Gasification, thermal destruction

Based on the type of thermal destruction process selected, there are several different commercial designs and configurations of the reactor that have been utilized for a particular application. Some of the most commonly used technologies include rotary kilns, starved air incinerators, fluidized beds, mass-bum incinerators, electrically heated reactors, microwave reactors, plasma, and other high-temperature thermal destruction systems. Recent advances include gasification and very high temperature steam reforming. 

Thermal Decomposition 1500 CI Carbonization Pyrolysis Wood distillation Destructive distillation Gasification... 

A number of terms are used for the thermal decomposition of wood and generally refer to similar processing methods carbonization, pyrolysis, gasification, wood distillation, destructive distillation, and dry distillation. All result in the thermal breakdown of the wood polymers to smaller molecules in quantities dependent on reaction conditions. The hydrogen content of the gas increases with increasing temperature of pyrolysis. The wood gas has a fuel value of 300 BTU/ft3. 

During World War II in Germany, automobiles were fueled by the gases produced from thermal decomposition of wood and research is ongoing today on the more efficient gasification of wood. Destructive distillation has been used throughout most recorded history to obtain turpentine from pinewood, as discussed later in the chapter. 

Pyrolysis - The transformation on a compound or material into one or more substances by heat alone (without oxidation). Often called destructive distillation. Pyrolysis of biomass is the thermal degradation of the material in the absence of reacting gases, and occus pior to or simultaneously with gasification reactions in a gasifier. Pyrolysis... 

---