A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON BIOMASS GASIFICATION

Bioresource technology, 2002

The conversion of biomass by gasification into a fuel suitable for use in a gas engine increases greatly the potential usefulness of biomass as a renewable resource. Gasification is a proven technology and can be operated either as a simple, low technology system based on a fixed-bed gasifier, or as a more sophisticated system using fluidized bed technology. The properties of the biomass feedstock and its preparation are key design parameters when selecting the gasifier system. Electricity generation using a gas engine operating on gas produced by the gasification of biomass is applicable equally to both the developed and the developing world.

Biomass and Bioenergy, 2008

2009

Biomass gasification offers the possibility to produce heat and power at a high efficiency. RENET Austria, a framework of scientists, industry and operators, has set up two gasification demonstration plants in Austria. One plant uses the FICFB (Fast Internal Circulating Fluidized Bed) gasification process, an innovative process to produce a high grade synthesis gas from solid fuels. The product gas is cleaned and combusted in a gas engine. The combined heat and power (CHP) plant has a fuel capacity of 8 MW and an electrical output of about 2 MW el with an electrical efficiency of about 25 %. The other plant uses a fixed bed gasifier to produce a low calorific gas, which is converted into heat and electricity in a gas engine too. This CHP-plant has a fuel capacity of 2 MW and an electrical output of about 500 kW el with an electrical efficiency of about 25 %.

Volume 2: Coal, Biomass and Alternative Fuels; Combustion and Fuels; Oil and Gas Applications; Cycle Innovations, 1997

Worldwide. biomass is the most used nonfossil fuel and is expanding from its traditional thermal applications to more usage for liquid fuels and electricity. More than 9 gigawatts of biomass electrical generation capacity have been installed in the United States, primarily by forest products industries, since the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) was passed Combined beat and power (CHP) technologies promise to improve power-to-heat efficiencies to strengthen the economic viability of these electrical generating methods. These technologies, which are now being tested and demonstrated, employ industrial and atroderivative gas turbines; use a variety of feedstocks including agricultural wastes, residues, and dedicated energy crops; and range in size from 8 MW to 75 MW. Specific demonstrations with the U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Power Program and partners in Vermont and Hawaii are discussed.

Biomass and Bioenergy, 2003

The paper addresses case studies of a low temperature and a high temperature industrial heat requirement being met using biomass gasiÿcation. The gasiÿcation system for these applications consists of an open top down draft reburn reactor lined with ceramic. Necessary cooling and cleaning systems are incorporated in the package to meet the end use requirements. The other elements included are the fuel conveyor, water treatment plant for recirculating the cooling water and adequate automation to start, shut down and control the operations of the gasiÿer system. Drying of marigold ower, a low temperature application is considered to replace diesel fuel in the range of 125 -150 l h −1 . Gas from the 500 kg h −1 , gasiÿer system is piped into the producer gas burners ÿxed in the combustion chamber with the downstream process similar to the diesel burner. The high temperature application is for a heat treatment furnace in the temperature range of 873-1200 K. A 300 kg h −1 of biomass gasiÿer replaces 2000 l of diesel or LDO per day completely. The novelty of this package is the use of one gasiÿer to energize 16 burners in the 8 furnaces with di erent temperature requirements. The system operates over 140 h per week on a nearly nonstop mode and over 4000 h of operation replacing fossil fuel completely. The advantage of bioenergy package towards the economic and environmental considerations is presented. ?

To reduce the effects of climate change due to massive CO 2 emissions, renewable energy sources have been implemented; among them biomass through gasification. An important aspect of studying are the environmental impacts of this process. Therefore, a search was made in the database of the science website using keywords gasification environmental impact in the period from 2001 to 2017. When analyzing the 238 articles, an increasing tendency was observed in the publication of studies related to the ecological effects of the biomass gasification process. The United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the People's Republic of China are the countries that have the most studies on the subject. The indicator total local citation score is used in order to identify the items that are the most cited, which indicates the degree of development they have in the study of the impacts of gasification.

Forest Ecology and Management, 1997

Biomass fuels currently (1994) supply around 14% of the world's energy, but most of this is in the form of traditional fuelwood, residues and dung, which is often inefficient and can be environmentally detrimental. Biomass can supply heat and electricity, liquid and gaseous fuels. A number of developed countries derive a significant amount of their primary energy from biomass: USA 4%, Finland 18%, Sweden 16% and Austria 13%. Presently biomass energy supplies at least 2 EJ year−1 in Western Europe which is about 4% of primary energy (54 EJ). Estimates show a likely potential in Europe in 2050 of 9.0–13.5 EJ depending on land areas (10% of useable land, 33 Mha), yields (10–15 oven-dry tonnes (ODt) ha−1), and recoverable residues (25% of harvestable). This biomass contribution represents 17–30% of projected total energy requirements up to 2050. The relative contribution of biofuels in the future will depend on markets and incentives, on continuous research and development progress, and on environmental requirements. Land constraints are not considered significant because of the predicted surpluses in land and food, and the near balance in wood and wood products in Europe.There is considerable potential for the modernisation of biomass fuels to produce convenient energy carriers such as electricity, gases and transportation fuels, whilst continuing to provide for traditional uses of biomass; this modernisation of biomass and the industrial investment is already happening in many countries. When produced in an efficient and sustainable manner, biomass energy has numerous environmental and social benefits compared with fossil fuels. These include improved land management, job creation, use of surplus agricultural land in industrialised countries, provision of modern energy carriers to rural communities of developing countries, a reduction of CO2 levels, waste control, and nutrient recycling. Greater environmental and net energy benefits can be derived from perennial and woody energy cropping than from annual arable crops which are short-term alternative feedstocks for fuels. Agroforestry systems can play an important role in providing multiple benefits to growers and the community, besides energy. In order to ameliorate CO2 emissions, using biomass as a substitute for fossil fuels (complete replacement, co-firing, etc.) is more beneficial from social and economic perspectives than sequestering the carbon in forests.Case studies are presented for several developed countries and the constraints involved in modernising biomass energy along with the potential for turning them into entrepreneurial opportunities are discussed. It is concluded that the long term impacts of biomass programmes and projects depend mainly on ensuring income generation, environmental sustainability, flexibility and replicability, while taking account of local conditions and providing multiple benefits, which is an important attribute of agroforestry-type systems. Biomass for energy must be environmentally acceptable in order to ensure its widespread adoptions as a modern energy source. Implementation of biomass projects requires governmental policy initiatives that will internalise the external economic, social and environmental costs of conventional fuel sources so that biomass fuels can become competitive on a ‘level playing field’.

Natural gas comes from the decomposition of organic material under anaerobic conditions in a process that occurred around 150 million years ago, which allows the gas trapping between rock pore spaces (porous system). Even though natural gas has become one of the most used fuels around the world, there are other spontaneous, continuous, ongoing, or inducing processes that can produce a similar gas in a short time (considering human scale); we refer to biogas. The aim of this chapter is to describe the biomass potential from organic residues for biogas production. The first part explains the biomass as an energy source, a comparison between natural gas reserves and sources of biogas with a global perspective of their energy contribution. The main biomass conversion technologies followed by case studies are shown in the second part. Finally, the biomethanization process is covered as a promising way to valorize some biomass residues into natural gas. Information about where and how the biogas can be contained, controlled, and distributed is provided. This chapter focuses in considering biogas as an alternative in the fuel demand with the advantage of coming from a renewable source, providing electricity, heat, or transport, and the generation of by-products.

Biomass gasification is a widely used thermochemical process for obtaining products with more value and potential applications than the raw material itself. Cutting-edge, innovative and economical gasification techniques with high efficiencies are a prerequisite for the development of this technology. This paper delivers an assessment on the fundamentals such as feedstock types, the impact of different operating parameters, tar formation and cracking, and modelling approaches for biomass gasification. Furthermore, the authors comparatively discuss various conventional mechanisms for gasification as well as recent advances in biomass gasification. Unique gasifiers along with multi-generation strategies are discussed as a means to promote this technology into alternative applications, which require higher flexibility and greater efficiency. A strategy to improve the feasibility and sustainability of biomass gasification is via technological advancement and the minimization of socio-environmental effects. This paper sheds light on diverse areas of biomass gasification as a potentially sustainable and environmentally friendly technology.