Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of fluidized bed gasification of biomass assisted by solar-heated particles

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although biomass gasification using concentrated solar energy is an attractive technology for the production of storable renewable energy and CO2 reduction, several challenges have stalled its deployment over the last decades: high temperature and/or large reactor volume required for complete fuel (char) conversion, the achievement of a steady syngas generation independent of solar radiation variation, and accomplishing effective heat supply at high temperature in large-scale reactors. An alternative approach overcoming these technical challenges is analyzed in this paper. It is based on conducting the gasification of biomass with steam in a fluidized bed using solid particles that are separately heated in a solid particle receiver using concentrating solar energy. The present study includes the thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of solar steam gasification in a completely allothermal single fluidized bed gasifier as well as in a partially allothermal dual fluidized bed gasification system. A theoretical analysis of the reactor performance and its integration with the solar receiver is examined and the state of the art of the most important aspects for developing the proposed technology is reviewed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Conf:

configuration

DFBG:

dual fluidized bed gasifier

EM:

equilibrium model

FB:

fluidized bed

FBG:

fluidized bed gasifier/gasification

HTF:

heat transfer fluid

KM:

kinetic model

LHV:

low heating value

PEM:

pseudo-equilibrium model

SDFBG:

solar dual fluidized bed gasifier

TES:

thermal energy storage

bio:

biomass

daf:

dry ash free

gas:

gasification, gasifier

ERH2O :

Steam equivalence ratio (−)

n i :

Molar yield of i (mol/mol)

p :

pressure (bar)

p i :

partial pressure of component i (bar)

SEH:

Specific external heat (MJ/kgbio,daf)

SBR:

Steam biomass ratio (kgH2O/kgbio,daf)

SS:

Solar share (−)

T :

Temperature (K)

References

  1. Nzihou A, Flamant G, Stanmore B (2012) Synthetic fuels from biomass using concentrated solar energy – a review. Energy 42(1):121–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Karl J, Pröll T (2018) Steam gasification of biomass in dual fluidized bed gasifiers: a review. Renew Sust Energ Rev 98:64–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Corella J, Toledo J, Molina G (2007) A Review on dual fluidized-bed biomass gasifiers. Ind Eng Chem Res 46:6831–6839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Puig-Arnavat M, Tora E, Bruno J, Coronas A (2013) State of the art on reactor designs for solar gasification of carbonaceous feedstock. Sol Energy 97:67–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kodama T (2003) High-temperature solar chemistry for converting solar heat to chemical fuels. Prog Energy Combust Sci 29:567–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Nathan G, Dally B, Alwahabi Z, van Eyk P, Jafarian M, Ashman P Research challenges in combustion and gasification arising from emerging technologies employing directly irradiated concentrating solar thermal radiation. Proc Combust Inst 36(2):17

  7. Florin N, Harris A (2008) Enhanced hydrogen production from biomass with in situ carbon dioxide capture using calcium oxide sorbents. Chem Eng Sci 63:287–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Flamant G, Gauthier D, Benoit H, Sans J, Garcia R, Boissière B, Ansart R, Hemati M (2013) Dense suspension of solid particles as a new heat transfer fluid for concentrated solar thermal plants: on-sun proof of concept. Chem Eng Sci 102:567–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Alonso E, Romero M (2015) Review of experimental investigation on directly irradiated particles solar reactors. Renew Sust Energ Rev 41:53–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Deepak Y, Rangan B (2016) A review of solar thermochemical processes. Renew Sust Energ Rev 54:497–532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Taylor R, Berjoan R, Coutures J (1983) Solar gasification of carbonaceous material. Sol Energy 30(6):513–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Murray JP, Fletcher EA (1994) Reaction of steam with cellulose in a fluidized bed using concentrated sunlight. Energy 10(10):1083–1098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kodama T, Bellan S, Gokon N, Cho H (2017) Particle reactors for solar thermochemical processes. Sol Energy 156(1):113–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Boujjat H, Rodat S, Chuayboon S, Abanades S (2019) Experimental and numerical study of a directly irradiated hybrid solar/combustion spouted bed reactor for continuous steam gasification of biomass. Energy 189(15):116118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Moroyama A, Guscetti I, Schieber G, Haussener S, Loutzenhiser P (2018) Design and demonstration of a prototype 1.5 kWth hybrid solar/autothermal steam gasifier. Fuel 211(1):331–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gordillo E, Belghit A (2011) A bubbling fluidized bed solar reactor model of biomass char high temperature steam-only gasification. Fuel Process Technol 92(3):314–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Guo P, van Eyk P, Saw W, Ashman P, Nathan G, Stechel E (2015) Performance assessment of fischer-trops liquid fuels production by solar hybridized dual fluidized bed gasification of lignite. Energy Fuel 29:2738–2751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Guo P, Saw W, van Eyk P, Stechel E, Ashman P, Nathan G (2017) System optimization for Fischer–Tropsch liquid fuels production via solar hybridized dual fluidized bed gasification of solid fuels. Energy Fuel 31(2):2033–2043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Falcone PK (1984) Technical review of the solid particle receiver program, January 25–26, 1984, Livermore. https://doi.org/10.2172/6719789

  20. Falcone PK, Noring JE, Hruby JM (1985) Assessment of a solid particle receiver for a high temperature solar central receiver system, Livermore. https://doi.org/10.2172/6023191

  21. Ho C (2016) A review of high-temperature particle receivers for concentrating solar power. Appl Therm Eng 109:958–969

  22. Jiang K, Du X, Kong Y, Xu C, Ju X (2019) A comprehensive review on solid particle receivers of concentrated solar power. Renew Sust Energ Rev 116:109463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Gómez-Barea A, Leckner B (2013) Estimation of gas composition and char conversion in a fluidized bed. Fuel 107:419–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gómez Barea A, Leckner B (2010) Modeling of biomass gasification in fluidized bed. Prog Energy Combust Sci 36(4):444–509

  25. Suarez Almeida M, Gómez-Barea A, Ghoniem A, Pfeifer C (2020) Solar gasification of biomass in a dual fluidized bed. Chem Eng J. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.126665

Download references

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support by MINECO of the Spanish government (project CTM2016-78089-R), and the grants PRX18/00629 and BES-2017-080653, as well as the Foundation Seed Fund MIT - Spain “la Caixa” (project SOLGASBI).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain

    A. Gómez-Barea & M. Suárez-Almeida

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307, USA

    A. Ghoniem

Authors
  1. A. Gómez-Barea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Suárez-Almeida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Ghoniem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Gómez-Barea.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gómez-Barea, A., Suárez-Almeida, M. & Ghoniem, A. Analysis of fluidized bed gasification of biomass assisted by solar-heated particles. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 11, 143–158 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00865-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00865-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation