
inventory at the mill does not change. Table 6 and Picture 6 show typical input and output streams
of sulfur and sodium. There is an excess of both chemicals and some controlled purge is needed in
most modern installations.
The sulfur-containing makeup chemicals include small amounts of sulfur in wood and fuel,
magnesium sulfate in oxygen delignification, and ClO2 waste acid or sulfuric acid used in the tall oil
plant. These streams cover more than enough of the sulfur makeup requirements in most cases.
Sodium enters the process mainly from the generation of ClO2, from the sodium hydroxide used in
gas scrubbers and wood. If the excess sulfur is removed from the recovery cycle in the form of
sodium sulfate, there may be a need to add sulfur-free sodium to the recovery cycle.

Table 6.

Sodium and sulfur balance of a modern softwood kraft mill

Input:
wood and water
Fuels
MgSO4
crude tall oil plant
ClO2 waste
scrubber NaOH
Total input
Output:
emission to air
dregs and grits
washing losses
Spills
Total output
Difference between input and output

kg Na/ton

kg S/ton

0.1
6.0
4.0
10.1

0.3
0.5
1.3
1.6
4.5
8.2

0.1
0.7
6.5
0.5
7.8
2.3

0.5
0.3
1.4
0.1
2.3
5.9
Fapet 6B: p.B144

Picture 6. Sodium and sulfur balance of kraft pulping

Questions
1. Surplus power production at kraft pulp mills, development trends. / Ylimrshkn tuotanto
sulfaattisellutehtailla, kehitystrendit.
2. Bark combustion at pulp mills, boiler types in use. / Kuoren poltto sellutehtaalla, kytss
olevat kattilatyypit.
3. Sulfur-sodium balance at kraft pulp mills. / Sulfaattisellutehtaan rikki-natriumtase.