Bioenergy

Part II
Lecturer Waqas Khalid
waqaskhalid@smme.nust.edu.pk
 Continued
• Water Content
w
• Moisture

LHV moist wood

 Thermal conversion of Biomass
• Dewatering
• Drying
• Size Reduction
• Densification
• Separation
• Dewatering refers to the removal of all or part of the
contained moisture from biomass as a liquid
• Drying is a similar process, except that the moisture is
removed as vapor
• For energy recovery purposes, biomass dewatering and
drying is necessary
• There should be a balance between the cost of moisture
removal to the incremental improvement in conversion
efficiency and the advantages of handling dried feedstock
 Size Reduction
• The optimum size characteristic of the particle for energy
conversion is determined by the following
• Reactor parameters:
– combustion chamber and heat exchanger designs
– the operating conditions
– the method of delivering of biomass
– removing the ash
• For thermal gasification and liquefaction processes the
following can influence the rate of conversion
– particle size
– size distribution
 Densification
• Densification of biomass is a process of reducing the bulk volume of the
material by mechanical means for easy handling, transportation and
storage.
– Mechanical press- Pellets, tablets, cubes
– Uniform in size, density and moisture
– Content
– Moisture content: 6 to 8% (wb)
More than 60% of the total energy is spent to extrude the pellet. Pellet
mill should be modified to reduce the extrusion energy
 Combustion
• Combustion is known as
incineration direct and firing
burning
• It can be considered as
taking place in four stages
simultaneously or concurrently

– Drying (up to 100°C)

– Devolatilisation (above 150 °C)
– Volatile combustion (Flaming combustion)
– Char combustion (Glowing Combustion)
• In lighting the fire, supplying the initial heat source, the water
content of the fuel is evaporated off at about 100 °C.
• When the fuel temperatures reach between about 200°C and
350°C the volatile gases (compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen) are released.
• The volatile gases mix with oxygen and ignite at temperatures in
excess of about 450 °C and burn with a yellowish flame radiating
heat. Some of this heat is reabsorbed by the fuel releasing more
volatiles. This process should become self-sustaining until all the
volatiles have been released
• The volatiles need sufficient heat, oxygen, space and time to
ignite. If any of these are lacking the volatiles may leave the
combustion chamber without igniting; the combustion will then
be incomplete and inefficient; the fire will be smoky and may die
altogether
• The volatiles and oxygen will mix more thorough if the air
flow through the combustion chamber is slightly turbulent.
• When all the volatiles have been released. charcoal remains
(Charcoal is mostly fixed carbon) spaces.
• The charcoal burns (oxidizes) provided there is sufficient
oxygen at the fire-bed. at temperatures around 800 C. The
carbon monoxide produced reacts with oxygen (again
provided oxygen is available) just above the fire bed to give
carbon dioxide
 Emissions
• Chemically Bound S (sulfur)
• Chemically bound N (nitrogen)
• Three types of NOX (Nitrogen Oxides) formation
–Thermal-NOX
–Prompt-NOX
–Fuel-NOX
Large scale combustion of Biomass
 Pyrolysis
• Pyrolysis is defined as the direct thermal decomposition of
organic components in the absence of oxygen
• Pyrolysis is also called carbonization destructive or dry
distillation.
• Pyrolysis transforms hazardous organic materials into
gaseous components, small quantities of liquid, and a solid
residue (coke) containing fixed carbon and ash.
• There is long time or short time pyrolysis (flash, rapid or
ultra pyrolysis)
• Pyrolysis of organic materials produces combustible gases,
including carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane and
other hydrocarbons.
• If the off-gases are cooled, liquids condense producing an
oil/tar residue and contaminated water.
• Pyrolysis typically occurs at operating temperatures above
430 °C.
 Gasification
• Gasification (direct oxidation, starved-air or starved oxygen
combustion) are those that utilize less than the
stoichiometric amounts of oxygen need for complete
combustion
• Solid fuels can be converted to a form that can be used more
easily
• Examples of applications: furnaces, Internal combustion
engine, gas turbine
• Drying: The water within the fuel is removed by evaporation.
• Pyrolysis: The volatile gases, mainly CO2, CO, and
hydrocarbons are released from the dry fuel through
thermal degradation, in absence of an oxidant. The solid
remaining is called char.
• Combustion: Total and partial combustion of gas and char.
Provides the energy required in the other steps.
• Reduction: Remaining char is reduced with CO2, H2O and
heat to form H2 and CO.
 Gas composition & Heating Value
• The gas produced in the gasifier is a mixture of combustible
and non-combustible components.
• The combustibles gas are: H2, CO, (if air is used as oxidizing
agent) and several hydrocarbons.
• H20, CO2, N2
• Depending on the content of N in the fuel and on the
gasification process, ammonia (NH3) will as well be part of
the product gas. NH3 is a potential source of NOx emission
• The gas composition and heating value of the product gas
depends on the gasification agent, i.e. if air, oxygen or steam
have been used.
Gasifier Design
• Depending on the end application of the product gas and
plant size, there are different gasifier designs.
• Small, packed-bed gasifiers (updraft, downdraft or cross
draft) may be suitable for stationary IC-engine operation
(with electricity generation) or for gas burner application .
• Fluidized bed gasifiers (bubbling, circulating or pressurized)
can be quite large and are thus applied for larger plants,
which for example may involve gas turbines, steam boilers,
methanol synthesis etc.
• Pressurized entrained flow gasifiers are commercialized for
coal as fuel and under development for black-liquor
gasification to produce bio fuels.
Gasification & Power gerneration
 Gasifier Efficiency
• The cold gas efficiency (CGE) is a measure of gasifier
performance.
• It can be defined as the ratio between the flow of energy in
the gas and the energy contained within the fuel.
• It is called cold gas efficiency as it does not take into account
that the product gas exiting the gasifier is hot.
• The higher the CGE, the better the fuel conversion
Gasifier Efficiency
 Solved Problem
• In a village, there is a power plant operating on diesel as fuel. The
power plant has one 75 kW diesel engine. The specific fuel
consumption is 0,4 liters of diesel/kWh (el). The conversion
efficiency of a MSW gasifier is about 45%. Calculate number of
people living in the village if 80% of the diesel will be replaced
with MSW Fuel, at the present electric load. Heat value of Diesel is
10 kWhfuel /liter
Solution :
• Present operation 24 h/day at 75 kW(el) and a specific Fuel
consumption of 0,4 liter of Diesel/kWh (el). The Lower heating value of
Diesel is assumed to be fuel is 10 kW(fuel)/liter and 365 Days/year, the
annual energy input is:
24(h/day)*365(day/year) *75 (kWel)*0,4 (liter/kWhel) *10
(kWhfuel/liter) = 2628*10(kWh fuel)
• The conversion efficiency of a MSW gasifier is about 45%. If 80% of the
diesel is substituted when the Engine is operated in dual fuel mode, the
MSW fuel energy input to the gasifier will be:
2628*103 *0,8/0,45 = 4672*103 kWh (fuel)
• The lower heating value of MSW at 40% moisture is given 10
GJ/ton or 10000/3600 = 2,77 MWh/ton.
4672*103 / 2,77*103 = 1686,64 ton/year
The equivalent amount of MSW for operation at 75 kW will be
with average MSW production of 2,3kg/day:
1686,64*103/(2,3kg*365)=2009 persons
• Amount of dry MSW will be:
1686.64 *(1-0,4) = 1011,984 ton dry MSW/year
BioFuels
Bioenergy Conversion Methods
• The highest grade fuels are the liquid or gaseous ones.
Biofuel application in transportation is the best way to
substitute fossil fuels!
• Biomass is produced via photosynthesis (very low-efficient
process) and ultimately is a concentrated solar energy.
• Biomass alone is NOT able to entirely supply both fuel and
food for the ever growing population on planet Earth.
Direct solar energy conversion should also be applied!
• If the biofuel resource is available, people should try to
utilize it in the best possible way → for co-generation and
as transportation fuels!
 Biofuel Importance
• Biomass potential is not enough on worldwide scale to be
considered an ultimate source of alternative energy, but can
be managed sustainably in smaller scales.
• Biofuels for transportation can be a perfect first step
towards the future sustainable society that would be
based on hydrogen or synthetic fuels from direct solar
derived renewable energy.
• Biofuels are to a large extent able to utilize existing
infrastructure and equipment for handling, storage,
distribution, and final use.
 Biofuel origin Classification
• 1st generation biofuels – produced from food-grade
biomass by simple processes, occuring naturally.
Example: vegetable oils, ethanol, biogas from crops.
VERY CONTROVERSIAL – the ”food vs. fuel” debate!
• 1st generation non-food biofuels – produced by natural
processes but from non-edible biomass, i.e. from organic
residues, sewage sludge or garbage. Example: biogas!
• 2nd generation biofuels – produced by advanced thermal
conversion methods from non-edible biomass.
Example: alcohols or biosynthetic fuels from wood!
• 3rd generation (synthetic) fuels – the ultimate target.
Produced from solar-derived renewable energy via
artificial photosynthesis or thermal synthesis of organics.