Assessment of Operational Results of a Downdraft Biomass Gasifier Coupled with a Gas Engine

Biomass gasification is one of the several technologies with a very high potential for rural power generation applications. The proposed system is greenhouse gas neutral because the CO2 emissions from biomass are considered “carbon neutral”. In this paper a prototype gasification system (70 kW sub e- 245 kW sub th) combined with a gas engine is presented while its performance is tested using olive industry wastes (olive kernel) as fuel. The above CHP system represents a decentralized conversion system that functions economically even for small scale, fulfilling the operating conditions for an olive oil cooperative. The open top, downdraft gasifier consists of reactor, cooling and cleaning system. The producer gas exits the reactor at about 500 °C, and includes contaminants in the form of particulate matter and tar. The hot gas is further purified in the gas cooling and cleaning system in order to reach a state that is acceptable for engine operation. Initial tests in the prototype are carried out in order to achieve a profitable exploitation. Critical parameters, such as producer gas composition and pressure drop of gasifier, are examined and assessed in order to enable the complete adaptation of the system to the operational specifications of an olive cooperative. The main objective is the optimization of the system in terms of gasification efficiency, gas composition, gas quality and electrical efficiency. The presented results are repeatable and give information about the steady state of the gasifier when working at full load, producing a good quality gas with an electric efficiency of 16.1%.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.1063
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812027991
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/18770428
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Margaritis, Nikolaos K
  • Grammelis, Panagiotis
  • Vera, David
  • Jurado, Francisco
• Conference:
  • Transport Research Arena 2012
  • Location: Athens , Greece
  • Date: 2012-4-23 to 2012-4-26
• Publication Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 857-867
• Serial:
  • Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1877-0428
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/18770428/53
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biomass; Gasification; Prototypes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Operational efficiency
• Subject Areas: Energy; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01489624
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 13 2013 2:47PM