Technologies for Converting Biomass to Useful Energy Combustion, Gasification, Pyrolysis, Torrefaction and Fermentation

Officially, the use of biomass for energy meets only 10-13% of the total global energy demand of 140 000 TWh per year. Still, thirty years ago the official figure was zero, as only traded biomass was included. While the actual production of biomass is in the range of 270 000 TWh per year, most of this is not used for energy purposes, and mostly it is not used very efficiently. Therefore, there is a need for new methods for converting biomass into refined products like chemicals, fuels, wood and paper products, heat, cooling and electric power. Obviously, some biomass is also used as food – our primary life necessity. The different types of conversion methods covered in this volume are biogas production, bio-ethanol production, torrefaction, pyrolysis, high temperature gasifi cation and combustion. This book covers the suitability of different methods for conversion of different types of biomass. Different versions of the conversion methods are presented – both existing methods and those being developed for the future. System optimization using modeling methods and simulation are analyzed to determine advantages and disadvantages of different solutions. Many international experts have contributed to provide an up-to-date view of the situation all over the world. These global perspectives and the inclusion of so much expertise of distinguished international researchers and professionals make this book unique. This book will prove useful and inspiring to professionals, engineers, researchers and students as well as to those working for different authorities and organizations.

1. An overview of thermal biomass conversion technologies Erik Dahlquist 2. Simulations of combustion and emissions characteristics of biomass-derived fuels Suresh K. Aggarwal2.1 Introduction 2.2 Thermochemical conversion processes 2.2.1 Direct biomass combustion 2.2.2 Biomass pyrolysis 2.2.3 Biomass gasification 2.3 Syngas and biogas combustion and emissions 2.3.1 Syngas combustion and emissions 2.3.2 Non-premixed and partially premixed syngas flames 2.3.3 High pressure and turbulent syngas flames 2.3.4 Syngas combustion in practical devices 2.4 Biogas combustion and emissions 2.5 Concluding remarks 3. Energy conversion through combustion of biomass including animal waste Kalyan Annamalai, Siva Sankar Thanapal, Ben Lawrence,Wei Chen, Aubrey Spear & John Sweeten3.1 Introduction 3.2 Overview on energy conversion from animal wastes 3.2.1 Manure source 3.3 Biological conversion 3.3.1 Digestion 3.3.2 Fermentation 3.4 Thermal energy conversion 3.5 Fuel properties 3.5.1 Proximate and ultimate analyses 3.5.2 Empirical formula for heat values 3.5.2.1 The higher heating value per unit mass of fuel 3.5.2.2 The higher heat value per unit stoichiometric oxygen 3.5.2.3 Heat value of volatile matter 3.5.2.4 Volatile matter and stoichiometry 3.5.2.5 Stoichiometric A:F 3.5.2.6 Flue gas volume 3.5.3 Fuel change and effect on CO2 3.5.4 Air flow rate and multi-fuels firing 3.5.5 CO2 and fuel substitution 3.6 TGA studies on pyrolysis and ignition 3.6.1 Pyrolysis 3.7 Model 3.7.1 Single reaction model: Conventional Arrhenius method 3.7.2 Parallel Reaction Model (PRM) 3.8 Chemical kinetics 3.8.1 Activation energy from single reaction model 3.8.2 Activation energies from parallel reaction model3.9 Ignition 3.9.1 Ignition temperature 3.10 Cofiring 3.10.1 Experimental set up and procedure 3.10.2 Experimental parameters 3.10.3 O2 and equivalence ratio 3.10.4 CO and CO2 emissions 3.10.5 Burnt fraction 3.10.6 NOx emissions 3.10.7 Fuel nitrogen conversion efficiency 3.11 Cofiring FB with coal 3.11.1 NO emissions with longer reactor 3.11.2 Effect of blend ratio 3.12 Reburn 3.13 Low NOx Burners (LNB) 3.14 Gasification 3.14.1 Experimental setup 3.14.2 Experimentation 3.14.3 Experimental procedure 3.14.4 Results and discussion 3.14.4.1 Fuel properties 3.14.4.2 Experimental results and discussion 3.14.4.2.1 Temperature profiles for air gasification 3.14.4.2.2 Temperature profiles for enriched air gasification and CO2: O2 gasification 3.14.4.2.3 Gas composition results with air 3.14.4.2.4 Gas composition results with enriched air and CO2: O2 mixture 3.14.4.2.5 HHV of gases and energy conversion efficiency 3.15 Summary and conclusions 4. Co-combustion coal and bioenergy and biomass gasification: Chinese experiences Changqing Dong & Xiaoying Hu4.1 Biomass resources in China 4.1.1 Agricultural residues 4.1.2 Livestock manure 4.1.3 Municipal and industrial waste 4.1.4 Wood processing remainders 4.2 Co-combustion in China 4.2.1 Introduction 4.2.2 Methods and technologies 4.2.3 Advantages and disadvantages 4.2.4 Research status 4.2.4.1 Different biomass for co-combustion 4.2.4.2 Biomass gasification gas for co-combustion 14.2.4.3 Pollutant emissions from co-combustion 4.2.4.3.1 The influence of solid biomass fuel 4.2.4.3.2 The influence of biomass gasification gas 4.2.5 The applications of co-combustion in China 4.2.5.1 Chuang Municipality Lutang Sugar Factory 4.2.5.2 Fengxian XinYuan Biomass CHP Thermo Power Co., Ltd 4.2.5.3 Heilongjiang Jiansanjiang Heating and Power Plant 4.2.5.4 Baoying Xiexin Biomass Power Co., Ltd 4.2.6 Shiliquan power plant 4.3 Biomass gasification in China 4.3.1 Introduction 4.3.2 Gasification technology development 4.3.3 Biomass gasification gas as boiler fuel 4.3.3.1 The feasibility of biomass gasification gas as fuel 4.3.3.2 The superiority of biomass gasification gas as fuel 4.3.4 Biomass gasification gas used for drying 4.3.5 Biomass gasification power generation 4.3.6 Biomass gasification for gas supply 4.3.7 Hydrogen production from biomass gasification 4.3.8 Biomass gasification polygeneration scheme 4.3.9 Policy-oriented biomass gasification in China 4.3.9.1 Guide public awareness 4.3.9.2 Government investment in R&D of key technologies 4.3.9.3 Fiscal incentives and market regulation measures 4.4 Conclusions 4.4.1 Co-combustion 4.4.2 Gasification 5. Biomass combustion and chemical looping for carbon capture and storage Umberto Desideri & Francesco Fantozzi5.1 Feedstock properties 5.1.1 Biomass and biofuels definition and classification 5.1.2 Biomass composition and analysis 5.1.3 Biomass analysis 5.1.3.1 Moisture content (EN 14774-2, 2009) 5.1.3.2 Ash content (EN 14775, 2009) 5.1.3.3 Volatile matter (EN 15148, 2009) 5.1.3.4 Heating value (EN 14918, 2009) 5.1.3.5 Carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen content (EN 15104, 2011) 5.1.3.6 Density (EN 15103, 2010) 5.1.3.7 Sulfur content analysis (EN 15289, 2011) 5.1.3.8 Chlorine and fluorine content analysis (EN 15289, 2011) 5.1.3.9 Chemical analysis (EN 15297, 2011 and EN 15290, 2011) 5.1.3.10 Size (CEN/TS 15149-1:2006, CEN/TS 15149-2:2006, CEN/TS 15149-3:2006) 5.2 Combustion basics 5.2.1 Introduction 5.2.2 Heating and drying 5.2.3 Pyrolysis and devolatilization 5.2.4 Char oxidation (glowing or smoldering combustion) 5.2.5 Volatiles oxidation (flaming combustion) 5.2.6 Combustion rates, flame temperature and efficiency 5.3 Combustors 5.3.1 Introduction to biomass combustion systems 5.3.2 Fixed bed combustion 5.3.2.1 Pile burners 5.3.2.2 Grate burners 5.3.3 Moving bed combustors 5.3.3.1 Suspension burners 5.3.3.2 Fluidized bed combustors 5.3.4 Design and operation issues 5.3.4.1 Design principles 5.3.4.2 Deposit and slagging problems 5.4 Chemical looping combustion 5.4.1 Chemical looping processes 5.4.2 Chemical looping reactions 6. Biomass and black liquor gasification Klas Engvall, Truls Liliedahl & Erik Dahlquist6.1 Introduction 6.2 Theory of gasification 6.3 Operating conditions of importance for the product composition 6.3.1 Fuel types and properties 6.3.1.1 Biomass 6.3.1.2 Black liquor 6.3.1.3 Biomass properties of importance for gasification 6.3.2 Gasifying agent 6.3.3 Temperature 6.4 Gasification systems 6.4.1 Gasification technologies 6.4.1.1 Fixed bed 6.4.1.1.1 Updraft gasifiers 6.4.1.1.2 Downdraft gasifers 6.4.1.1.3 Cross-draft gasifers 6.4.1.2 Fluidized bed gasifiers 6.4.1.2.1 BFB and CFB reactors 6.4.1.2.2 Dual fluidized bed reactors 6.4.1.3 Entrained flow gasifier 6.4.2 Gas cleaning and upgrading 6.4.2.1 Tar and tar removal 6.4.2.2 Thermal and catalytic tar decomposition 6.4.2.2.1 Thermal processes for tar destruction 6.4.2.2.2 Catalytic processes for tar destruction 6.4.2.2.3 Dolomite catalysts 6.4.2.2.4 Nickel catalysts 6.4.2.2.5 Alkali metal catalysts 6.4.2.3 Removal of other impurities found in the product gas 6.4.2.3.1 Alkali metal compounds 6.4.2.3.2 Fuel-bound nitrogen 6.4.2.3.3 Sulfur 6.4.2.3.4 Chlorine 6.5 Gasification applications 6.5.1 Biomass gasification 6.5.1.1 BFB gasifier at Skive 6.5.1.2 CortusWoodRoll gasification technology 6.5.1.2.1 Güssing plant 6.5.2 Black liquor gasification 6.5.2.1 BL gasification using fluidized bed technology 6.5.2.2 BL gasification using entrained flow technology 6.6 Modelling of gasification systems 6.6.1 Material and energy balance models 6.6.1.1 An empirical model for fluidized bed gasification 6.6.2 Kinetic models 6.6.3 Equilibrium models 6.6.3.1 Simulations using an equilibrium model compared to experimental data 6.7 Outlook 6.7.1 Biomass gasification 6.7.2 Black liquor gasification 7. Biomass conversion through torrefaction Anders Nordin, Linda Pommer, Martin Nordwaeger & Ingemar Olofsson7.1 Introduction 7.2 Torrefaction history 7.2.1 Origin of torrefaction processes 7.2.2 Modern torrefaction work (1980–) 7.3 Torrefaction process 7.3.1 Energy and mass balances 7.3.2 Solid product characteristics 7.3.2.1 Elemental compositional changes7.3.2.2 Heating value and volatile content 7.3.2.3 Friability, grinding energy and powder characteristi

Erik Dahlquist, Professor Energy Technology at Malardalen University, Sweden. Focus on Biomass utilization and Process efficiency improvements. PhD 1991 at KTH. He started working at ASEA Research 1975 as engineer with nuclear power, trouble shooting of electrical equipments and manufacturing processes. In 1982 he switched to energy technologyrelated to thepulp and paper industry. Was technical project manager for development of Cross Flow Membrane filter leadingto the formation of ABB Membrane filtration. The filter is now a commercial product at Finnish Metso. 1989: project leader for ABBs Black Liquor Gasification project. 1992: Department manager for Combustion and Process Industry Technology at ABB Corporate Research, also member of the board of directors for ABB Corporate Research in Vasteras. 1996- 2002: General Manger for the Product Responsible Unit "Pulp Applications" world wide within ABB Automation Systems. 2000-2002 part time professor at MDU, responsible for research in Environmental, Energy and Resource Optimization. Deputy dean and dean faculty of Natural Science and Technology 2001-2007. Member of the board of Swedish Thermal Engineering Research Institute division for Process Control systems since 1999. Receiver of ABB Corporate Research Award 1989. Deputy member board of Eurosim since 2009. Member of editorial board for Journal of Applied Energy (Elsevier) since 2007. 21 patents. Approximatly 170 Scientific publications in refereed Journals or conference proceedings with referee procedure. Author ofseveral books.