Biomass gasification and Polish coal-fired boilers for process of reburning in small boilers

Reburning was applied to Polish automatic coal-fired retort boiler (25 kW).The use of bio-syngas reduced NOx emissions from the boiler by over 25%,below the significant level of 200 mg/m3 .Reburning was carried out using an integrated system consisting of the boiler and a fixed-bed 60 kW (GazEla) gasification reactor.The process gas was continuously introduced above the coal burner of the boiler.The process parameters of the boiler and the gasifier were also measured and compared with the other units.Characteristic NOx emissions from automatic and manually operated boilers were also presented.

Carbonaceous residues from biomass gasification as catalysts for biodiesel production

Tars and alkali ashes from biomass gasification processes currently constitute one of the major problems in biomass valorisation, generating clogging of filters and issues related with the purity of syngas production. To date, these waste residues find no useful applications and they are generally disposed upon generation in the gasification process. A detailed analysis of these residues pointed out the presence of high quantities of Ca （〉30 wt%）. TG experiments indicated that a treatment under air at moderate temperatures （400-800 ~C） decomposed the majority of carbon species, while XRD indicated the presence of a crystalline CaO phase. CaO enriched valorized materials turned out to be good heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production from vegetable oils, providing moderate to good activities （50%-70% after 12 h） to fatty acid methyl esters in the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol.

Solid oxide fuel cells in combination with biomass gasification for electric power generation

Biomass,a source of renewable energy,represents an effective substitute to fossil fuels.Gasification is a process that organics are thermochemically converted into valuable gaseous products(e.g.biogas).In this work,the catalytic test demonstrated that the biogas produced from biomass gasification mainly consists of H2,CH4,CO,and CO2,which were then be used as the fuel for solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC).Planar SOFCs were fabricated and adopted.The steam reforming of biogas was carried out at the anode of a SOFC to obtain a hydrogen-rich fuel.The performance of the SOFCs operating on generated biogas was investigated by I-V polarization and electrochemical impedance spectra characterizations.An excellent cell performance was obtained,for example,the peak power density of the SOFC reached 1391 mW·cm-2 at 750℃when the generated biogas was used as the fuel.Furthermore,the SOFC fuelled by simulated biogas delivered a very stable operation.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Power Production by Using Waste Biomass Gasification

Energy recovery from waste biomass can have significant impacts on the most pressing development challenges of rural poverty and environmental damages. In this paper, a techno-economic analysis is carried out for electricity generation by using timber and wood waste (T & WW) gasification in Iceland. Different expenses were considered, like capital, installation, engineering, operation and maintenance costs and the interest rate of the investment. Regarding to revenues, they come from of the electricity sale and the fee paid by the Icelandic municipalities for waste collection and disposal. The economic feasibility was conducted based on the economic indicators of net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPP), bringing together three different subgroups based on gasifier capacities, subgroup a: 50 kW, subgroup b: 100 kW and subgroup c: 200 kW. The results show that total cost increases as the implemented power is increased. This indicator varies from 1228.6 k€ for subgroups a to 1334.7 k€ for subgroups b and 1479.5 k€ for subgroups c. It is worth mentioning that NPV is positive for three subgroups and it grows as gasifier scale is extended. NPV is about 122 k€ (111,020 $), 1824 k€ (1,659,840 $) and 4392 k€ (3,996,720 $) for subgroups a, b and c, respectively. Moreover, DPP has an inversely proportional to the installed capacity. It is around 5.5 years (subgroups a), 9.5 months (subgroups b) and 6 months (subgroups c). The obtained results confirm that using small scale waste biomass gasification integrated with power generation could be techno-economically feasible for remote area in Iceland.

Performance Investigation of Biomass Gasification for Syngas and Hydrogen Production Using Aspen Plus

This study presents a reliable model using Aspen Plus process simulator capable of performing a sensitivity analysis of the downdraft gasification linked to hydrogen production unit. Effects of key factors, including gasification temperature and steam to biomass ratio (SBR) on the syngas composition, calorific value of syngas and hydrogen production are discussed and then the optimal conditions for maximum hydrogen production are extracted. The model is validated by experimental and other modeling data and found to be in great agreement. The sensitivity analysis results obtained by only using air as gasification agent indicate that higher temperatures are favorable for a product gas with higher hydrogen content and calorific value. Moreover, steam consumption as gasifying agent leads to increasing the hydrogen content and heating value of the syngas compared to the use of air as gasification agent. Finally, the results show that the optimal conditions to have the highest value of hydrogen output from sawdust downdraft gasification are 800&#730C as gasifier temperature and 0.6 for SBR.

Design Features and Performance Data of a New 400 kW Biomass Gasification Power Plant of Downdraft Type

A new biomass-gasification power plant, of medium-size downdraft type, is presented and discussed in its design features and performance characteristics. Its configuration and overall dimensions, initially conceived for 800 kW, were recently re-tuned, from a functional point of view and on the base of a parallel theoretical analysis, by decreasing to about 400 kW the former nominal power level. This provision, jointly with the basic design choice of adopting a long and amply dimensioned inlet-biomass thermal pretreatment section, turned out quite effective in achieving high gasification temperatures and a low-tar content in the produced gas at fuel-to-air ratios well below the usually imposed ones, to the advantage of the heat value of the product-gas. The paper discusses the numerical analysis results which helped to properly re-adjust the operational parameters of the gasifier and then presents the experimental performance data of the overall power plant including biomass consumption, gasification temperatures, gas production, composition and pollutants content, cold-gas conversion efficiency and global electric efficiency. Special care is devoted to investigating the issue of a significant production of carbon-containing particulate matter in the product gas, which turns out made up of char and fixed carbon much more than of tar species.

Advancements in biomass gasification and catalytic tar-cracking technologies

Biomass,heralded as sustainable“green coal”,plays a crucial role in energy conservation and achieving“dual carbon”objectives through clean conversion.This paper reviews advancements in biomass catalytic gasification,a technology pivotal for converting biomass to hydrogen-rich fuel and syngas.It highlights the efficiency gains afforded by various catalysts,including natural minerals,alkali metals,nickel-based compounds,zeolites,and rare earth-modified composites.The focus is on their influence on hydrogen output,syngas quality,and tar reduction.The synthesis of these insights paves the way for novel catalyst development and optimized gasification processes,hence advancing catalytic gasification technology toward more sustainable energy solutions.

Catalytic steam reforming of tar for enhancing hydrogen production from biomass gasification:a review

Presently,the global search for alternative renewable energy sources is rising due to the depletion of fossil fuel and rising greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.Among alternatives,hydrogen(H2)produced from biomass gasification is considered a green energy sector,due to its environmentally friendly,sustainable,and renewable characteristics.However,tar formation along with syngas is a severe impediment to biomass conversion efficiency,which results in process-related problems.Typically,tar consists of various hydrocarbons(HCs),which are also sources for syngas.Hence,catalytic steam reforming is an effective technique to address tar formation and improve H2 production from biomass gasification.Of the various classes in existence,supported metal catalysts are considered the most promising.This paper focuses on the current researching status,prospects,and challenges of steam reforming of gasified biomass tar.Besides,it includes recent developments in tar compositional analysis,supported metal catalysts,along with the reactions and process conditions for catalytic steam reforming.Moreover,it discusses alternatives such as dry and autothermal reforming of tar.

Plasma reforming of toluene as a model tar compound from biomass gasification:effect of CO_(2) and steam

In this study, plasma reforming of toluene as a tar model compound from biomass gasification has been carried out using an AC gliding arc discharge reactor. The influence of steam and CO_(2) addition on the reforming of toluene has been evaluated. The results show that the highest toluene conversion (59.9%) was achieved when adding 3 vol% CO_(2) at a toluene concentra-tion of 16.1 g/Nm3 and a specific energy input of 0.25 kWh/m3. Further increasing CO_(2) concentration to 12 vol% decreased the conversion of toluene. The presence of steam in the plasma CO_(2) reforming of toluene creates oxidative OH radicals which contribute to the enhanced conversion of toluene and energy efficiency of the plasma reforming process through stepwise oxidation of toluene and reaction intermediates. Hydrogen and C_(2)H_(2) were identified as the major gas products in the plasma reforming of toluene without CO_(2) or steam, with a yield of 9.7% and 14.5%, respectively, while syngas was the primary products with a maximum yield of 58.3% (27.5% for H_(2) and 30.8% for CO) in the plasma reforming with the addition of 12 vol% CO_(2). The plausible reaction pathways and mechanism in the plasma reforming of toluene have been proposed through the combination of the analysis of gas and condensed products and spectroscopic diagnostics.

Evaluation of stability and catalytic activity of Ni catalysts for hydrogen production by biomass gasification in supercritical water

Supercritical water gasification is a promising technology for wet biomass utilization.In this paper,Ni and other metal catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation.The stability and catalytic activities of Ni catalysts were evaluated.Firstly,catalytic activities of Ni,Fe,Cu catalysts supported on MgO were tested using wheat straw as raw material in a batch reactor at 723 K and water density of 0.07 cm^(3)/g.Experimental results showed that the order of metal catalyst activity for hydrogen generation was Ni/MgO>Fe/MgO>Cu/MgO.Secondly,the influence of different supports on Ni catalysts performance was investigated.The results showed that the order of the Ni catalysts’activity with different supports was Ni/MgO>Ni/ZnO>Ni/Al_(2)O_(3)>Ni/ZrO_(2).Finally,the effects of Ni loading and the amount of Ni catalyst addition on hydrogen production,and the stability of Ni/MgO catalyst were studied.It was found that serious deactivation of Ni catalyst in the process of supercritical water gasification took place.Even if carbon deposited on the catalyst surface was removed by high temperature calcination and the catalyst was reduced with hydrogen,the activity of used catalyst was only partially restored.

Study of biomass gasification in an industrial-scale dual circulating fluidized bed(DCFB)using the Eulerian-Lagrangian method

Dual circulating fluidized bed(DCFB)has emerged as an efficient reactor for biomass gasification due to its unique feature of high gas-solid contact efficiency and separated reactions in two reactors,yet the understanding of complex in-furnace phenomena is still lacking.In this study,biomass gasification in an industrial-scale DCFB system was numerically studied using a multiphase particle-in-cell(MP-PIC)method featuring thermochemical sub-models(e.g.,heat transfer,heterogeneous reactions,and homogeneous reactions)under the Eulerian-Lagrangian framework.After model validation,the hydrodynamics and thermochemical characteristics(i.e.,pressure,temperature,and species)in the DCFB are comprehensively investigated.The results show that size-/density-induced segregation makes solid fuels concentrate on the bed surface.Interphase momentum exchange leads to the continuous decrease of the gas pressure axially.In the gasifier and combustor,the lower heating value(LHV)of the gas products is 5.56 MJ/Nm^(3)and 0.2 MJ/Nm^(3)and the combustible gas concentration(CGC)is 65.5%and 1.86%,respectively.The temperature in the combustor is about 100 K higher than that in the gasifier.A higher solid concentration results in a smaller value of particle heat transfer coefficient(HTC).The HTCs range from 50 to 150 W/(m^(2) K)for a solid concentration larger than 0.3 in the combustor while the HTCs range from 100 to 200 W/(m^(2 )K)in the gasifier.The Reynolds number of biomass particles is two orders of magnitude larger than that of the sand particle.The numerical results shed light on the reactor design and process optimization of biomass gasification in DCFBs.

NUMERICAL MODELING OF BIOMASS GASIFICATION USING COW DUNG AS FEEDSTOCK

In this study,a biomass gasification model was developed and simulated based on Gibbs free energy minimization by using software Aspen Plus.Two reactors,RYIELD and RGIBBS,were moslty used.The biomass feedstock used was cow dung.The model was validated.The composition,H_(2)/CO ratio and low heating value(LHV)of the resulting synthetic gas(also known as syngas)was estimated by changing the operating parameters of gasification temperatures,steam and biomass ratios and pressures.Simulation results showed that increased gasification temperature helped to elevate H_(2) and CO content and H_(2) peaked at 900℃.When steam increased as the gasification agent,H_(2) production increased.However,the steam/biomass(S/B)ratio negatively affected CO and CH4,resulting in lower LHV.The optimal S/B ratio was 1.5.An increase in pressure lead to a decrease in H_(2) and CO content,so the optimal pressure for gasification was 0.1 MPa.

Gasification of Bio-waste and Biomass Products through Exposure to HD and LD Supercritical Water

Biomass as a sustainable and renewable energy source is starting to gain momentum, especially as more economical energy extraction methods prevail. SCWBG （supercritical water biomass gasification） is one of the more promising methods to extract energy from biomass in a gaseous form due to its lower temperature and simpler setup. In this work, two biomass and two bio-waste samples are gasified in SCW （supercritical water） under two temperatures （hence water densities）. As temperature increases and water density decreases, combustible gas yields tend to increase due to changes in reaction pathways and reaction rates. An analytical comparison is also made between the four different types of biomass in terms of the combustible gases produced and hence the energy value. As a result of this analysis beet skin produces the most methane and corn silage yields the most hydrogen. The two bio-waste samples （straw and beet skin） are found to have the highest HHV （higher heating values）.

Kinetics of petroleum coke/biomass blends during co-gasification

The co-gasification behavior and synergistic effect of petroleum coke, biomass, and their blends were studied by thermogravimetric analysis under CO2 atmosphere at different heating rates. The isoconversional method was used to calculate the activation energy. The results showed that the gasification process occurred in two stages： pyrolysis and char gasification. A synergistic effect was observed in the char gasification stage. This effect was caused by alkali and alkaline earth metals in the biomass ash. Kinetics analysis showed that the activation energy in the pyrolysis stage was less than that in the char gasification stage. In the char gasification stage, the activation energy was 129.1–177.8 k J/mol for petroleum coke, whereas it was 120.3–150.5 k J/mol for biomass. We also observed that the activation energy calculated by the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa（FWO） method were larger than those calculated by the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunosen（KAS） method. When the conversion was 1.0, the activation energy was 106.2 k J/mol when calculated by the KAS method, whereas it was 120.3 k J/mol when calculated by the FWO method.

Microscopic mechanism study and process optimization of dimethyl carbonate production coupled biomass chemical looping gasification system

Biomass chemical looping gasification technology is one of the essential ways to utilize abundant biomass resources.At the same time,dimethyl carbonate can replace phosgene as an environmentfriendly organic material for the synthesis of polycarbonate.In this paper,a novel system coupling biomass chemical looping gasification with dimethyl carbonate synthesis with methanol as an intermediate is designed through microscopic mechanism analysis and process optimization.Firstly,reactive force field molecular dynamics simulation is performed to explore the reaction mechanism of biomass chemical looping gasification to determine the optimal gasification temperature range.Secondly,steady-state simulations of the process based on molecular dynamics simulation results are carried out to investigate the effects of temperature,steam to biomass ratio,and oxygen carrier to biomass ratio on the syngas yield and compositions.In addition,the main energy indicators of biomass chemical looping gasification process including lower heating value and cold gas efficiency are analyzed based on the above optimum parameters.Then,two synthesis stages are simulated and optimized with the following results obtained:the optimal temperature and pressure of methanol synthesis stage are 150℃ and 4 MPa;the optimal temperature and pressure of dimethyl carbonate synthesis stage are 140℃ and 0.3 MPa.Finally,the pre-separation-extraction-decantation process separates the mixture of dimethyl carbonate and methanol generated in the synthesis stage with 99.11%purity of dimethyl carbonate.Above results verify the feasibility of producing dimethyl carbonate from the perspective of multi-scale simulation and realize the multi-level utilization of biomass resources.

Removal of biomass tar by steam reforming over calcined scallop shell supported Cu catalysts

In this study, the main purpose is to develop low-cost catalysts with high activity and stability for high quality syngas production via steam reforming of biomass tar in biomass gasification process. The calcined waste scallop shell（CS） supported copper（Cu） catalysts are prepared for steam reforming of biomass tar. The prepared Cu supported on CS catalysts exhibit higher catalytic activity than those on commercial CaO and Al;O;. Characterization results indicate that Cu/CS has a strong interaction between Cu and CaO in CS support, resulting in the formation of calcium copper oxide phase which could stabilize Cu species and provide new active sites for the tar reforming. In addition, the strong basicity of CS support and other inorganic elements contained in CS support could enhance the activity of Cu/CS. The addition of a small amount of Co is found to be able to stabilize the catalytic activity of Cu/CS catalysts,making them reusable after regeneration without any loss of their activities.

Experimental investigation of performance properties and agglomeration behavior of fly ash from gasification of corncobs

The gasification industries make use of biomass residue as feedstock to produce synthesis gas,but the gasification of this waste biomass generates tons of ash everyday.Performance properties and agglomeration behavior of corncob ash(CCA) collected from the gasification of corncobs in a pilot-scale gasification station were investigated by using some experimental methods.Based on the chemical composition results,the agglomeration tendency of CCA from combustion and gasification process was also analyzed.Chemical analysis shows that the fly ash is mainly composed of inorganic matters formed by K,Mg,Ca,Na,Fe,Al,S,etc.The agglomeration characteristics indicate that the slagging degree increases with the increase of ashing temperature,and the slagging tendency of these CCA samples from gasification or combustion is different with various slagging indices.All CCA samples from combustion or gasification can cause slagging/fouling problems in thermal conversion systems.The applications of CCA are closely related to its performances,and CCA has the potential to be used in various fields,for example,as a material for ceramic products and activated carbon,as an adsorbent,as a crude fertilizer,and as a structural material.

Performance evaluation of a diesel engine by using producer gas from some under-utilized biomass on dual-fuel mode of diesel cum producer gas

Producer gas through gasification of biomass can be used as an alternate fuel in rural areas due to high potential of biomass resources in India.Experiments were conducted to study the performance of a diesel engine(four stroke,single cylinder,5.25 kW) with respect to its thermal efficiency,specific fuel consumption and diesel substitution by use of diesel alone and producer gas-cum-diesel(dual fuel mode).Three types of biomass,i.e.wood chips,pigeon pea stalks and corn cobs were used for generation of producer gas.A producer gas system consisting of a downdraft gasifier,a cooling cum cleaning unit,a filtering unit and a gas air mixing device was designed,fabricated and used to power a 5.25 kW diesel engine on dual fuel mode.Performance of the engine was reported by keeping biomass moisture contents as 8%,12%,16%,and 21%,engine speed as 1 600 r/min and with variable engine loads.The average value of thermal efficiency on dual fuel mode was found slightly lower than that of diesel mode.The specific diesel consumption was found to be 60%-64% less in dual fuel mode than that in diesel mode for the same amount of energy output.The average diesel substitution of 74% was observed with wood chips followed by corn cobs(78%) and pigeon pea stalks(82%).Based on the performance studied,the producer gas may be used as a substitute or as supplementary fuel for diesel conservation,particularly for stationary engines in agricultural operations in the farm.

System Performance and Pollution Emission of Biomass Gas Co-Firing in a Coal-Fired Boiler

To reduce greenhouse gases emission and increase the renewable energy utilization portion in the world, the biomass gasification coupled with a coal-fired boiler power generation system is studied. It is a challenge to achieve optimum performance for the coupled system. The models of biomass gasification coupled with co-firing of coal in a boiler have been established. A comparative study of three kinds of biomass (Food Rubbish, Straw and Wood Pellets) has been done. The syngas produced in a 10 t/h gasifier is fed to a 330 MWe coal-fired boiler for co-combustion, and the co-firing performances have been compared with pure coal combustion case under the conditions of constant boiler load. Results show that co-firing decreases the furnace combustion temperature and raises the flue gas temperature for Food Rubbish and Straw, while, flue gases temperature decrease in case of Wood Pellets. At the same time NOx and SOx emissions have reduced. The system efficiencies at constant load for Food Rubbish, Straw and Wood Pellets are 83.25%, 83.88% and 82.56% when the optimum conditions of gasification and co-firing process are guaranteed.

Study on Biomass Gasified Generator Using Rotary Engine

The purpose of this study is to investigate the biomass gasification system for power supply to introduce in rural communities of developing countries.The study was conducted using biomass gasification system(20 kW)which developed at Ashikaga University.In general,for small scale power supply system using biomass gasification,reciprocate type engine or modified diesel engine are attached for power generation.However,biomass gasifier produces tar and it causes problems on smooth movement of piston in the reciprocate engine.To avoid effect by tar,the system is comprised the rotary engine coupled to a generator since there is no piston inside the engine.As for gasification system,downdraft gasifier is designed and installed.In this study woody biomass was gasified.The gasifier performance was evaluated with respect to fuel consumption rate.The rotary engine-generator system was evaluated in terms of power generation efficiency.Result of this study shows that fuel consumption rate was about 30 kg/h,gasification efficiency was about 63.4%and efficiency of rotary engine system was about 9.4%.