Operational characteristics of a 1.2-MW biomass gasification and power generation plant

In this study, we analyzed the operational characteristics of a 1.2-MW rice husk gasification and power generation plant located in Changxing, Zhejiang province, China. The influences of gasification temperature, equivalence ratio (ER), feeding rate and rice husk water content on the gasification characteristics in a fluidized bed gasifier were investigated. The axial temperature profile in the dense phase of the gasifier showed that inadequate fluidization occurred inside the bed, and that the temperature was closely related to changes in ER and feeding rate. The bed temperature increased linearly with increasing ER when the feeding rate was kept constant, while a higher feeding rate corresponded to a lower bed temperature at fixed ER. The gas heating value decreased with increasing temperature, while the feeding rate had little effect. When the gasification temperature was 700-800C, the gas heating value ranged from 5450-6400kJ/Nm3. The water content of the rice husk had an obvious influence on the operation of the gasifier: increases in water content up to 15% resulted in increasing ER and gas yield, while water contents above 15% caused aberrant temperature fluctuations. The problems in this plant are discussed in the light of operational experience of MW-scale biomass gasification and power generation plants.

Study on the Dissociation Behavior of Gas Hydrate in Porous Sediment Based on Fractal Theory

The dissociation process of gas hydrate was regarded as a gas-solid reaction without solid production layer when the temperature was above the zero centigrade. Based on the shrinking core model and the fractal theory, a fractional dimension dynamical model for gas hydrate dissociation in porous sediment was established. The new approach of evaluating the fractal dimension of the porous media was also presented. The fractional dimension dynamical model for gas hydrate dissociation was examined with the previous experimental data of methane hydrate and carbon dioxide hydrate dissociations, respectively. The calculated results indicate that the fractal dimensions of porous media acquired with this method agree well with the previous study. With the absolute average deviation (AAD) below 10%, the present model provided satisfactory predictions for the dissociation process of methane hydrate and carbon dioxide hydrate.

Design and Operation of A 5.5 MWe Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Demonstration Plant

The design and operation of a 5.5 MWe biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) demonstration plant, which is located in Xinghua, Jiangsu Province of China, are introduced. It is the largest complete biomass gasification power plant that uses rice husk and other agricultural wastes as fuel in Asia. It mainly consists of a 20 MWt atmospheric circulating fluidized-bed gasifier, a gas-purifying system, 10 sets of 450 kW(e) gas engines, a waste heat boiler, a 1.5 MWe steam turbine, a wastewater treatment system, etc. The demonstration plant has been operating since the end of 2005, and its overall efficiency reaches 26-28%. Its capital cost is less than 1200 USD/kW, and its running cost is about 0.079 USD/kWh based on the biomass price of 35.7 USD/ton. There is a 20% increment on capital cost and 35% decrease on the fuel consumption compared to that of a 1 MW system without a combined cycle. Because only part of the project has been performed, many of the tests still remain and, accordingly, must be reported at a later opportunity.

Superconductor mixed oxides La2-xSrxCuO4+/-lambda for catalytic hydroxylation of phenol in the liquid-solid phase

Superconductor mixed oxides are often used as catalysts at high temperature in gas-solid phase oxidations and considered not suitable for lower temperature reactions in the liquid-solid phase; here the catalysis of La2-xSrxCuO4+/-lambda (x = 0, 0.1, 0.7, 1) mixed oxides in phenol hydroxylation at lower temperatures are studied, and we find that the value of x has a significant effect on catalytic activity: the lower its value, the higher the catalytic activity; a mechanism is proposed to explain the experimental phenomena.

New progress in R&D of lower olefin synthesis

This paper gives a brief review of R&D researches for light olefin synthesis directly and indirectly from synthesis gas in the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP). The first pilot plant test was on methanol to olefin (MTO) reaction and was finished in 1993, which was based on ZSM-5-type catalyst and fixed bed reaction. In the meantime, a new indirect method designated as SDTO (syngas via dimethylether to olefin) was proposed. In this process, metal-acid bifunctional catalyst was applied for synthesis gas to dimethylether(DME) reaction, and modified SAPO-34 catalyst that was synthesized by a new low-cost method with optimal crystal size was used to convert DME to light olefin on a fluidized bed reactor. The pilot plant test on SDTO was performed and finished in 1995. Evaluation of the pilot plant data showed that 190-200 g of DME were yielded by single-pass for each standard cubic meter of synthesis gas. For the second reaction, 1.880 tons of DME or 2.615 tons of methanol produced 1 ton of light olefins, which constitutes of 0.533 ton of ethylene, 0.349 ton of propylene and 0.118 ton of butene. DICP also paid some attention on direct conversion of synthesis gas to light olefins. A semi-pilot plant test (catalyst 1.8 1) was finished in 1995 with a CO conversion > 70% and a C(2)(=)-C(4)(=) olefin selectivity 71-74% in 1000 h. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Biomass-derived Oxymethylene Ethers as Diesel Additives: A Thermodynamic Analysis

Conversion of biomass for production of liquid fuels can help in reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which are predominantly generated by combustion of fossil fuels. Adding oxymethylene ethers (OMEs) in conventional diesel fuel has the potential to reduce soot formation during the combustion in a diesel engine. OMEs are downstream products of syngas, which can be generated by the gasification of biomass. In this research, a thermodynamic analysis has been conducted through development of data intensive process models of all the unit operations involved in production of OMEs from biomass. Based on the developed model, the key process parameters affecting the OMEs production including equivalence ratio, H2/CO ratio, and extra water flow rate were identified. This was followed by development of an optimal process design for high OMEs production. It was found that for a fluidized bed gasifier with heat capacity of 28 MW, the conditions for highest OMEs production are at an air amount of 317 tonne/day, at H2/CO ratio of 2.1, and without extra water injection. At this level, the total OMEs production is 55 tonne/day (13 tonne/day OME3 and 9 tonne/day OME4). This model would further be used in a techno-economic assessment study of the whole biomass conversion chain to determine the most attractive pathways.

Simulação de um processo de pirólise rápida de biomassa

Mestrado em Engenharia Química - Ramo Optimização Energética na Indústria Química

Concepção de um secador rotatório para secagem do cefalotórax do camarão

The present work has as objective the knowledge of the process of drying of the cephalothorax of shrimp to give support the industry to make possible the use of this byproduct. In this sense, the process conditions in this tray dryer and spouted bed were analyzed. With these results, it was projected and constructs a dryer with specific characteristics for the drying of the cephalothorax. The desorption isotherms were obtained by the dynamic method in the temperatures of 20, 35 and 50º C and in the interval of 10-90% of relative humidity. It was observed that the product in form of powder can be conserved with larger stability for lower relative humidity to 40%. The curves of drying of the dryer of fixed bed were adjusted for the models: single exponential, biparametric exponential and Page. The model biparametric exponential more adequately described all the drying conditions studied. The tests carry out in spouted bed showed high drying rate for the material in the paste form in beds active dynamicly-fluid, provely the necessity of a feeding in shorter intervals of time to increase the thermal efficiency of the process. The projected dryer, be considered the obtained results, it was a rotary dryer with inert bed, feed co-current, discharge in cyclone to take place the separation gas-solid, and feed carry out in intervals of 2 minutes. The optimization of the equipment projected it was accomplished used the complete factorial experimental design 24, this had as independent variables temperature velocity of the air, feed flow rate and encapsulated concentration (albumin), as variables answers the thermal efficiency, the moisture content of obtained powder, total time of test and the efficiency of production of powder in several points of processing. The results showed that the rotary dryer with inert bed can present, also, good results if applied industrially

Reactores aeróbios de lecho fluidizado trifásico con circulación interna: Caracterización hidrodinámica y del soporte

Aerobic internal-loop reactors use active biomass attached in a supporting media (biofilm) with the advantage of retaining a big biomass concentration in a small physical space, removing carbonaceous matter and nitrogen in only one reactor. Liquid circulation occurs due to hydrostatic pressure difference produced by air injection in the riser. In biphasic conditions liquid circulation velocities, gas holdup and oxygen transfer coefficient in four different reactor configurations were studied. For the three-phase conditions, the same parameters in just one of those configurations were evaluated. Also, there were three granular supporting media characterized. On the other hand, the relationship between internal and external tube areas and supporting media concentrations influence the liquid velocity, gas holdup and oxygen mass transfer values and some important supporting media characteristics were observed and compared.

Efeito da redução do diâmetro interno sobre o desempenho de um reator aeróbio de leito fluidizado no tratamento de esgoto sanitário

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Remoção de nitrogênio de água residuária de produção intensiva de tilápias com recirculação utilizando reator de leito fluidizado com circulação em tubos concêntricos

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil - FEIS