Biomass Gasification at Mississippi State University: Preliminary Results

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Biomass Gasification at Mississippi State
University Preliminary Results

• J. Alex Thomasson
• Department of Agricultural Biological
  Engineering
• Mississippi State University

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Acknowledgments

• USDA for funding
• DOE NREL for advice and consultation
• Community Power Corporation for cooperation

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Outline

• Overview of joint project between Mississippi
  State University and Oklahoma State University
• Selection of Biomax downdraft gasifier
• Delivery and installation at MSU
• Overview of experimental runs to date
• Data acquired
• Temperature charts of each run
• Final comments

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MSU-OSU Joint Project

• Approximately 1 million per year
• Split between OSU and MSU
• Coordinated parallel projects
• Each covers several research components of a
  proposed system
• Feedstock development
• Harvesting and processing
• Gasification
• Microbe development
• Bioreactor development
• System economics

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Gasification

• OSU has built fluidized bed reactor extensive
  work in design and construction of feeding
  systems
• MSU started 1 year behind
• MSU conducted review of literature and commercial
  availability

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ABE and CHE CPC Gasification Unit
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October 1, 2003
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February 4, 2004
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October 6, 2003
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October 7, 2003
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October 1, 2003
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October 6, 2003
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October 7, 2003
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October 15, 2003
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October 27, 2003
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February 4, 2004
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February 16, 2004
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Final Comments

• Control Parameters
• Overall flow rate
• Grate vibration
• Magnitude
• Frequency
• Temperature settings usually are not adjusted
• Temperatures are primary feedback for control
• Operational status
• Gasifier can now be operated relatively
  repeatably with wood chips
• Next steps
• Refine sampling and measurement procedures for
  gas quality and tar
• Develop standard experimental protocol
• Conduct replicated experiments with various
  densified feedstocks