Gridley Ethanol Demonstration Project Utilizing Biomass Gasification Technology: Pilot Plant Gasifier and Syngas Conversion Testing

Gridley Ethanol Demonstration Project Utilizing Biomass Gasification Technology: Pilot Plant Gasifier and Syngas Conversion Testing

August 2002—June 2004

TSS Consultants For the City of Gridley, California Gridley, California

 

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

This report is in response to Task 3 of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Subcontract No. ZCO-2-32065-01, that describes the Pearson Technologies Pilot Plant Gasifier and Syngas Conversion Testing for converting California rice straw into syngas and then the syngas into ethanol. The report on this task of the NREL Subcontract is part of an overall evaluation of using a modified Pearson Pilot Plant for processing rice straw into syngas and ethanol and the application of the Pearson technology for building a Demonstration Plant at Gridley. The Demonstration Plant would be located in the recently developed City of Gridley Industrial Park in Gridley, California (“Gridley”). This report also includes information on the feedstock preparation, feedstock handling, feedstock performance, catalyst performance, ethanol yields and potential problems identified from the pilot scale experiments.

 

Download this paper at : www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37581.pdf

Energyplexes for the 21st century: Coal gasification for co-producing hydrogen, electricity and liquid fuels

Energyplexes for the 21st century: Coal gasification for co-producing hydrogen, electricity and liquid fuels

Kei Yamashita, Leonardo Barretob

Energy 30 (2005) 2453–2473

 

Abstract

This paper illustrates the role that integrated energy systems, also known as ‘energyplexes’, could play in supplying energy demands in the long term. These systems could enable a multi-fuel, multi-product strategy with both economic and environmental benefits. They could increase the adaptability and robustness of energy-services companies in the marketplace, providing them with flexibility in meeting demands in different market segments while achieving lower production costs and, reducing the risks of reliance on a single feedstock. In addition, with the possibility of achieving high conversion efficiencies and low polluting emissions and facilitating carbon capture, they could deliver high-quality energy services in a cost-effective way while meeting stringent
environmental requirements. Their potential is highlighted here using the case of coal-fired, synthesis-gas-based gasification systems that allow co-producing hydrogen, electricity and liquid fuels, i.e. Fischer–Tropsch liquids and methanol, and could be a key building block in a clean-coal technology strategy. Co-production, also known as poly-generation, strategies may contribute to improve the economics of the system and exploit potential synergies between the constituent processes. However, the technical feasibility and economic viability of poly-generation schemes have to be examined carefully on a case-by-case basis.

Download this paper at :

http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Publications/Documents/RP-05-005.pdf

Commercial-Scale Demonstration of the Liquid Phase Methanol Process : Final Report

Commercial-Scale Demonstration of the Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH™) Process: Final Report (Volume 2: Project Performance and Economics)

For the period 16 October 1992 – 30 June 2003 – June 2003

B. W. Diamond
E. C. Heydorn

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

INTRODUCTION 

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMICS REPORT

The purpose of the Project Performance and Economics Report for the “Commercial-Scale Demonstration of the Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH™) Process” project is to consolidate for public use all relevant nonproprietary information on the project, other than that already included in the Public Design Report (Final Report – Volume 1).

The scope of the report is limited to nonproprietary information. Therefore, although its content is insufficient to provide a complete tool for designing a LPMEOH™ unit, it will serve as a reference for the design considerations involved in developing a commercial-scale facility.

Download this paper at :

http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/DOE/DOE_reports/90543/DE-FC22-92PC90543/LPMEOH Comm Demo-final/LPMEOH Comm Demo-final.pdf

Co-production of hydrogen, electricity andCO2 from coal with commercially ready technology

Co-production of hydrogen, electricity andCO2 from coal with
commercially ready technology.PartA:Performanceandemissions

Paolo Chiesa , Stefano Consonni , Thomas Kreutz , RobertWilliams

Abstract

This two-part paper investigates performances, costs and prospects of using commercially ready technology to convert coal to H2 and electricity, with CO2 capture and storage. Part A focuses on plant configuration and the evaluation of performances and CO2 emissions. Part B focuses on economics, establishing benchmarks for the assessment of novel technologies and guidelines for technological development.

In the co-production plants considered in the paper, coal is gasified to synthesis gas in an entrained flow gasifier. The syngasis cooled, cleaned of particulate matter, and shifted (to primarily H2 and CO2) in sour water–gas shift reactors. After further
cooling, H2S is removed from the syngas using a physical solvent (Selexol); CO2 is then removed from the syngas, again using Selexol; after being stripped from the solvent, the CO2 is dried and compressed to 150 bar for pipeline transport and underground storage. High purity H2 (99.999%) is extracted from the H2-rich syngas via a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit and delivered at 60 bar. The PSA purge gas is compressed and burned in a conventional gas turbine combined cycle, generating co-product electricity. The H2/electricity ratio can be varied by lowering the steam-to-carbon ratio in the syngas or by letting part of the de-carbonized syngas by-pass the PSA unit.

Performances and emissions of H2/electricity co-production with CO2 capture are compared with those of a system that vents the CO2. We examine different methods of syngas heat recovery (quench versus radiant cooling) and explore the effects of changing the electricity/H2 ratio, gasifier pressure and hydrogen purity.

Results show that state-of-the-art commercial technology allows transferring to de-carbonized hydrogen 57–58% of coal LHV, while exporting to the grid decarbonized electricity amounting to 2–6% of coal LHV. In contrast to decarbonizing coal IGCC electricity, which entails a loss of 6–8 percentage points of electricity conversion when capturing CO2 as an alternative to venting it, CO2 capture for H2 production gives a minor energy penalty (∼ 2 percentage points of export electricity). For H2 production, the efficiency gain achievable by hot syngas cooling vs. quench is a modest 2 percentage point increase in electricity for export, compared to 2–4 percentage points in the electricity case. Reducing H2 purity or increasing gasification pressure has minor effects on performance.

 

Download presentation of this paper at :

http://www.carbonsq.com/pdf/3D3.pdf

 download this paper at www.sciencedirect.com

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 30 (2005) 747 – 767

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATION OF ENERGY FROM BIOMASS AND WASTE

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATION OF ENERGY FROM
 BIOMASS AND WASTE

INTRODUCTION
Biomass contributes as the world’s fourth largest energy source today up to 14% of the world’s primary energy demand. In developing countries it can be as high as 35% of the primary energy supply. Biomass is a versatile source of energy in that it can be readily stored and transformed into electricity and heat. It has also the potential that it is used as a raw material for production of fuel and chemical feedstock. Production units range from small scale up to multi-megawatt sizes.

Development of biomass use contributes to both energy and other non-energy policies.

Download this paper at :

http://www.ecn.nl/_files/bio/Advanced_techniques_%20for_generation_of_energy_from_biomass_and_waste__October_2004.pdf