A nickel-enriched catalytic bed material was tested for tar reduction in a 100 kW th dual fluidized bed biomass steam gasifier. Gas composition and tar content were measured after the reactor and compared with data from gasification tests without a catalytic bed material. H 2 , CO, CO 2 , and CH 4 contents in the product gas, as well as tar conversion rates, are reported for different amounts of catalytic active bed material and different operating conditions. Water conversions, gas yields, and lower heating values were calculated. The catalyst showed no noticeable deactivation in two tests of 30 and 45 h. These results obtained at the pilot scale represent an important intermediate step in preparing the technical breakthrough of dual fluidized bed biomass steam gasification.

No abstract

Synthesis gas from biomass can be produced and utilized in different ways. Conversion of biomass to synthesis gas can be done either in fluidized bed or entrained flow reactors. As gasification agent oxygen, steam, or mixtures are used. The most common use of biomass gasification in the last decades has been for heat and/or power production. Nowadays, the importance of transportation fuels from renewables is increased due to environmental aspects and growing fossil fuels prices. That is why the production of Fischer-Tropsch (FT) liquids, methanol, mixed alcohols, substitute natural gas (SNG), and hydrogen from biomass is now in focus of view. The most innovative and interesting ways of synthesis gas utilization and projects, BioTfueL or GoBiGas, BioLiq, Choren, etc. are discussed here. Further the microchannel technology by Oxford Catalysts and distributed production of SNG in decentral small scale are presented. The synthesis platform in Güssing, Austria is also presented. The FT liquids, hydrogen production, mixed alcohols, and BioSNG, these are the projects associated with the FICFB gasification plant in Güssing. Also the principle and examples of sorption-enhanced reforming to adjust H 2 /CO ratio in product gas during the gasification is described. Finally, in the conclusion also an outlook for the thermochemical pathway to transportation fuels is given.

A novel fluidized bed gasification reactor has been developed to get a product gas with a high calorific value (up to 15 MJ/Nm³) and nearly free of nitrogen. The gasification process is based on an internally circulating fluidized system and consists of a gasification zone fluidized with steam and a combustion zone fluidized with air. The circulating bed material acts as heat carrier from the combustion to the gasification zone. Gas mixing between these two zones is avoided by construction measures. Furtheron, the apparatus is characterized by a very compact design.The development of the gasification reactor has been carried out step by step. First, a cold flow model was operated to study the fluid mechanics of the fluidization system. The second step was a laboratory scale test rig to study the main features of the reactor by varying different operating and geometrical parameters. After this step a pilot plant was constructed and has been successfully operated. The results attained came fully up to the expectations.

No abstract