Syngas Production, Clean-Up and Wastewater Management in a Demo-Scale Fixed-Bed Updraft Biomass Gasification Unit

Gabriele Calì, Paolo Deiana, Claudia Bassano, Simone Meloni, Enrico Maggio, Michele Mascia and Alberto Pettinau
Additional contact information
Gabriele Calì: Sotacarbo S.p.A., Grande Miniera di Serbariu, 09013 Carbonia, Italy
Paolo Deiana: ENEA, Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Roma, Italy
Claudia Bassano: ENEA, Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Roma, Italy
Simone Meloni: Sotacarbo S.p.A., Grande Miniera di Serbariu, 09013 Carbonia, Italy
Enrico Maggio: Sotacarbo S.p.A., Grande Miniera di Serbariu, 09013 Carbonia, Italy
Michele Mascia: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Chimica e dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Piazza D’Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Alberto Pettinau: Sotacarbo S.p.A., Grande Miniera di Serbariu, 09013 Carbonia, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: This paper presents the experimental development at demonstration scale of an integrated gasification system fed with wood chips. The unit is based on a fixed-bed, updraft and air-blown gasifier—with a nominal capacity of 5 MW th —equipped with a wet scrubber for syngas clean-up and an integrated chemical and physical wastewater management system. Gasification performance, syngas composition and temperature profile are presented for the optimal operating conditions and with reference to two kinds of biomass used as primary fuels, i.e., stone pine and eucalyptus from local forests (combined heat and power generation from this kind of fuel represents a good opportunity to exploit distributed generation systems that can be part of a new energy paradigm in the framework of the circular economy). The gasification unit is characterised by a high efficiency (about 79–80%) and an operation stability during each test. Particular attention has been paid to the optimisation of an integrated double stage wastewater management system—which includes an oil skimmer and an activated carbon adsorption filter—designed to minimise both liquid residues and water make-up. The possibility to recycle part of the separated oil and used activated carbon to the gasifier has been also evaluated.

Keywords: biomass gasification; demonstration-scale plant; syngas; circular economy; wastewater management; activated carbon adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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