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Gasification
Exposing a solid fuel to high
temperatures and limited
oxygen produces biogas.
Pyrolysis
Heating the biomass can
produce pyrolysis oil and
phenol oil leaving charcoal.
Digestion
Bacteria, in an oxygen-starved
environment can produce
methane.
Fermentation
Bio-material that is used to
manufacture Ethanol and Biodiesel by
an anaerobic biological process in
which sugars are converted to
alcohol by the action of micro-
organisms, usually yeast.
Solid Fuel Combustion
Direct combustion of solid matter.
Biomass to Biogas
Conversion to different forms
Factors that influence the choice of conversion
process are:
• The type and quantity of biomass feed stock
• The desired form of the energy
• Environmental standards
• Economic conditions
Thermo Chemical Conversion Process E
N
Heat
D
Direct Steam
combustion U
Electricity
S
Biomass Conversion T E
process
feedstock E
Producer Gas
S
C
Gasification (Low or medium E
H
Btu) N
N
Wood O E
Agricultural waste Thermo- L R
Organic waste chemical O Pyrolysis Synthetic fuel
oil, G
G
Charcoal Y
I
or
E
S Methanol P
Production Methanol
R
O
D
U
C
T
GASIFICATION
• Gasification is the conversion of biomass into a combustible gas mixtures at
high temperatures, 800-9000 degree Celsius.
• The low calorific value gas produced can be burnt directly or used as a fuel
for gas engines and gas turbines
• The product gas can be used as a feed stock in the production of chemicals
(e.g. methanol)
Biogas Production
– Biogas is mixture of methane (50 - 70%)
and carbon dioxide with traces of
hydrogen sulphide and water
– Combustible gas
(calorific value = 16 - 20 MJ/m³).
Biogas Production Process
• Mixing of organic matter (such as animal
dung) with some water
• Placed this mixture (Slurry) in a leak proof
container (called a digester) and left to
ferment.
• After several days at suitable
temperatures, sufficient methane will have
formed to make a combustible gas.
Biogas Feedstock
• Any organic material can be used
• Production rate depend on type of feed
stock used.
– Woody materials such as straw are very
difficult to digest
– Animal dung digests readily
• Pretreatment may be needed for some
materials ( Chopping etc.)
Biogas Plant
Working
• Manure collection and handling
• Pretreatment
• Anaerobic digestion
• By product recovery
• Biogas handling
• Biogas use
Flowsheet of Process
Main Steps of Manufacturing
• Hydrolysis
• Digestion
• Methanogenesis
Hydrolysis
• During Hydrolysis long-chain molecules of protein,
carbohydrates and fat polymers are broken down to monomers.
• Different specialized bacteria produce number of specific
enzymes that catalyze decomposition.
• Proteins, simple sugars and starch hydrolyse easily under
anaerobic conditions .
• Other polymeric carbon compounds slowly decompose but lignin
decompose under anaerobic conditions.
Digestion
Decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria in an oxygen-starved environment.
Ethanol feedstocks
– Sugars, from sugar cane, sorghum, molasses,
fruits and whey (residue from cheese production)
– Starch, from grains (rice, maize etc.), potato
– Cellulose, from wood agricultural residues.
Schemetic diagram of ethanol production
Natural Sugars:
Sugar Cane Crush Residues Process heat, by products.
Fruit
Cellulose: General
Difficult
Wood Distillation to combustion Fuel
90% ethanol
Purtification to Petroleum
anhydrous additive or
alcohol substitute
Fermentation (Contd..)
Ethanol production processes.
– Feedstock collection
– Pretreatment to yield sugar
– Fermentation
– Distillation
– Waste treatment (Anaerobic
fermentation to methane)
Solid Fuel Combustion
Direct combustion of solid matter where the
biomass is fed into a furnace where it is Wood
burned. The heat is used to boil water and the
energy in the steam is used to turn turbines
and generators.
Animal Dung
Biomass
Bunsen flame
Oil Drops
Pure Pyrolysis
• Pure pyrolysis can be represented as...
• CH1.4O0.6 0.4 C (charcoal) + C.6H1.4O.6
(pyrolysis oil and gas)
• This requires an external heat source like
the Bunsen flame
• There’s a better way to make gas...
THE SIMPLE MATCH: Flaming
Combustion
• Pyrolysis, gasification and combustion are all
visible in the simple match. Please look
CLOSELY at one at your first opportunity
Processes In The Match
Flaming Combustion
• If you have lots of air passing over a small
amount of wood, it will burn completely to CO2
and H2O in “flaming combustion”, as in the match
CH1.4O0.6 + 1.05 (O2 + 3.76N2)CO2 + .7H2O
Fuel
Flaming
Pyrolysis
Char
Gasification
CO, H2 out
THE KEYS TO BIOMASS THEMAL
CONVERSION
PGC
PYROLYSIS
GASIFICATION
COMBUSTION
Biomass Reactions vs
Equivalence Ratio
C Combustion Complete
2000
Temperature - C
P G
1000
Charcoal and Lean burn
Tar Zone
Autothermal operation
All C converted to CO
0
0 ~0.25 1.0
Equivalence Ratio
Gasification Fuel Ratio
• It is necessary to have the correct air (or
O2)/fuel ratio to achieve complete
gasification
• With lower values of this ratio you have an
excess of charcoal and tar
• With higher values you deplete charcoal
and burn product gas
• We call the optimum ratio the “Sweet
Spot” of gasification
Controlling the “Sweet Spot”
• The correct air/fuel ratio depends on many
things:
– Moisture content
– Type of biomass
– Air throughput rate
• We believe that “Sweet Spot” control is the
key to simple, clean gasification
Production Cost of Energy from
Biomass:
Efficiency
%
Co-firing 35-40
Gasification 25-30
Stirling engine CHP 11-20
Advantages
• Biomass used as a fuel reduces need for fossil fuels for
the production of heat, steam, and electricity for
residential, industrial and agricultural use.
• Biomass fuel from agriculture wastes maybe a
secondary product that adds value to agricultural crop.
• Growing Biomass crops produce oxygen and use up
carbon dioxide.
• The use of waste materials reduce landfill disposal and
makes more space for everything else.
• One of the major advantages of biomass is that it can be
used to generate electricity.
• Biomass energy is renewable source of energy
• Biomass does not add CO2 to the atmosphere as it
absorbs the same amount of carbon in growing as it
releases when consumed as a fuel.
• Biomass energy is not associated with environmental
impacts such as acid rain, mine spoils, open pits, oil
spills, radioactive waste disposal etc.
• Biomass fuels are sustainable.
• Alcohols and other fuels produced by biomass are
efficient, viable and relatively clean burning.
• Is easily available and can be grown with relative ease in
all parts of the world.
Potential of Biomass: