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BTG Biomass Gasification PDF
BTG Biomass Gasification PDF
P.O. Box 217 > 7500 AE Enschede > The Netherlands > Tel +31 53 486 1186 > Fax +31 53 486 1180 > Email office@btgworld.com > Site www.btgworld.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ________________________________________________ 1
2 BTGS INVOLVEMENT __________________________________________ 2
2.1 Handbook Biomass Gasification ________________________________ 2
3 PROCESS ______________________________________________________ 4
3.1 Chemistry __________________________________________________ 4
3.2 Reactions ___________________________________________________ 4
3.3 Gasification parameters_______________________________________ 6
3.3.1 Equivalence ratio _________________________________________ 6
3.3.2 Superficial velocity and hearth load ___________________________ 7
3.3.3 Turn-down ratio __________________________________________ 7
3.3.4 Gas heating value _________________________________________ 7
3.3.5 Gas flow rate and gas production _____________________________ 7
3.3.6 Efficiency _______________________________________________ 7
3.3.7 Fuel consumption _________________________________________ 7
3.3.8 Tar and entrained particles __________________________________ 7
3.3.9 Important biomass characteristics related to gasification ___________ 8
4 REACTOR DESIGNS _____________________________________________ 9
5 GAS CONDITIONING ___________________________________________ 11
5.1 Tar removal / conversion _____________________________________ 11
6 STATUS _______________________________________________________ 12
7 ECONOMICS __________________________________________________ 14
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
1 INTRODUCTION
When undertaken with air as the oxidizing agent, the produced gas has a net calorific
value (NCV) of 4 6 MJ/Nm3. The heating value of this gas makes it suitable for boiler and
engine use, and for turbine use with burner modifications (for turbine use, the gas must be
partially cooled to protect valve control materials and cleaned to protect turbine blades).
When oxygen is used, the produced gas has a NCV of 10-15 MJ/Nm3, sufficient for
limited pipeline transport and synthesis gas conversion.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
2 BTGS INVOLVEMENT
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
within GasNet and additional chapters on more general aspects of biomass gasification
including gasification of pyrolysis oil, market assessments, economics, legislative
impacts, health and safety, tar standardisation and incentives for bio-energy through
gasification. The handbook is edited by Harrie Knoef (BTG), 25 authors contributed to
this highly informative book. These authors are all international biomass experts on
gasification or related topics.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
3 PROCESS
3.1 Chemistry
The substance of a solid fuel is usually composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen. In the gasifiers considered, the biomass is heated by combustion. Four different
processes can be distinguished in gasification: drying, pyrolysis, oxidation and reduction.
From a chemical point of view, the process of biomass gasification is quite complex. It
includes a number of steps like
thermal decomposition to non-condensable gas, vapors and char (pyrolysis);
subsequent thermal cracking of vapors to gas and char;
gasification of char by steam or carbon dioxide;
partial oxidation of combustible gas, vapors and char.
Combustion
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Char
Ash CO2
Biomass
CO H2O
Permanent gases CO2
H2
Heat Tars
Tar
Oxidant
3.2 Reactions
In complete combustion, carbon dioxide is obtained from the carbon and water from the
hydrogen. Oxygen from the fuel will be of course incorporated in the combustion
products, thereby decreasing the amount of combustion air needed.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
The most important reactions that take place in the reduction zone of a gasifier between
the different gaseous and solid reactants are:
Equation (3) and (4) are the main reactions of the reduction stage and require heat. As a
result the temperature will decrease during the reduction. Equation (5) describes the so-
called water-gas equilibrium. For each temperature, in theory, the ratio between the
product of the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) and water vapor (H20) and the
product of the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO,) and hydrogen (H,) is fixed by the
value of the water gas equilibrium constant (Kw). Kw is given in the next formula:
In practice, the equilibrium composition of the gas will only be reached in cases where
the reaction rate and the time for reaction are sufficient.
The reaction rate decreases with failing temperature. In the case of the water-gas
equilibrium, the reaction rate becomes so low below 700 'C that the equilibrium is said to
be 'frozen'. The gas composition then remains unchanged.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
The next table presents typical gas composition data as obtained from wood and charcoal
co-current gasifiers operated on low to medium moisture content fuels (wood 20%,
charcoal 7%).
A value of zero (left side) corresponds to pyrolysis while combustion is shown at the right
hand side. At ER = 0.25 all the char is converted into gas giving the highest energy
density of the gas; at lower values char is remaining and at higher values some gas is
burned and the temperature will increase.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
3.3.6 Efficiency
The efficiency of a gasifier reactor can be expressed on cold or hot gas basis.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
4 REACTOR DESIGNS
Reactor designs have been investigated for more than a century, which resulted in the
availability of several designs at small- and large-scale. Gasifiers can be classified in
different ways.
According to:
the gasification agent o Air-blown gasifiers
o Oxygen gasifiers
o Steam gasifiers
heat for gasification o Autothermal or direct gasifiers: heat is provided by partial
combustion of the biomass
o Allothermal or indirect gasifiers: heat is supplied from an
external source through heat exchanger or indirect process,
i.e. separation of gasification and combustion zone
pressure in the gasifier o Atmospheric
o Pressurised
the design the reactor o Fixed bed
o Fluidized bed
o Entrained flow
o Twin-bed
Within each category, a further distinguish between designs can be made. This figure
shows a typical V-shaped throat design of a downdraft (co-current) fixed bed gasifier.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
The following figure summarises the main gasifier designs and their typical operating
window.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
5 GAS CONDITIONING
Dependent on the application, type of gasifier and contaminants in the fuel, a certain level
of gas conditioning (cleaning/cooling) is required. Cleaning is in particularly needed for
combustion of producer gas in gas engines or gas turbines and synthesis gas production.
Wet and dry cleaning devices have been developed. With wet gas cleaning most of the
impurities can be removed, but in turn, a contaminated waste water is produced which
needs to be treated before disposal. With dry gas cleaning, usually only particulates are
trapped.
Heat (kilns)
Co-firing mg/m3
Gas engines
Gas turbines ppm
Stirling engines
Fuel cells
Syngas
ppb
Figure 8 Gas cleaning requirements for different application
Cooling is required for (i) combustion in gas engines, (ii) when filters are applied with a
maximum allowable temperature or (iii) when compressors are incorporated like with
atmospheric IGCC.
The most frequent impurities are hydrocarbons (tar), dust (particulates), ammonia,
sulphur, chloride, alkalies, etc. which need to be removed or converted. Dust is usually
removed by cyclones and fabric filters. Ammonia, sulphur and chloride can be removed
by scrubbers or by using additives. The most critical component to be handled however is
tar.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
6 STATUS
Gasification of biomass converts a solid renewable fuel to a gas that can be used in a
modern conversion device, such as a gas turbine or engine, for electricity and heat
production. This opens the possibility of moving from the traditional, small-scale, low-
efficiency steam cycle to the efficient gas turbine. Recently, other applications became of
interest like syngas production, methane, hydrogen (for fuel cells), etc.
Syntheses gas production for liquid (transportation) fuels. Synthesis gas differs from
producer gas as it contains only CO and H2.
The technology is close to commercialization and therefore BTG has informed the
international community in detail about the status for many years, i.e. about the current
installations and the current manufacturers. Details can be found on www.gasifiers.org
and other websites maintained by BTG, see Links. Over 90 installations and over 60
manufacturers are listed now indicating the large interest in biomass gasification.
Despite many R,D&D efforts for the last decades, commercial status is still not achieved
for several technical and non-technical reasons. To promote the technology in general and
to contribute to the Kyoto protocol, BTG initiated in 2000 a European wide Network on
Gasification, GasNet, in which 20 members from all European countries participate.
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
Links are also established with the IEA Bioenergy Agreement, Task 33 on Thermal
Biomass Gasification.
Fischer Tropsch
N2O diluted Separator
air Or Methanol liquid fuels
syngas
H2O Gasifier N2
biomass N2
Fischer
liquid fuels
Tropsch
steam O2 Fischer
Secondary
Gasifier
biomass Converter syngas Tropsch liquid fuels
MCV gas
oxygen
Fischer Tropsch
(steam) Gasifier liquid fuels
syngas Or Methanol
biomass
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Ir. H.A.M. Knoef Phone: +31 53 486 1190 Mobile: +31 6 52560040 knoef@btgworld.com
7 ECONOMICS
Several economic studies have been made on biomass gasification regarding the
feasibility and long-term prospects. The first demonstration projects are mostly far too
expensive to become profitable. Investment figures can be more than 5,000 /kW electric,
which is far more than competitive technologies. However, it is expected that due to the
learning curve, the investment costs can be reduced to approximately 2,000 /kW electric
within the coming decade. Operational experience, success stories and value engineering
is needed to achieve this goal.
Another aspect is the operational costs, in particularly the price of the feedstock. These
can be expensive like short rotation coppice (SRC) or cheap (negative) like waste
residues. Transportation, fuel handling and processing adds to the cost of the feedstock.
Furthermore, labour costs must be minimised through process control and automation.
Practical experience is needed to determine the maintenance costs. Remuneration of
electricity and heat can also be decisive in the overall economics.
For the short to medium term, biomass gasification can not compete with fossil fuel
produced power. Therefore, comparison must be made to alternative renewable energy
sources. Studies showed that biomass gasification can compete with other RES when
capital costs can be reduced and favourable conditions are created. Both conditions are
likely to happen.
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