Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Torrefaction on Steam Gasification of Biomass in Dual Fluidized Bed Reactor—a Process Simulation Study

  • Published:
BioEnergy Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, a steam gasification with a dual fluidized bed reactor is constructed using a commercial process simulator and validated by experimental data to investigate the behaviors of raw and torrefied spruce wood during the conversion process. Effects of torrefaction, gasification temperature, and steam-to-biomass ratio on the performance of spruce gasification are examined. Main gasification indicators including product gas composition and heating value as well as cold gas efficiency are investigated. Simulation results show that both the H2 and CO2 contents in the product gas are reduced with increasing the gasification temperature or decreasing the steam-to-biomass ratio. On the other hand, the CO content shows an opposite trend. In addition, increasing the gasification temperature or decreasing the steam-to-biomass ratio enhances the heating value of the product gas but reduces the cold gas efficiency. Compared with the raw feedstock, the torrefied spruce offers lower H2 but higher CO content in the product gas at the same gasification condition. Nevertheless, gasification of the torrefied spruce always results in higher cold gas heating value and efficiency than that of the raw spruce. The increased values are up to 0.46 MJ/Nm3 for the heating value and 5.96% for the efficiency.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CGE:

Cold gas efficiency

DFB:

Dual fluidized bed

LHV:

Lower heating value

SBR:

Steam-to-biomass ratio

TS-225:

Spruce torrefied at 225 °C

TS-275:

Spruce torrefied at 275 °C

References

  1. Bhattacharya A, Manna D, Paul B, Datta A (2011) Biomass integrated gasification combined cycle power generation with supplementary biomass firing: energy and exergy based performance analysis. Energy 36:2599–2610

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kumar A, Demirel Y, Jones DD, Hanna MA (2010) Optimization and economic evaluation of industrial gas production and combined heat and power generation from gasification of corn stover and distillers grains. Bioresour Technol 101:3696–3701

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Tijmensen MJA, Faaij APC, Hamelinck CN, van Hardeveld MRM (2002) Exploration of the possibilities for production of Fischer Tropsch liquids and power via biomass gasification. Biomass Bioenergy 23:129–152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Swanson RM, Platon A, Satrio JA, Brown RC (2010) Techno-economic analysis of biomass-to-liquids production based on gasification. Fuel 89:S11–S19

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Beheshti SM, Ghassemi H, Shahsavan-Markadeh R (2015) Process simulation of biomass gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. Energy Convers Manag 94:345–352

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Parthasarathy P, Narayanan KS (2014) Hydrogen production from steam gasification of biomass: influence of process parameters on hydrogen yield – a review. Renew Energy 66:570–579

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kern S, Pfeifer C, Hofbauer H (2013) Gasification of wood in a dual fluidized bed gasifier: influence of fuel feeding on process performance. Chem Eng Sci 90:284–298

    CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Li YH, Chen Z, Watkinson P, Bi X, Grace J, Lim CJ, Ellis N (2018) A novel dual-bed for steam gasification of biomass. Biomass Convers Biorefinery 8:357–367

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Prins MJ, Ptasinski KJ, Janssen FJJG (2006) More efficient biomass gasification via torrefaction. Energy 31:3458–3470

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Vélez JF, Chejne F, Valdés CF, Emery EJ, Londoño CA (2009) Co-gasification of Colombian coal and biomass in fluidized bed: an experimental study. Fuel 88:424–430

    Google Scholar 

  12. Aigner I, Pfeifer C, Hofbauer H (2011) Co-gasification of coal and wood in a dual fluidized bed gasifier. Fuel 90:2404–2412

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Saw WL, Pang S (2013) Co-gasification of blended lignite and wood pellets in a 100 kW dual fluidised bed steam gasifier: the influence of lignite ratio on producer gas composition and tar content. Fuel 112:117–124

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ciolkosz D, Wallace R (2011) A review of torrefaction for bioenergy feedstock production, Biofuels. Bioproducts Biorefining 5:317–329

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chen W-H, Lin B-J, Huang M-Y, Chang J-S (2015) Thermochemical conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels: a review. Bioresour Technol 184:314–327

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. van der Stelt MJC, Gerhauser H, Kiel JHA, Ptasinski KJ (2011) Biomass upgrading by torrefaction for the production of biofuels: a review. Biomass Bioenergy 35:3748–3762

    Google Scholar 

  17. Di Marcello M, Tsalidis GA, Spinelli G, de Jong W, Kiel JHA (2017) Pilot scale steam-oxygen CFB gasification of commercial torrefied wood pellets. The effect of torrefaction on the gasification performance. Biomass Bioenergy 105:411–420

    Google Scholar 

  18. Tsalidis GA, Di Marcello M, Spinelli G, de Jong W, Kiel JHA (2017) The effect of torrefaction on the process performance of oxygen-steam blown CFB gasification of hardwood and softwood. Biomass Bioenergy 106:155–165

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bach Q-V, Chen W-H, Sheen H-K, Chang J-S (2017) Gasification kinetics of raw and wet-torrefied microalgae Chlorella vulgaris ESP-31 in carbon dioxide. Bioresour Technol 244:1393–1399

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen W-H, Chen C-J, Hung C-I, Shen C-H, Hsu H-W (2013) A comparison of gasification phenomena among raw biomass, torrefied biomass and coal in an entrained-flow reactor. Appl Energy 112:421–430

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kuo P-C, Wu W, Chen W-H (2014) Gasification performances of raw and torrefied biomass in a downdraft fixed bed gasifier using thermodynamic analysis. Fuel 117:1231–1241

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tapasvi D, Kempegowda RS, Tran K-Q, Skreiberg Ø, Grønli M (2015) A simulation study on the torrefied biomass gasification. Energy Convers Manag 90:446–457

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ku X, Lin J, Yuan F (2016) Influence of torrefaction on biomass gasification performance in a high-temperature entrained-flow reactor. Energy Fuel 30:4053–4064

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ku X, Jin H, Lin J (2017) Comparison of gasification performances between raw and torrefied biomasses in an air-blown fluidized-bed gasifier. Chem Eng Sci 168:235–249

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Tapasvi D, Khalil R, Skreiberg Ø, Tran K-Q, Grønli M (2012) Torrefaction of Norwegian birch and spruce: an experimental study using macro-TGA. Energy Fuel 26:5232–5240

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Schmid JC, Wolfesberger U, Koppatz S, Pfeifer C, Hofbauer H (2012) Variation of feedstock in a dual fluidized bed steam gasifier—influence on product gas, tar content, and composition. Environ Prog Sustain Energy 31:205–215

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Fernandez-Lopez M, Pedroche J, Valverde JL, Sanchez-Silva L (2017) Simulation of the gasification of animal wastes in a dual gasifier using Aspen Plus®. Energy Convers Manag 140:211–217

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Doherty W, Reynolds A, Kennedy D (2009) The effect of air preheating in a biomass CFB gasifier using ASPEN Plus simulation. Biomass Bioenergy 33:1158–1167

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Blok K, Nieuwlaar E (2016) Introduction to Energy Analysis, 2nd edn. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  30. Xie J, Zhong W, Jin B, Shao Y, Huang Y (2013) Eulerian–Lagrangian method for three-dimensional simulation of fluidized bed coal gasification. Adv Powder Technol 24:382–392

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Umeki K, Yamamoto K, Namioka T, Yoshikawa K (2010) High temperature steam-only gasification of woody biomass. Appl Energy 87:791–798

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Formica M, Frigo S, Gabbrielli R (2016) Development of a new steady state zero-dimensional simulation model for woody biomass gasification in a full scale plant. Energy Convers Manag 120:358–369

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Pala LPR, Wang Q, Kolb G, Hessel V (2017) Steam gasification of biomass with subsequent syngas adjustment using shift reaction for syngas production: an Aspen Plus model. Renew Energy 101:484–492

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Cheng Y, Thow Z, Wang C-H (2016) Biomass gasification with CO2 in a fluidized bed. Powder Technol 296:87–101

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gao N, Li A, Quan C, Gao F (2008) Hydrogen-rich gas production from biomass steam gasification in an updraft fixed-bed gasifier combined with a porous ceramic reformer. Int J Hydrog Energy 33:5430–5438

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Doherty W, Reynolds A, Kennedy D (2015) Process simulation of biomass gasification integrated with a solid oxide fuel cell stack. J Power Sources 277:292–303

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Pfeifer C, Rauch R, Hofbauer H (2004) In-bed catalytic tar reduction in a dual fluidized bed biomass steam gasifier. Ind Eng Chem Res 43:1634–1640

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Koppatz S, Pfeifer C, Rauch R, Hofbauer H, Marquard-Moellenstedt T, Specht M (2009) H2 rich product gas by steam gasification of biomass with in situ CO2 absorption in a dual fluidized bed system of 8 MW fuel input. Fuel Process Technol 90:914–921

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Prestipino M, Chiodo V, Maisano S, Zafarana G, Urbani F, Galvagno A (2017) Hydrogen rich syngas production by air-steam gasification of citrus peel residues from citrus juice manufacturing: experimental and simulation activities. Int J Hydrog Energy 42:26816–26827

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Dong J, Nzihou A, Chi Y, Weiss-Hortala E, Ni M, Lyczko N, Tang Y, Ducousso M (2017) Hydrogen-rich gas production from steam gasification of bio-char in the presence of CaO. Waste Biomass Valoriz 8:2735–2746

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Gao N, Li A, Quan C (2009) A novel reforming method for hydrogen production from biomass steam gasification. Bioresour Technol 100:4271–4277

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Xiao Y, Xu S, Song Y, Shan Y, Wang C, Wang G (2017) Biomass steam gasification for hydrogen-rich gas production in a decoupled dual loop gasification system. Fuel Process Technol 165:54–61

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Rupesh S, Muraleedharan C, Arun P (2016) ASPEN plus modelling of air–steam gasification of biomass with sorbent enabled CO2 capture. Resour-Effic Technol 2:94–103

    Google Scholar 

  44. Prasad BVRK, Kuester JL (1988) Process analysis of a dual fluidized bed biomass gasification system. Ind Eng Chem Res 27:304–310

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Franco C, Pinto F, Gulyurtlu I, Cabrita I (2003) The study of reactions influencing the biomass steam gasification process. Fuel 82:835–842

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Li Y-H, Chen H-H (2018) Analysis of syngas production rate in empty fruit bunch steam gasification with varying control factors. Int J Hydrog Energy 43:667–675

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was supported by the Chung-Ang University Research Grants in 2018.

This work was supported by the Human Resources Development (No.20184030202070) of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Environment Research Group, Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Quang-Vu Bach

  2. Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

    Dinh Duc Nguyen

  3. Department of Environmental Energy Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon 442-760, Republic of Korea

    Dinh Duc Nguyen

  4. School of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06980, Republic of Korea

    Chul-Jin Lee

Authors
  1. Quang-Vu Bach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dinh Duc Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chul-Jin Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chul-Jin Lee.

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

Bach, QV., Nguyen, D.D. & Lee, CJ. Effect of Torrefaction on Steam Gasification of Biomass in Dual Fluidized Bed Reactor—a Process Simulation Study. Bioenerg. Res. 12, 1042–1051 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-019-10011-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-019-10011-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation