BACKGROUND
The gasification process offers significant potential for converting biomass materials into energy fuels and chemicals in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Traditional throat-type downdraft gasifiers have been able to convert solid biomass into producer gas, but with several major limitations. The throat section can obstruct the downward flow of the biomass material, making the design only suitable for high density biomass with reduced particle size to allow easier throughput in the narrow throat section. Additionally, cold spots can occur at the center of the throat section as the reactor chamber size increases, allowing tar vapors to pass. An innovation in downdraft gasifier design that targets improvements in these conventional limitations could improve the biomass to energy fuels conversion.
SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
Researchers at Oklahoma State University have developed a downdraft gasifier design with unique biomass pyrolysis and tar cracking mechanisms. An internal separate swirling combustion-based Tar Cracking Section (TCS) generates high temperatures where tar cracking occurs and facilitates biomass pyrolysis. When this design is tested with pine wood pellets, tar cracking zone temperatures of more than 1000°C were consistently achieved. The high temperature combustion products then participate in the char gasification section where additional chemical reactions take place. This design is a significant improvement over conventional downdraft gasifiers in that open throat permits the flow of low-density raw materials. In addition, this design reduces the incidence of cold spots at the center of the throat section when scale-up is deployed. These improvements enhance the overall conversion of biomass to energy fuels in downdraft gasifiers.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF APPLICATION
MAIN ADVANTAGES
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
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