Biomass Gasification

Production and Distribution of Electricity and Heat

The biomass gasification process is based on thermochemical conversion technologies that involve the decomposition of large complex solid or liquid hydrocarbons compounds into a combustible gaseous mixture (syngas) and a solid phase (char). Gasification is achieved by the partial combustion of the biomass in a low oxygen environment at high temperatures (above 900 °C). The gasification process can be allothermal (i.e., biomass is heated by an external heat source), or autothermal (i.e., the heat is generated directly by the partial oxidation of the biomass). Gasifiers can be classified in fixed-bed, fluidized-bed, or entrained flow configurations. The generated syngas is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), steam, and other hydrocarbons. It can be used for biofuels synthesis or energy generation by feeding boiler burners, internal combustion engines, micro-turbines, fuel cells, or gas turbines. Syngas can be also used to feed co-fired power plants either directly by gasifying biomass and coal together, or indirectly, by gasifying coal and biomass separately. The gasification technologies can be considered commercial only for large-scale systems associated with steam generators and for small-scale systems coupled with internal combustion engines. The application of the gasification process coupled with fuel cells, or gas turbines is more efficient, but it is still under development or demonstration.

27-06-2022

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