Table Of ContentADV ANCES IN THERMOCHEMICAL
BIOMASS CONVERSION
Volume 1
Edited and reviewed papers resulting from the International
Conference on Advances in Thermochemical Biomass Conversion,
11-15 May 1992, Interlaken, Switzerland.
ADVANCES IN THERMOCHEMICAL
BIOMASS CONVERSION
Volume 1
Edited by
A. V. BRIDGWATER
Director of the Energy Research Group
Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry,
Aston University, Birmingham, UK
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
First edition 1994
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Otapman & Hall in 1993
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1993
ISBN 978-94-010-4582-7 ISBN 978-94-011-1336-6 (eBook)
DOl 10.1007/978-94-011-1336-6
1 work in 2 parts, not available separately
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Advances in thermochemical biomass conversion I edited by
A. V. Bridgwater.
p. cm.
'Edited and reviewed papers resulting from the
International Conference on Advances in
Thermochemical Biomass Conversion, 11-15 May 1992,
Interlaken, Switzerlimd'-T.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-94-010-4582-7
1. Biomass energy--Congresses. 2. Biomass
conversion-Congresses. I. Bridgwater, A. V.
II. International Conference on Advances in
Thermochemical Biomass Conversion (1992 : Interlaken,
Switzerland)
TP360.A33 1993
662'.88---ilc20 93-16672
elP
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Advances in Thermochemical Biomass Conversion was the third conference in this series
sponsored by the International Energy Agency's Bioenergy Agreement. Both fundamental and
applied research topics were included, together with demonstration and commercial
applications to reflect the advances made in the last four years. Attention was focused on the
opportunities and problems of implementing fundamental research at larger scales of operation,
encompassing both technological and engineering aspects. There is now a renewed interest in
biomass as a significant energy resource for a wider range of reasons, such as concern over the
Greenhouse Effect, energy security and socioeconomic benefits for the agricultural sector.
There was an excellent response, with 213 papers offered and 197 delegates from 26 countries
attending the conference, which particularly reflected the European interest. The programme
was divided into 13 sections on range of fundamental and applied topics, to emphasize the
ft
interaction and roles of all levels of research in supporting eventual commercialization. The
conference proceedings in these two volumes provide an account of the state-of-the-art in the
many aspects of thermochemical biomass conversion. All the papers included have been
subject to a full peer review process.
As with any international conference, an important aim was to meet and exchange ideas or
discuss solutions to problems with fellow researchers, as well as to hear about the latest
research and development. The workshop programme was designed to encourage this
interaction in areas of interest specified by participants and the resultant workshop reports
provide a summary of topical problems and opportunities.
Developments
There have been two major developments in the biomass field, the first of which is the rapidly
growing emphasis on commercialization. This is evident not only in North America, where
much of the pioneeling work was can-ied out, but also in Europe where recent years have seen
a surge of interest in biomass-based renewable energy, encouraged by international concerns
over global warming and regional concerns over agricultural policy. Commercialization, while
being the inevitable successful conclusion to R&D, carries the burden of confidentiality. This
protection of knowledge limits the content of conferences to a level that some research
scientists find irksome. and can unfortunately lead to a proliferation of secretiveness. The
academic community must continue to provide the lead in open dissemination of research
results to stimulate the development of new ideas leading to new products and processes and
maintaining a necessary creativity.
The second development is the rapid changes in funding patterns that have occun-ed in North
America and Europe over the last five years. This has created severe imbalances in the levels
and status of research expertise, palticularly in Europe, which has enjoyed a significant gn -~
in R&D funding but without the availability of skills to properly exploit this funding.
short frequency funding cycle, both effort and resources can be wasted in re-inventing kno\-,
work leaving insufficient time and resources to advance the subject. Effective use must be
made of the expanding information technology sector to learn about the state of the art and
maximize the benefits from R&D funding.
The value of conferences such as this lies in complementing these aspects by providing a fast
track to established knowledge, encouraging interaction between researchers and developing
complementary. joint or new approaches which might be further development of commercial
processes or a return to fundamentals. These should complement. not replace, the traditional
route of knowledge acquisition and evaluation through the established scientific press.
v
Poster prizes
A new feature for this meeting was the award of prizes for the most innovative and best
presented posters. To provide recognition of the valuable contribution that this form of
publication provides, prizes were offered to the best posters in the categories of Innovation
and Presentation.
An independent committee carefully judged the 98 posters on display over the first four days of
the conference, and the prize winners are:
Innovation
First pllze A Moilanen, VIT, Finland
"A microscopic method for studying reaction mechanisms in char
gasification"
Second prize MA Connor, University of Melbourne, Australia
"Changes in wood structure during the course of carbonisation"
Presentation
First prize GVC Peacocke, Aston University, UK
"Design of a novel ablative pyrolysis reactor"
Second prize J Saastamoinen, VTT, Finland
"Model for drying and pyrolysis in an updraft biomass gasifier"
Sponsors
Finally, on behalf of the Scientific Committee, I would like to express sincere appreciation to
those people and organizations who offered SUppOlt:
lEA Bioenergy Agreement, through the operating agent and the activity leaders of the
gasification, pyrolysis and combustion groups, represented by D Stevens as operating
agent;
Energy Mines and Resources Canada, represented by E Hogan
European Community Directorate General for Science, Research and Development,
represented by G Grassi
Swiss Federal Office for Energy for financial sponsorship and also support for ENET
who provided valuable local support, represented by M Roux and G Schriber
VIT -the Technical Research Centre of Finland, represented by K SipiHi
The scientific committee below were very supportive throughout the conference. Their
encouragement and efforts in publicizing the meeting, refereeing papers, providing
constructive feedback on the programme, organizing workshops, and chairing sessions, was
much appreciated, particularly Don Stevens for chaiting and organizing the poster assessment.
vi
Scientific Committee
M Antal Jr. B Delmon K Maniatis
SBabu X Deglise DMeier
N Bakhshi D Elliott T Nussbaumer
A Beenackers M Gelus ROverend
A Buekens I Gulyurtlu E Rensfelt
EChomet W Kaminsky CRoy
HChum B Krieger-Brockett D Scott
M Connor J Kuester Y Solantausta
o
J Corella A Lucchesi S0nju
J-C Courvoisier C Luengo
My secretarial and administrative staff, research staff, colleagues and technicians provided
considerable SUppOlt before, during and after the meeting. At the personal level, particular
thanks are due to Fiona Newell as Conference Secretary.
Tony Blidgwater
on behalf of the Scientific Committee
VII
CONTENTS
VOLUME 1
Preface and Acknowledgements v
OVERVIEWS
Introduction to the lEA Bioenergy Agreement 3
Brown A.
Overview of Canadian thermochemical biomass conversion activities 15
Hogan E.
Thermochemical conversion research in the US Department of Energy biofuels and
power programs 26
Overend R.P., Chum H.L.
Ovelview of thermochemical conversion technology of biomass and wastes in
Japan 48
Yokoyama S.
Overview of thermochemical conversion R&D activities of the Commission of the
European Communities 52
Grassi G.
Developments of the Institute of Wood Chemistry in complex processing of wood 63
Jakobsons M., Zandersons J., Vedernikov N., Kulkevics A., Sharapova T.
New options for biomass-based power production by IGCC: a Finnish national
research programme -JALO 77
SipiliiK., Kurkela E., Solantausta Y.
Centralized biomass analysis 92
Alleyne C.S., Skelton E., McKinley lW.
GASIFICATION
A microscopic method for studying reaction mechanisms in char gasification 101
Moilanen A., Savihruju K.
Kinetic study of the reaction of different hardwood sawdust chars with oxygen.
Chemical and structural characterization of the samples 116
Magnaterra M., Fusco J.R., Ochoa J., Cukierman A.L.
Steam gasification reactivities of various fuel chars 131
Moilanen A., Saviharju K., Harju T.
Reactivity of biomass and peat chars formed and gasified at different conditions 142
Espeniis B-G.
ix
Fonnation and removal of nitrogen compounds in gasification processes 160
Lepplilahti 1., Kurkela 1., Simell P., StAhlberg P.
Results from a transparent open-core downdraft gasifier 175
Milligan 1.B., Evans G.D., Bridgwater A.V.
Model for drying and pyrolysis in an updraft biomass gasifier 186
Saastamoinen I.
New catalysts for the fluid bed catalytic gasification of biomass 201
Arauzo 1., Radlein D., Piskorz 1., Scott D.S.
Catalytic cracking of naphthalene on dolomite 216
Alden H., Bjorkman E., Carlsson M., Waldheim L.
Dolomite catalysed cracking of n-heptane in presence of steam 233
Taralas G., Sjostrom K., Bjombom E.
Catalytic hydrocracking of tar from gasification of straw 246
Pedersen K.
Formation and catalytic decomposition of tars from fluidized-bed gasification 265
Simell P., Kurkela E., StAhlberg P.
Temperature fields in downdraft biomass gasification 280
Wang Y., Kinoshita C.M.
Modeling and simulation of an open core downdraft moving bed rice husk gasifier 288
Manurung R.K., Beenackers AAC.M.
Biomass domestic cooking gasifier stove for use in rural areas of developing
countries 310
Gao X.S.
Leafy biomass gasifier for 15 k VA diesel genset 314
Rajvanshi AK., Iorapur R.M.
Steam gasification in fluidized bed of a synthetic refuse containing chlorine with
catalytic gas cleaning at high temperature 325
Aznar M.P., Delgado 1., Corella 1., Borque 1.A., Campos U.
High temperature gasification of biomass in an atmospheric entrained flow reactor 338
Hallgren A., Andersson L.A., Bjerle I.
Results obtained by air gasification of forestry wastes in two downdraft moving-
bed gasifiers of 50 and 200 kglh 350
Bilbao R., Garcia-Bacaicoa P.
Design and operation of a circulating fluidized bed gasifier for wood powders 365
Xu B.Y., Luo Z.F., Zhou X.G., Wu I.Z., Huang H.T.
The Heuristic Envirocycler, a solid waste disposal energy recovery device for the
1990s 377
Lefcort M.D.
x
Operating experiences with biomass gasifiers in Indonesia 392
Panaka P., Trisaksono B.P.
Design of a pilot plant fluidized bed gasifier 403
Maniatis K., Vassilatos V., Kyritsis S.
The Free University of Brussels biomass gasification combined heat and power
plant 411
De Ruyck J., Maniatis K., Distelmans M., Baron G.
Gasification of residual biomass via the Biosyn fluidized bed technology 423
Czemik S., Koeberle P.G., Jollez P., Bilodeau J.F., Chomet E.
The US DoE/PICHTR pressurized oxygen-air fluidized bed biomass gasification
scaleup 438
Overend R.P., Onischak M., Trenka A., Kinoshita C.
Heat and power production via gasification in the range 5-50 MW e 449
Blackadder W., Lundberg H., Rensfelt E., Waldheim L.
Performance of cogeneration gasification combined-cycle power plants employing
biomass as fuel 476
Solantausta Y., Makinen T., McKeough P., Kurkela E.
Production of hydrogen and methanol via biomass gasification 495
Larson E.D., Katofsky R.E.
Biomass based combined cycles 511
LindmanN.
Methanol from biomass: an option for Switzerland? 522
Stucki S., Leuenberger J., Kesselring P.
An economic evaluation of sugar cane use for electricity production and its
environmental consequences on avoided carbon emissions in Brazil 530
Zylbersztajn D., Coelho S.T.
Workshop report: Gas cleaning in electricity production via gasification of
biomass 540
Beenackers A.A.C.M., Maniatis K.
COMBUSTION
Fuel nitrogen in wood: a new method to analyse the nitrogen content and
investigations of the conversion to nitric oxides during combustion 549
Keller R., Nussbaumer T.
A new method to measure the integrated amount of pollutants from nonstationary
wood combustion processes 563
Nussbaumer T., Wagner D.
Wood combustion 575
Nussbaumer T.
Combustion control for automatic wood firings 590
Good J.
xi
