Lecture 3
Energy from Biomass
What we have studied till now
• Biomass definition (what it is, where does it come from, sources of biomass, uses)
• Biomass in context of Bangladesh
• Advantages/Disadvantages of Biomass for energy extraction
• Physical and Chemical properties
• Biomass conversion techniques
• Biogas ( what it is, composition, how does it form)
• Anaerobic digestion (what it is, advantages)
• Factors affecting biogas generation and site selection of biogas plant
• Biogas plant
• Biogas digestor design parameters: energy generated from biogas and volume of
digestor and related problem
Types of biogas plant
1) The continuous and batch types;
Floating gas holder plant
2) The Dome and the Drum type;
Fixed dome digestor plant
3) Different drum types
Maintenance techniques for digestors
• Insulation
• Handling of effluent sludge
• Methanogenic Activity
• Avoid adding large quantities of urea fertilizer
• pH and volatility should be maintained
• Leakage should be detected and repaired
Biomass gasifier
What is biomass gasification ?
• It is a process through which solid
biomass fuel (wood waste, agricultural
wastes like stalks, various vegetable
roots etc) is converted into a gaseous
combustible gas (producer gas or
syngas) through a series of
thermochemical processes like drying,
pyrolysis, oxidation and reduction.
• The equipment in which this gasification
process takes place is called a biomass
gasifier.
When atmospheric air is the gasification agent, the results below are given
on volumetric basis
❑ Uses of producer gas: fuel in IC engines, industrial boilers
Other components: light hydrocarbons and tar that increase the heating value of producer gas
Gasifier classification
Updraft Gasifiers
• Air (gasification agent) intake at the
bottom
• Gas leaves over the reduction zone
• Biomass feed at the top
• Combustion of biomass occurs at the
bottom, followed by reduction process
• In the upper zone drying and pyrolysis
of biomass feedstock occur as a result
of heat transfer by forced convection
and radiation from lower zones
Updraft Gasifiers applications
Chemical energy in the biomass producer gas can be converted to mechanical
power in the form of shaft line power :
• To agriculture pumps and processing m/cs like threshers, straw choppers
• In rural industries like sawmills, carpentry etc
• Various industries like dairy, oil mill, ceramics and poultry industries
• In mining operations like wood processing units and well drilling
The updraft gasifier itself can be used for the following purposes:
• Retrofitting oil/gas fired boilers with gasifiers
• Connection possible with large oil/load fired boilers
• Capacities ranging from 1 to 5 MW
Advantages of updraft gasifiers
• Different feedstock/mixture ranging from coal to biomass can be used
(wood, wood-waste, bagasse, straw, husks etc)
• Different particle size of raw materials can be used (from few mm up
to 100mm)
• Producer gas having high calorific value(4-7 MJ/Nm3)
• Higher thermal conversion efficiencies (due to internal heat
exchange)
• Low ash carryover
• Gasification process can be completely automated due to easy control
over the parameters of interest
Down Draft Gasifier
• On their way down the acid
and tarry distillation
products from the fuel must
pass through a glowing bed
of charcoal and therefore
are converted into
permanent gases hydrogen,
carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and methane.
• The main advantage of
downdraught gasifiers lies
in the possibility of
producing a tar-free gas
suitable for engine
applications.
Difference between updraft and downdraft gasifier
• In updraft gasifier the
biomass feed and gas
move in the opposite
direction
• In downdraft gasifier the
biomass feed and gas
move in the same
direction
Cross Draft
Gasifier
Performance factors of fixed bed gasifier
Depends on fuel properties such as:
• Chemical analysis
• Volatile contents
• Calorific value
• Size distribution
• Ash content
Fluidized Bed Gasifier
• The gasifier suspends inert particles
at the heart of the reactor that are
fluidized by upward current of air
• The reactor generally contain inert
material (sand, silica or alumina) or
reactive material (limestone or
catalyst). These material act as a
fluid to enhance heat and mass
transfer between incoming
feedstock and particles already
undergoing gasification (back-
mixing).
• The fluid state is maintained by the
rising column of gas.
Advantages of fluidized bed gasifiers
• Fuels with calorific value from 800 to 8000 Kcal/kg can be used(wide
range of biomass can be used)
• Bio-mass with high moisture and ash content can be used
• Operating temp of fluidized bed in the range 750° to 950°C, hence
clinkering or slagging does not occur
• High combustion efficiency
• Reduced emission of SO2 and N2O with reasonable expenses
• Simplicity of operation in comparison to oil-fired boiler
250 kW plant in Kapasia, Gazipur
Figure: Technical details of Kapasia Plant
400 kW plant in Thakurgaon
Power output various uses: adjacent silica plant, nearby poultry hatchery, irrigation pumps and numerous nearby rice
mills
Pressurized gasification for IGCC
• Suitable for high power capacity (above 75 MW)
• High reaction rates
• High carbon conversion
• Higher inbed sulfur removal
• Smaller reactor configuration
• Higher scale up potential
• Compatibility with gas turbines in the IGCC mode
IGCC : Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle
Some air from the gas turbine compressor is fed to the gasifier after passing through booster compressor
Producer gas : CO, CH4, CO2, N2, water vapor
Biomass stoves
• Cooking stoves that use biomass like agricultural waste, firewood and
dried animal dung as fuel are called biomass stoves.
• More than 3 billion people worldwide use traditional stoves that
cause serious health issues for women and children.
• In Bangladesh, 107,000 deaths occur every year due to indoor air
pollution.
• Issues of deforestation also involved
Classification of biomass stoves
• The fuel being burnt in the stove
• The material used in the construction of the stove
• Fixed or portable nature of stove
• Number of pots or pans the stove can heat at a time
Components of biomass stoves
• Combustion chamber
• Air inlet
• Grate- perforated opening
• Chimney
Performance Evaluation and Testing
Thermal efficiency of biomass stoves is an overall (ղo) = product of
several efficiencies
ղo = ղc.ղt.ղp.ղf = Heat absorbed by food/Energy potential of biomass
Grams of fuel used
Specific Fuel Consumption, SFC=
Kg of food cooked
Energy plantation
• The concept of growing specific crops, trees, plants or shrubs that are
harvestable within short time span and are specifically meant to
provide fuel (rotation crops)
• Woody plants since ancient times have catered to the needs of fuel
Examples: Corn, sugarcane (ethanol), jatropha, palm oil, soybean plants
Features of energy plantation
• Good amount of heat content of wood
• Wood low in sulfur and non-polluting
• Ash from burnt wood is a valuable fertilizer
• Raising plantations in erosion-prone lands helps to reduce soil erosion
• Help in rural employment generation
