The 3rd Annual NORA Technology Workshop was held in Newport, RI on September 24 & 25, 2018.
Click on each title to download the presentation.
NORA Goals – John Huber, President, NORA, Mr. Huber will present what NORA and the industry are doing to respond to the demands to lower greenhouse gases in the heating oil states.
Environmental Goals for Heating Oil Country – How do the States plan to meet those goals and it is possible? Richard Sweetser will describe the environmental policy that favors an all-electric economy powered by renewable electricity. Can similar gains envisioned by the regulators be achieved by the bioheating industry at lower costs?
Responding to Europe’s 2050 Environmental Goals – Dr. Ernst-Moritz Bellingen, Eurofuels, Belgum. Europe faces, and is responding to, challenges much like the U.S. heating industry. Dr. Bellingen from Eurofuels will describe those challenges and how the industry in Europe is responding.
Babington Burner – Status and Technical Review, Andrew Hamer, Babington Technology
Aerosol-Enabled Liquid Fuel Combustion, Jason Targoff, Novatio Engineering
Technology Update from Europe
Dr. Klaus Lucka, Tech-4-Fuels, Germany. Europe has been advancing novel technologies to improve burners and boilers and integrate with solar and wind power. Dr. Lucka will share the developmental work that is occurring.
NORA/NYSERDA Tankless Coil Project Findings – Dr. Thomas Butcher, Lab Director, NORA will present the research NORA has completed in conjunction with NYSERDA, to understand and improve the efficiency of tankless coils.
Biofuel Combustion and Sensor Response – Neehad Islam, NORA Research Engineer, NORA will present the research to evaluate combustion performance of different fuels.
Fuel-Fired Heat Pump – Dr. Thomas Butcher, NORA. Heating oil has been achieving AFUE’s of 86% for decades, recently manufacturers have broken the 90% efficiency barrier. Can we go above 100 percent? The heat pump developed by Stone Mountain Technology, which could jump efficiency by 50 points and be fired by a renewable fuel will be described. The presentation will also include a case for biofuel-fired heat pumps to compete with electric heat pumps in achieving the region’s renewable goals.
Integrating Heating Oil with Air-Source Heat Pumps – Small “cold weather heat pumps” have attracted attention throughout the northeast. However, they are not efficient at low temperatures and cannot effectively heat a house on cold days in the north. Dr. Thomas Butcher, Technical Director, NORA will describe the joint project with NYSERDA to understand the efficiency of these devices and how they are being integrated with existing boilers.
Renewable Fuels from Wood – NORA undertook a field study of a new fuel made from cellulosic material/wood waste this winter. Cellulose has always been the “holy grail” of biofuels, as the world is full of wood waste, lawn waste, etc. If it can be converted to a fuel suitable for residential customers use, we would have a fuel that has a very low greenhouse gas profile and be readily available. Steve Fitzpatrick, Biofine Technology, Waltham, MA will give an update on this research and their activities.
NORA Lab Studies on Biofuels – Ryan Kerr, NORA Research Engineer has been evaluating various fuels at NORA’s Research Laboratory, Plainview, NY, including: biodiesel, renewable diesel, heating oil, and ethyl levulinate; attempting to find the best blend of these materials to interact with current heating oil appliances, as well as identify the best fuel for the environment.
Impact of Copper on Fuels – Dr. Dave Slade, Process Development Engineer II, Renewable Energy Group (REG) Is the presence of copper in a oil heating system a problem when exposed to biofuels? Marty Haverly will review the research undertaken by REG and NORA on this subject
Biodiesel Feedstock Outlook – Steve Howell, President, Mark-IV Growing interest in using more biodiesel at higher blend levels will require increasing levels of oils and fats. The National Biodiesel Board has identified feedstock development as top research goal and will present the current feedstock outlook and options being considered to meet higher future demand for biodiesel.
Challenges of Renewable Fuels in Existing Heating Equipment Fit for Purpose Tests
Dr. Klaus Lucka, Tech-4-Fuels, Germany
New Concept for a Fuel-Fired Heat Pump – Dr. Ing Peter Hofbauer, ThermoLift, Inc.