US20110056820A1 - Method for pretreating and using the fine particles of a biomass in a gasification process and an apparatus utilizing said method - Google Patents

Method for pretreating and using the fine particles of a biomass in a gasification process and an apparatus utilizing said method Download PDF

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Publication number
US20110056820A1
US20110056820A1 US12/876,481 US87648110A US2011056820A1 US 20110056820 A1 US20110056820 A1 US 20110056820A1 US 87648110 A US87648110 A US 87648110A US 2011056820 A1 US2011056820 A1 US 2011056820A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
fine particles
pellets
drying
chips
biomass
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Abandoned
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US12/876,481
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English (en)
Inventor
Mika TIMONEN
Jorma Kautto
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Vapo Oy
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Vapo Oy
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Publication date
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Assigned to VAPO OY reassignment VAPO OY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KAUTTO, JORMA, TIMONEN, MIKA
Publication of US20110056820A1 publication Critical patent/US20110056820A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B30PRESSES
    • B30BPRESSES IN GENERAL
    • B30B11/00Presses specially adapted for forming shaped articles from material in particulate or plastic state, e.g. briquetting presses, tabletting presses
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10LFUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
    • C10L5/00Solid fuels
    • C10L5/40Solid fuels essentially based on materials of non-mineral origin
    • C10L5/44Solid fuels essentially based on materials of non-mineral origin on vegetable substances
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B27WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
    • B27NMANUFACTURE BY DRY PROCESSES OF ARTICLES, WITH OR WITHOUT ORGANIC BINDING AGENTS, MADE FROM PARTICLES OR FIBRES CONSISTING OF WOOD OR OTHER LIGNOCELLULOSIC OR LIKE ORGANIC MATERIAL
    • B27N1/00Pretreatment of moulding material
    • B27N1/02Mixing the material with binding agent
    • B27N1/0218Mixing the material with binding agent in rotating drums
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10JPRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
    • C10J3/00Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10LFUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
    • C10L5/00Solid fuels
    • C10L5/02Solid fuels such as briquettes consisting mainly of carbonaceous materials of mineral or non-mineral origin
    • C10L5/34Other details of the shaped fuels, e.g. briquettes
    • C10L5/36Shape
    • C10L5/361Briquettes
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10LFUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
    • C10L5/00Solid fuels
    • C10L5/02Solid fuels such as briquettes consisting mainly of carbonaceous materials of mineral or non-mineral origin
    • C10L5/34Other details of the shaped fuels, e.g. briquettes
    • C10L5/36Shape
    • C10L5/363Pellets or granulates
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E50/00Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
    • Y02E50/10Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E50/00Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
    • Y02E50/30Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Definitions

  • the object of the invention is a method for pretreating the fine particles of a biomass for a gasification process to the use of pellet presses, briquetting devices and/or corresponding graduating devices for pretreating the fine particles and to an apparatus for pretreating the fine particles.
  • Prior art includes different solutions with which biomass is gasified.
  • a gasification technique of biomass is known in the art, in which technique the biomass to be gasified is led into a coking reactor (i.e. low temperature gasifier) after chipping and drying.
  • the coking reactor operates at a pressure of 1-20 bar, typically at a pressure of 5 bar, and at a temperature of 400-500° C.
  • a gas compound gasifying agent
  • steam can also be used as a component of the gas compound.
  • Pyrolysis gases can be further gasified in a high-temperature gasifier. Pyrolysis gases contain hydrocarbon chains, i.e. also tar, for which reason the gas pipe to the high-temperature gasifier is insulated so that condensation of tars is prevented.
  • Pyrolysis gas is led to the high-temperature part of the gasifier, in which it reacts with oxygen typically at a temperature of approx. 1400° C., in which case the hydrocarbon chains break down completely, forming carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), hydrogen (H 2 ) and steam (H 2 O) and small amounts of other gases, such as hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S).
  • the hot gases flowing downwards are led via a reversal chamber to the rising reactor part of the gasifier, i.e. to the quenching zone, in which the cooling of hot gases occurs.
  • quenching in this context refers to the cooling of gas that occurs relatively quickly and in a controlled manner.
  • the coke and hot exhaust gases react endothermically (absorbing heat) with each other, in which case the gas cools to ⁇ 900° C., the amount of syngas (H 2 and CO) maximizes, the amount of carbon dioxide minimizes and a suitable H 2 /CO ratio for syngas applications is produced.
  • the biofuel to be fed in has not contained the appropriate particle size of fuel required by the process, but instead there have been too many fine particles and in this way the operation of the process has suffered.
  • the biofuel to be fed in must contain suitable particle sizes so that the ratio of the pyrolysis gas to the carbon (coke) used in the quenching remains suitable. If there are too many fine particles, too much pyrolysis gas is generated and fine particles are further swept along with the pyrolysis gas into the high-temperature gasifier. In this case there is not enough coke for chemical quenching, as a result of which the quality of the syngas generated deteriorates and the overall efficiency ratio of the process decreases.
  • Too low an amount of carbon (coke) in relation to the amount of gas of the gasification reactor also results in the amount of reactions absorbing heat decreasing and the gas exiting from the gasifier too hot, in which case it cannot be further cooled with conventional heat exchangers, but instead special solutions are required.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating that the material left over and quenching goes to the HTG part via the dust removal of raw gas;
  • FIG. 2 is a graft illustrating the cumulative percentage as compared to size distribution
  • FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to the invention wherein the fine particles of the biomass are granulated by means of pellet presses or suitable briquetting devices.
  • raw wood material with a particle size of ⁇ 3 mm can account for at most 5% of the mass. This is taking into account and knowing that potential raw materials of biomass, such as logging residue chips (logging residue chips refer to branches and top refuse) and also whole tree chips (whole tree chips refer to chips made of complete trees including tree trunks and branches) include a lot of small branches, needles and leaves.
  • logging residue chips refer to branches and top refuse
  • whole tree chips whole tree chips
  • this type of raw material comprises a lot of fine particles; material of ⁇ 3 mm can account for even >30% in a typical particle size distribution.
  • material of ⁇ 3 mm can account for even >30% in a typical particle size distribution.
  • the particle size is close to the requirements of the equipment manufacturer.
  • Bark chips generated as a by-product in the pulp industry, paper industry and sawmill industry vary in terms of their properties.
  • the fine particle content of bark chips is in the best case suited to the gasification process, but in order to increase the particle size the chips must often be treated with the method according to the invention.
  • milled peat is very fine and using it without the aforementioned granulation is not possible in this type of process.
  • the aim of this invention is to achieve a new type of solution. In this way prior-art problems can be avoided.
  • the gasification process can be more efficiently utilized and at the same time the operation of the apparatus can be optimized.
  • the inventiveness of the apparatus is particularly based on granulating, i.e. pelletizing and/or briquetting, the fine particles impeding the process with the method according to the invention in order to increase the particle size.
  • What is particularly essential to the invention is to utilize the use of pellet presses or suitable briquetting devices for pretreating the fine particles of a biomass for the purpose of gasification.
  • the fine particles of a biomass can now be utilized considerably more efficiently, and also by pretreating said fine particles better syngas is produced.
  • the invention relates to a method for pretreating the fine particles of a biomass. What is essential in the method is that, for pretreating the fine particles for the gasification, the fine particles are granulated by means of pellet presses or suitable briquetting devices such that their particle size is advantageous in coking and quenching.
  • the method according to the invention can be implemented, if necessary, in two ways. Either such that in the method fine particles are separated from the raw material flow after drying or alternatively already before drying from the wet or partially dried biomass. According to the process, after the drying, the fine particles to be pelletized are separated from the raw material flow by screening. The separated coarse material can be transported directly to the fuel feed bin of the gasifier and the fine particle flow can be pelletized in its entirety after drying.
  • the screening is performed on the wet or partially dried biomass.
  • One advantage in this method is that the fine particles and the coarse material can, if necessary, be dried using different drying parameters and possibly different dryer apparatuses because coarse material dries more slowly than fine particles.
  • a drum dryer can in this case be used for drying the fine particles while the coarse material is best suited for drying by a belt dryer.
  • One drawback in this implementation method is, however, that when screening wet, the fine particles tend to adhere to the coarse material and the separating capacity in screening deteriorates and the drying process becomes more complex. In short, due to this, the implementation methods vary depending on the process.
  • the fine particles of the biomass are granulated by means of pellet presses or suitable briquetting devices such that their particle size is in accordance with the requirements of the gasifier manufacturer. Fine particles are ground into suitable particle size for pelletizing and fed to the pellet press via a carry-over stock. In the method fractions that go through a 2-20 mm screen are used as fine particles.
  • a preferred particle size in quenching is in the range 2-10 mm and the particle size of a pellet or briquette produced with a pellet press is typically in the range 6-16 mm in diameter and the length approx. 2-4 times the diameter.
  • Fuel must often be dried to a suitable humidity of 10-15% for the gasification.
  • wood and peat-based materials pelletize at the corresponding suitable humidity of 5-15%, most preferably of approx. 10%, so this is preferred humidity also from the point of view of the gasification process.
  • pellets and/or briquettes are made most preferably of peat, logging residue chips, bark chips or by-products of the wood processing industry, such as sawdust, screening chips and cutter chips, or field biomass such as reed canary grass or straw.
  • Fine particles are separately separated from the wood chips and bark chips into a raw material flow of their own for producing pellets and/or briquettes.
  • the pellets and/or briquettes used in the method are produced most preferably from one raw material as separate clean fine particles, alternatively mixed pellets or briquettes can also be made of them as a mixture of one or more different type(s) of fine particles. In this way 2-5 different fuel feed bins are available in the gasification process, from which bins raw materials, i.e. wood chips, chippings and pellets, can be dispensed suitably proportioned into the coking reactor.
  • Test runs have additionally been performed with the solution according to the invention; in the examples the pellets made of peat stayed intact very well during coking and even the pellets made of logging residue chips/bark fully sufficiently. Wood pellets were produced with a small-scale test equipment—i.e. the mechanical properties of pellets can still be improved by optimizing the process.
  • the invention also relates to an apparatus for pretreating the fine particles of a biomass and utilizing said method.
  • the apparatus comprises one or more pellet presses or suitable briquetting devices for pretreating the fine particles for the gasification.
  • a suitable particle size of coke is achieved, which particles are led to quenching in order to produce suitable syngas.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
  • Solid Fuels And Fuel-Associated Substances (AREA)
US12/876,481 2009-09-08 2010-09-07 Method for pretreating and using the fine particles of a biomass in a gasification process and an apparatus utilizing said method Abandoned US20110056820A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI20090327 2009-09-08
FI20090327A FI20090327A (fi) 2009-09-08 2009-09-08 Menetelmä biomassan hienoaineksen esikäsittelemiseksi ja käyttämiseksi kaasutusprosessissa ja sitä hyödyntävä laitteisto

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US20110056820A1 true US20110056820A1 (en) 2011-03-10

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US (1) US20110056820A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2314663A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2713625A1 (fr)
FI (1) FI20090327A (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110097680A1 (en) * 2009-10-26 2011-04-28 Vapo Oy Method for heating the inlet air of a biomass dryer by means of an intermediate circuit and utilizing the circulating heating liquid of the dryer when the factory producing liquid biofuels is integrated with another factory
EP3150914A1 (fr) * 2015-09-30 2017-04-05 Nawrocki, Piotr Procédé de gazéification de déchets, en particulier des déchets ménagers et appareil pour réaliser un tel procédé
CN110616090A (zh) * 2019-09-21 2019-12-27 唐山科源环保技术装备有限公司 利用煤气发生炉对其副产焦油进行就地转化处置的方法

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2228616A (en) * 1939-02-03 1941-01-14 Alfred M Thomsen Utilization of wood waste and the like
US3692505A (en) * 1971-04-05 1972-09-19 Consolidation Coal Co Fixed bed coal gasification
US4239500A (en) * 1979-03-14 1980-12-16 Steag A.G. Process for the utilization of waste product tar-dust in gasification of granular fuel under pressure, especially of bituminous coal
US4530702A (en) * 1980-08-14 1985-07-23 Pyrenco, Inc. Method for producing fuel gas from organic material, capable of self-sustaining operation
US4557204A (en) * 1983-05-18 1985-12-10 Pka Pyrolyse Kraftanlagen Gmbh Process and apparatus for treating waste materials
US20060130396A1 (en) * 2003-01-28 2006-06-22 Hans Werner Method and apparatus for fabrication of fuels from pressed biomass and use thereof
US7264694B2 (en) * 2004-01-29 2007-09-04 Oil-Tech, Inc. Retort heating apparatus and methods

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US4236897A (en) * 1978-09-18 1980-12-02 Johnston Ian F Fuel pellets
DE3018039A1 (de) * 1980-05-10 1981-11-26 Karl Otto Paul Chilliwack British Columbia Fischer Verfahren zur aufbereitung von koniferen, insbesondere holzarmer koniferen zur gewinnung von energietraegern und rostoffen
US4530700A (en) * 1982-05-28 1985-07-23 Sawyer Willard C Method and apparatus for use in preparing biomass particles for fuel and for use as chemical feed stock
US20070220805A1 (en) * 2006-03-24 2007-09-27 Leveson Philip D Method for producing a homogeneous biomass fuel for gasification applications
US11001776B2 (en) * 2007-07-31 2021-05-11 Richard B. Hoffman System and method of preparing pre-treated biorefinery feedstock from raw and recycled waste cellulosic biomass
GB2453384A (en) * 2007-10-05 2009-04-08 Geoffrey Leslie Bigault Energy generation from biomass

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2228616A (en) * 1939-02-03 1941-01-14 Alfred M Thomsen Utilization of wood waste and the like
US3692505A (en) * 1971-04-05 1972-09-19 Consolidation Coal Co Fixed bed coal gasification
US4239500A (en) * 1979-03-14 1980-12-16 Steag A.G. Process for the utilization of waste product tar-dust in gasification of granular fuel under pressure, especially of bituminous coal
US4530702A (en) * 1980-08-14 1985-07-23 Pyrenco, Inc. Method for producing fuel gas from organic material, capable of self-sustaining operation
US4557204A (en) * 1983-05-18 1985-12-10 Pka Pyrolyse Kraftanlagen Gmbh Process and apparatus for treating waste materials
US20060130396A1 (en) * 2003-01-28 2006-06-22 Hans Werner Method and apparatus for fabrication of fuels from pressed biomass and use thereof
US7264694B2 (en) * 2004-01-29 2007-09-04 Oil-Tech, Inc. Retort heating apparatus and methods

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110097680A1 (en) * 2009-10-26 2011-04-28 Vapo Oy Method for heating the inlet air of a biomass dryer by means of an intermediate circuit and utilizing the circulating heating liquid of the dryer when the factory producing liquid biofuels is integrated with another factory
EP3150914A1 (fr) * 2015-09-30 2017-04-05 Nawrocki, Piotr Procédé de gazéification de déchets, en particulier des déchets ménagers et appareil pour réaliser un tel procédé
CN110616090A (zh) * 2019-09-21 2019-12-27 唐山科源环保技术装备有限公司 利用煤气发生炉对其副产焦油进行就地转化处置的方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FI20090327A (fi) 2011-03-09
CA2713625A1 (fr) 2011-03-08
FI20090327A0 (fi) 2009-09-08
EP2314663A1 (fr) 2011-04-27

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Owner name: VAPO OY, FINLAND

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:TIMONEN, MIKA;KAUTTO, JORMA;REEL/FRAME:024956/0843

Effective date: 20100823

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION