RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Divisions within the Business Area have focused their R&D activities on the development of technologies helping customers to maximize specific production parameters while at the same time reducing the amount of input materials and energy to a minimum (higher efficiencies and yields with less raw material, use of natural resources, and lower energy consumption). R&D programs address the needs of capital equipment buyers as well as users to lower the total cost per ton produced.
Two major trends are driving customer investments today. First is the goal to reduce the investment cost per ton to its lowest possible level. This is leading to larger, single-line production units with no redundancy of systems. The second trend is to continue to make the production process more sustainable.
Andritz is not only reacting to these trends, but actively developing technologies that offer substantial improvements. Andritz’s response to the sustainability requirement is evident in the new systems which have been adapted to the efficient processing of plantation fibers, and technology which consumes much less energy than its predecessors. As part of this, considerable R&D effort is being employed to more effectively utilize biomass as an energy source. Not only does this substantially reduce fossil fuel-based CO2 emissions, but it also enables many more pulping operations to become virtually energy self-sufficient, or even produce surplus electricity which is supplied to the public grid.
Sophisticated simulation programs are being utilized to improve individual processes. Advanced control systems for all the fiberline process areas are being developed and tested.
The Divisions’ R&D programs in detail are as follows:
Wood Processing
The trend in wood processing is towards simple, easy-to-operate, and reliable high-capacity lines. The amount of planted wood being debarked in the forest is growing. In order to serve this demand, the Division has developed bigger lines for both barked and debarked logs. A new chipper with 18 knives (the largest in the world) has been developed to serve bigger lines for barked and debarked wood.
For debarking, a new high-capacity (42 m long and 5.5 m diameter) drum has been developed. The Division also developed a new technology for separating sand and loose bark which can be utilized for processing logs that are debarked in the forest. More efficient washing and cleaning methods based upon a roller conveyor have been developed for conventional log cleaning.
Fiberline Systems
Technology development in the Fiberline Systems Division continues to focus on lowering the investment cost per ton of pulp produced. This is being accomplished through process simplification, increased unit capacities, standardization, and modularization. This development is not only targeted to large greenfield mills, but also to develop cost-competitive solutions for small- and medium-sized lines and also for the modernization of existing lines.
These new product developments are evident in the start-up curves and quality of pulp of recent deliveries. Digester feedline improvements, the larger scale of DD washers, next generation of MC-equipment, and advanced control systems are introduced in these deliveries.
The environmental impact of the chemical pulping process is another important driver in Fiberline technology development. Less chemicals are now required for cooking and bleaching while pulp quality (strength, cleanliness, and brightness) is being improved. Reduced fresh water consumption and correspondingly lower effluent volumes are achieved by new washing concepts and by pressurizing/closing process steps to prevent emissions to the atmosphere. Simplified process designs and improved equipment efficiencies are also consuming less energy.
Many of these developments are now in practical application in the latest Andritz installations, for example at the Suzano Mucuri mill in Brazil, the CMPC Santa Fe mill in Chile, and the Metsä-Botnia mill in Uruguay.
Chemical Systems
The Chemical Systems Division is further developing technologies for environmental sustainability and increased capacities of pulp mills. In terms of capacity, a new lime kiln was designed for an installation in Indonesia with a capacity exceeding 1,000 t/d. A new series of white liquor disc filters with a diameter of 4.4 m will be delivered to Brazil in 2008.
The Division’s new concept for green liquor handling has become widely accepted. In 2007, X-Filter green liquor filtration technology was introduced to a new market – India. The application of centrifuge technology for dregs dewatering and washing is gaining acceptance. The centrifuge minimizes the impact of dregs in landfills. With the centrifuge, lime mud can be purged separately in an uncontaminated form, which allows it to be used as a soil amendment.
A system for the selective reduction of phosphorus in the lime circulation will be installed in a mill in Finland, which will enable further closing of the lime cycle and reduction in solid waste and dead-load. Modernizations offer interesting challenges. A new lime kiln technology is now in operation in Brazil which considerably boosts the throughput that can be achieved from an existing lime kiln shell.
Recovery Systems
Due to continuously rising energy costs for pulp and paper producers, a development program was launched in 2006 to introduce advanced biomass-fired power boilers to the industry and the first power boilers are already under construction.
High oil and gas prices have triggered growing interest in using biofuels in lime kilns, which are still significant consumers of fossil fuels in the pulp mill. As experience with the operation of the High Energy Recovery Boiler (HERB) is accumulated, plans for the next steps to increase the electricity generation from black liquor are in place.
Developments to increase the accuracy of CFD modelling (simulation of heat transfer and fluid streams within the recovery furnace) continue, as well as utilization of improved calculation methods for the Andritz automatic control system.
As mills continue to close their chemical circulation loops to reduce emissions, chloride removal is becoming more important. The first leaching-based chloride removal process by Andritz is being constructed in Brazil and this offers a lower cost alternative to the proven ash re-crystallization process.
Technology development in the evaporation process continues to focus on lowering the investment cost. This is being accomplished through process simplification, standardization, and modularization – resulting in fewer engineering hours and shorter delivery times. Significant development efforts have been made to reduce the operating costs of the evaporation. A new patented approach has been developed to address recent trends in thermal and electrical energy prices.
Studies have been conducted on materials to find a more corrosion-resistant material for liquors with high alkaline content. Due to the high price of certain commodities, the emphasis is on finding alternative materials for stainless steels with a high nickel content.
In the pulp mill automation area, the product development for ACE™ advanced control and optimization of a recovery boiler’s sootblowing and combustion activities is proceeding at full speed. A pilot project has been agreed upon with a Finnish customer. A mill in China recently ordered the Recovery ACE™.
Since the development of Safety Related Systems (SRS) in 2003, over 20 system packages for processes such as recovery boilers, lime kilns, and power boilers have been sold. Andritz’s engineers follow a predefined procedure that covers steps from risk evaluation, through safety controls planning, up to testing, start-up, and normal operation.
Pulp Drying Systems
The research and development focus of the Pulp Drying Systems Division is to increase the production capacity of a single drying line based upon Twin Wire forming technology from approximately 4,000 t/d today to over 4,500 t/d or over 1,300,000 t/y of pulp. Energy consumption of the entire drying line will be reduced by simplifying the process and optimizing the ‘biggest energy consumers’ in the line (e.g. thermal energy, vacuum sources).
Further development work for the process simulator on the sheet drying line has been carried out. In addition, the first advanced process control using BrainWave® controllers was successfully installed to improve machinery uptime. The next level - optimization - will be accomplished with the ACE™ (Andritz Control Expert) to ensure stable and uniform operation of the machine while minimizing the steam and energy consumed.
Pulp Engineered Services
The Division’s leading development program is the OPE® (Overall Production Efficiency) concept, where the target is to enhance production efficiency and maintenance practices in order to secure the highest lifecycle profits for customers.
Supporting the OPE® concept is the Life Cycle Profits (LCP) program, which helps to secure and maximize a profitable operation for customers. Parts of the program are being developed in cooperation with European research organizations. LCP also supports a customer’s sustainability targets. The program consists of several elements, where predictive tools for online diagnostics of pulping processes are developed. High importance is attached to developing proactive practices which support process improvements and maintenance routines. One example is the development of sophisticated mill-wide maintenance audit tools. Another is the development of a service for refurbishing chipper wear parts.
Product innovations such as software tools for improving predictive maintenance are being introduced. An example is the software to determine the most cost-effective timing for changing chipper knives. Another is the software to predict the maintenance needs for hydraulic drives; still another is the smooth functioning of DD washers even under difficult, volatile circumstances. For cooking systems, the Division is continuing the development of screen plates for both continuous and batch digesters. In the recovery area, an advanced diagnostics system helps to improve the efficiency of the recovery boiler operations. A significant part of the development work includes advanced control systems that focus on improving energy efficiency and minimizing the environmental impact of existing mills.
Paper Machines
Technology development for the Paper Machines Division centers around three main items: reduction of investment cost, energy savings, and improved efficiency.
Developments in the tissue group included the introduction of the PrimeDry Steel, a Yankee dryer completely made of welded steel. The main advantages are higher performance and higher operational safety compared to a conventional cast iron Yankee.
In the air engineering department, the focus was on energy-saving equipment. A new step in heat recovery from the exhaust of Yankee hoods – ReEvaporation – has been developed. Condensate is re-evaporated in a heat exchanger by using exhaust air. Up to 25% savings in primary steam is possible.
Additionally, a new web guiding device after the creping doctor, the PrimeTakeOff, has been introduced. The benefits are fewer paper breaks at higher machine speeds.
The modular Yankee hood allows delivery of the huge hood body to the construction site in smaller parts, with final assembly on-site. Parts from different suppliers, some manufactured locally, can be used in this way to minimize cost.
Another focus is to develop advanced solutions for the modernization of board and packaging machines integrating Andritz Küsters and Andritz BMB products.
Fiber Preparation Systems
Increasing system efficiency and reducing energy consumption are the focal points of development in the Fiber Preparation Systems Division. The Division introduced an ash washing machine (SpeedWasher) for Mixed Office Waste (MOW) papers and a pressurized disperser for Old Corrugated Container (OCC) grades.
Mechanical Pulping Systems
The continuous increase of energy prices has led to increased demand from customers for technologies with lower energy consumption. Reducing energy consumption not only lowers production costs, but helps to save energy resources and supports the goal of lowering the emission of greenhouse gases. Another priority is to simplify processes and improve the reliability of equipment to lower investment/operating costs.
The Division modernized its pilot plant in Springfield, Ohio, USA to better meet future requirements, including the application of low-consistency refiners at various process stages, which offers the potential to further reduce energy consumption and simplify the process.
Further development work has been done on a novel pre-treatment process for wood chips prior to the refining stage (RT Fibration), which enhances energy savings and helps improve the pulp quality. The new technology allows/facilitates the use of alternative wood species (e.g. various pine species) which were formerly not desirable for papermaking. One part of the Division’s R&D work is focused on the selection and testing of such species as eucalyptus, acacia, birch, maple, bagasse, reed, and kenaf. This supports sustainable development in countries with different wood species or where wood is a rare resource.
A new fiber centrifuge, which separates steam and fibers more effectively after the HC refiner, and a new series of compression devices and refiner plug screws are examples of new equipment introduced to the market.
To cope with more restrictive limits being placed on mills for effluent release, the Division is continuing its development of low-effluent technologies – particularly scenarios where all the effluent streams from a mechanical pulp mill can be collected, evaporated, and incinerated. Fresh water consumption is significantly reduced and valuable chemicals can be recovered. This project is carried out in cooperation with other Andritz Divisions and demonstrates the internal synergies for information exchange and sharing of resources.
Minimizing energy consumption throughout the whole process is also the main focus in the panelboard industry. In a basic research program, the design of the entire fiber processing plant is being evaluated with the target of optimizing fiber quality while reducing energy consumption.
Another priority program is to reduce the moisture content of the raw materials, which reduces the overall energy demand and lowers emissions.
A newly developed system directed to the mixed plastic recycling industry is gaining interest in the market.
With these developments, the Division supports environmental protection, material recycling, waste reduction, and sustainable management of limited resources.
Paper Finishing
Energy efficiency and cost savings continue to be important issues in the paper industry. For the tissue industry, the Division developed the smallest shoe roll ever built - with a diameter of only 710 mm. Patented features like additional lubrication and the edge relief system make it possible to obtain higher dryness without loss of bulk and with the fewest possible belt changes. Cost reduction is very often a question of reliability and availability. The Division’s R&D team came up with a new design for the PrimeFeeder technology that makes the entire process significantly more stable and helps reduce the time it takes a paper machine to reach full production after a sheet break. This solution has a patent pending.
Paper Engineered Services
The R&D focus is on improving the efficiency of equipment already installed in a customer’s plant to lower the operating costs. This involves optimizing the machine design to conserve energy and increase reliability, especially in the areas of sealing and wear technologies. An excellent example of such a value-added solution is the high-precision CONCEPT rebuilding program for Andritz Twin refiners. CONCEPT not only extends the time between major rebuilds, but also significantly increases the operational efficiency of the equipment.
For dewatering machines, the focus is on introducing wear-resistant technologies for disc filters, Twin Wire presses, and screw presses from different manufacturers. State-of-the-art sealing technologies have been developed and are being retrofitted on these machines.
For the pulping of stock, broke, and recycled fiber, a development program is in progress to enable up to 20% energy savings for the majority of pulpers installed in mills.
In the automation area, a new optical sensor for measuring fiber properties online was introduced. The sensor requires significantly less maintenance and eliminates the need for intense recalibration often required for competitive units. This is a major step toward fully automated pulp production lines.
The Division will continue to make modern technologies available for upgrades and retrofits of existing equipment, regardless of the original supplier, to increase the efficiency of each customer’s installation.