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Summary

Low Energy Pulp Pressure Screen Rotor

Pulp Pressure Screen Rotor: Energy-efficient vs. Conventional

A more efficient rotating airfoil that keeps a screen separating pulp from contaminants at a recycled paper mill from becoming plugged up by using negative pressure pulses to backflush the narrow slots in the screen.

Synopsis:

In 2006, Advanced Fiber Technologies developed an advanced low energy pulp screen rotor.  Paper mills use pressure screens to separate contaminants from pulp produced from recycled product.  A motor is used to spin the rotor at a high velocity.  The pulp is forced through narrow slots or apertures that serve as a barrier to debris, stickies, contaminates, and uncooked or undeveloped bundles of wood fibers (shives).  This makes contaminate-free pulp available for further processing.  The rotor airfoil produces a negative pressure pulse that keeps slots from plugging by backflushing the apertures. 

Several new rotor designs were developed with aerodynamic designs resulting in less drag.  Power requirements are also reduced by operating the rotor at the lowest possible speed while keeping throughput or pulp feed rate constant and without screen slots plugging.  A new high-capacity low-energy rotor was found to produce 52% energy savings when compared to conventional rotors.   Power requirements for one rotor were reduced by over 60 kW while producing the same tonnage with equivalent shive removal efficiency.  

BC Hydro estimates that the 300 pulp screen rotors in the province could provide an aggregate energy savings of about 153 million kWh per year if all were upgraded with advanced pulp screen rotors.   

The cost of the low-energy rotor is comparable to that of rotors currently in use.  Maintenance costs should be reduced as the optimized rotor runs at a slower speed.  Reduced rotor and screen wear should extend the useful life of the rotor.

Energy Savings: 52%
Energy Savings Rating: Limited Assessment  What's this?
LevelStatusDescription
1Concept not validatedClaims of energy savings may not be credible due to lack of documentation or validation by unbiased experts.
2Concept validated:An unbiased expert has validated efficiency concepts through technical review and calculations based on engineering principles.
3Limited assessmentAn unbiased expert has measured technology characteristics and factors of energy use through one or more tests in typical applications with a clear baseline.
4Extensive assessmentAdditional testing in relevant applications and environments has increased knowledge of performance across a broad range of products, applications, and system conditions.
5Comprehensive analysisResults of lab and field tests have been used to develop methods for reliable prediction of performance across the range of intended applications.
6Approved measureProtocols for technology application are established and approved.

Status:

Details

Low Energy Pulp Pressure Screen Rotor

Pulp Pressure Screen Rotor: Energy-efficient vs. Conventional

A more efficient rotating airfoil that keeps a screen separating pulp from contaminants at a recycled paper mill from becoming plugged up by using negative pressure pulses to backflush the narrow slots in the screen.
Item ID: 458
Sector: Industrial
Energy System: Process Loads & Appliances--Industrial Processes

Synopsis:

In 2006, Advanced Fiber Technologies developed an advanced low energy pulp screen rotor.  Paper mills use pressure screens to separate contaminants from pulp produced from recycled product.  A motor is used to spin the rotor at a high velocity.  The pulp is forced through narrow slots or apertures that serve as a barrier to debris, stickies, contaminates, and uncooked or undeveloped bundles of wood fibers (shives).  This makes contaminate-free pulp available for further processing.  The rotor airfoil produces a negative pressure pulse that keeps slots from plugging by backflushing the apertures. 

Several new rotor designs were developed with aerodynamic designs resulting in less drag.  Power requirements are also reduced by operating the rotor at the lowest possible speed while keeping throughput or pulp feed rate constant and without screen slots plugging.  A new high-capacity low-energy rotor was found to produce 52% energy savings when compared to conventional rotors.   Power requirements for one rotor were reduced by over 60 kW while producing the same tonnage with equivalent shive removal efficiency.  

BC Hydro estimates that the 300 pulp screen rotors in the province could provide an aggregate energy savings of about 153 million kWh per year if all were upgraded with advanced pulp screen rotors.   

The cost of the low-energy rotor is comparable to that of rotors currently in use.  Maintenance costs should be reduced as the optimized rotor runs at a slower speed.  Reduced rotor and screen wear should extend the useful life of the rotor.

Baseline Example:

Baseline Description: Conventional Pulp Screen Rotor
Baseline Energy Use: 935200 kWh per year per unit

Comments:

ATF's new high-capacity low-energy Gladiator rotor was tested and found to produce 52% energy savings when compared to conventional rotors. Test trials established the lowest possible speed that the rotor could be operated at while keeping throughput or pulp feed rate constant and without screen aperature plugging. The 52% energy savings reduced power requirements by 60.8 kW while producing the same pulp tonnage with an equivalent contaminate removal efficiency. The baseline annual energy use of 935,200 kWh assumes 8000 hours/year of operation.

Manufacturer's Energy Savings Claims: Currently no data available.
Best Estimate of Energy Savings:

"Typical" Savings: 52%
Energy Savings Reliability: 3 - Limited Assessment

Comments:

Energy Use of Emerging Technology:
448,896 kWh per unit per year What's this?

Energy Use of an Emerging Technology is based upon the following algorithm.

Baseline Energy Use - (Baseline Energy Use * Best Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings.))

Technical Potential:
Units: unit
Currently no data available.
First Cost: Currently no data available.

Cost Effectiveness:

Simple payback, new construction (years): N/A

Simple payback, retrofit (years): N/A

What's this?

Cost Effectiveness is calculated using baseline energy use, best estimate of typical energy savings, and first cost. It does not account for factors such as impacts on O&M costs (which could be significant if product life is greatly extended) or savings of non-electric fuels such as natural gas. Actual overall cost effectiveness could be significantly different based on these other factors.

Reference and Citations:

Brian Lin, 01/01/2013. No Pulp Fiction
University of British Columbia

UBC, 03/13/2010. Synergy Awards for Innovation
University of British Columbia

Mei Feng, 05/05/2005. Numerical Simulation and Experimental Measurement of Pressure Pulses Produced by a Pulp Screen Foil Rotor
Journal of Fluids Engineering

Rank & Scores

Low Energy Pulp Pressure Screen Rotor

There is no TAG available for this technology.
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