BioMatNet Item: JOULE JOR3-CT98-0281 - Cyclone gasification of pulverised biomass for operation of gas turbines in cogeneration plants

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JOULE JOR3-CT98-0281
Cyclone gasification of pulverised biomass for operation of gas turbines in cogeneration plants

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Electricity : JOULE/THERMIE Programme : Solid Biofuels : Thermochemical Conversion

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	JOR3-CT98-0281
	EC Contribution	1,680,451 ECU
	Start Date	29/05/1998
	Duration	30 Months

Cyclone gasification of pulverised biomass for operation of gas turbines in cogeneration plants

Objectives

The objective of the project is to develop a basis for design of cyclone gasifiers to be used in a novel way for gas turbine cogeneration plants fuelled with powdered biomass. It is expected that the process to be studied will make it possible to reduce the investment required for building wood fuelled cogeneration plants in the capacity range 100 kW_e to about 20 MW_e.

An important objective is to find out which of three suggested cyclone designs is preferable and which of four fuels is the most suitable.

Technical Approach

In the process that will be studied, the biomass is rapidly gasified in a pressurised cyclone, leaving a char residue with a significant portion of the sodium and potassium brought with the biomass fuel. The hot product gas is burned in an adapted combustion chamber without further gas cleaning. The hypothesis is that if the gasifier is operated under the right conditions, the Na- and K-compounds which do enter the gas turbine will have a melting temperature above 800 - 100K, i.e. above the material temperature of industrial gas turbines designed for moderate inlet temperatures. The char residue obtained from the cyclone gasifier can be used as fuel for a supplementary fired heat recovery boiler and will not be wasted. Both theoretical and experimental work will be required to increase the understanding of factors effecting the operational performance of gasification cyclones. Key problems to be studied are:

the controlled feeding of the powder into the cyclone
optimisation of cyclone design with respect to separation of Na- and K-compounds
adaptation of gas turbine combustors for burning of the product gas from the cyclone gasifier
dynamic behaviour of the system
deposition of Na- and K-compounds in the turbine as functions of gas impurities and inlet temperature to the turbine

The proposed joint research project is focused on experimental and theoretical studies of the performance of gasification cyclones. Three different basic geometries will be studied experimentally. The results will be used to validate numerical models for prediction of cyclone gasifier performance. In order to provide a basis for definition of performance requirements for the cyclone gasifier, the project also includes theoretical and experimental studies of gas turbine combustor performance with product gas from cyclone gasification and theoretical modelling of deposition of Na- and K-compounds in a gas turbine. Practical tests to study deposition in a small (40 kW) gas turbine operated on product gas from a cyclone gasifier will be carried out.

Expected Results

It is expected that the process will find a market in particular for plants in the small and medium capacity range, i.e. up to about 20 MW_e. The conditions under which gas turbine cogeneration plants using cyclone gasifiers for wood powder will be financially feasible in district heating systems and industrial cogeneration plants will be established by a financial feasibility evaluation, using performance data that have been established in the project. Experience from Sweden, where wood powder is a commercial fuel, demonstrates that the preparation of this up-graded bio-fuel is cost effective in many applications.

Contacts

Coordinator

Björn Kjellström / Luleaa Universitet Department of Mechanical Engineering / SWEDEN

Participant