Biomass Gasification and Syngas

Biomass-based gasifiers, such as the BioMax units,steam, or as a basic chemical building block for a
produce electricity and thermal energy frommultitude of uses. When mixed with air, syngas
woody waste including wood chips from hard andcan be used in gasoline or diesel engines with few
soft wood, sawdust pellets, coconut shells, nutmodifications to the engine.
shells or corncobs.Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon
The units heat these fuels with about one-third ofmonoxide and it can be converted into fuels such
the oxygen necessary for complete combustionas hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas
to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and(which leaves the converter at a temperature of
hydrogen, known as syngas. Biomass energyaround 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a
accounts for about 11% of the global primarycooling system which generates steam. Syngas
energy supply, and it is estimated that about 2can be used as a fuel to generate electricity and
billion people worldwide depend on biomass forsteam or as a chemical building block for the
their energy needs.petrochemical and refining industries. The
Wood gasification seems to be catching on as agasification process converts feedstock such as
viable technology for avoidance of greenhousecoal, crude oil, petroleum-based materials or gases
gas emissions. It has many great uses. Someinto marketable fuels and products.
years ago wood gas was seen as cheaper by allModels range in size from 5-kW units for home
means, but charcoal gasifiers had the edge wereuse to 15-kW machines, enough to power a small
so much easier to handle. There are manybusiness. The company is currently demonstrating
gasifiers that produce gas from wood and thensix gasifiers in off-grid field applications. Modeling
burn the gas, leaving ash and charcoal.results are compared with the experimental
Wood chips can be fed into gasification plantresults published in the literature. Predicted effects
gasifiers and the gas produced is used to light theof bed temperature, equivalence ratio and fuel
furnace in the chamber. Woody biomass plantsmoisture content on main gaseous composition,
can show economics which are very local and cantar and NH3 emissions generally agree with the
provide a secure return on investment in manyliterature data.
circumstances. Technologies range from boilers, toSyngas can be used as a fuel to generate
gasifiers, to pyrolyzers, to just plain wood stoves.electricity or steam, or as a basic chemical building
Wood gas can be used to power cars withblock for a multitude of uses. When mixed with
ordinary internal combustion engines if a woodair, syngas can be used in gasoline or diesel
gasifier is attached. This was quite popular duringengines with few modifications to the engine.
World War II in several European countriesSyngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon
because the armies active in the war did notmonoxide and it can be converted into fuels such
always have access to oil.as hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas
Performance parameters such as air factor,(which leaves the converter at a temperature of
feeding point position and bed height arearound 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a
determined by running trials and looking for acooling system which generates steam. Syngas
maximum gasifier efficiency and gas heating valuecan be used as a fuel to generate electricity and
and a minimum tar content in the gas. Othersteam or as a chemical building block for the
parameters which can be optimized by usingpetrochemical and refining industries.
CSFB software are the pressure drop, the bubbleThe gasification process converts feedstock such
diameter and the gas velocities in the bedas coal, crude oil, petroleum-based materials or
Syngas, produced in gasification process palnts,gases into marketable fuels and products.
can be used as a fuel to generate electricity or