Synthesis gas, from biomass

The Vaxjo Vamamo Biomass Gasification Centre is part of the EU-fimded project CHRISGAS (Clean Hydrogen-Rich Synthesis GAS) with the aim of demonstrating the possibility of the production of dean synthesis gas from biomass gasification which can be processed into renewable fuels such as DME [237]. 

Another approach to biomass-derived chemical production is the two-plat-form concept where the production of syngas (synthesis gas) from biomass gasification, or other technologies, is used to produced methanol or hydrocarbons through Fischer-Tropsch technology. ... 

Kamm B (2007) Production of platform chemicals and synthesis gas from biomass. Angew Chem Int Ed 46(27) 5056—5058... 

Dahman, N., Dinjus, E., Henrich, E. Synthesis gas from biomass - problems and solutions en route to technical realization. Oil Gas European Magazine 2007, 1, 31-34. 

Van der Drift, A., Boerrigter, H., 2006. Synthesis Gas from Biomass for Fuels and Chemicals. ECN Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research. 

Blackader, W. Rensfelt, E., Synthesis gas from wood and peat The mino process. In Thermochemical Processing of Biomass, Bridgwater, A. V., Ed., Butterworth, London, 1984, pp. 137-149. 

Depending on the reason for converting the produced gas from biomass gasification into synthesis gas, for applications requiring different H2/CO ratios, the reformed gas may be ducted to the water-gas shift (WGS, Reaction 4) and preferential oxidation (PROX, Reaction 5) unit to obtain the H2 purity required for fuel cells, or directly to applications requiring a H2/CO ratio close to 2, i.e., the production of dimethyl ether (DME), methanol, Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) Diesel (Reaction 6) (Fig. 7.6). 

Catalytie synthesis from CO and Hj Natural gas Petroleum gas Distillation of liquid from eoal pyrolysis Catalytic synthesis from CO and Hj Distillation of liquid from wood pyrolysis Gaseous products from biomass gasification Synthetic gas from biomass and coal... 

This paper reports the results of a comparison of the gasification of various biomass residues in the Synthesis Gas From Manure (SGFM) pilot plant. The residues evaluated include oak sawdust, mesquite, corn stover, and cotton gin trash. The SGFM process is based on a countercurrent, fluidized bed reactor. In this system, biomass is fed to the top of the reactor. As a result, the fresh feed is partially dried by direct contact with hot product gas prior to entering the reaction zone. This process has been described in detail by various researchers (1-4). 

The objective of this paper is to present experimental data on effects of operating parameters, including the catalytic effects of wood ash, calcium oxide, and calcium carbonate, on wood gasification in a continuous reactor. These results will be utilized to guide operation of a multi-solid fluid-bed (MSFB) wood gasification process which is being developed by Battelle to improve the economics of producing a medium-Btu gas or synthesis gas from wood and other biomass (2). 

Chemicals have long been manufactured from biomass, especially wood (sHvichemicals), by many different fermentation and thermochemical methods. For example, continuous pyrolysis of wood was used by the Ford Motor Co. in 1929 for the manufacture of various chemicals (Table 20) (47). Wood alcohol (methanol) was manufactured on a large scale by destmctive distillation of wood for many years until the 1930s and early 1940s, when the economics became more favorable for methanol manufacture from fossil fuel-derived synthesis gas. 

There has been considerable research into the production of substitute natural gas (SNG) from fractions of cmde oil, coal, or biomass (see Euels SYNTHETIC, Euels frombiomass Euels fromwaste). The process involves partial oxidation of the feedstock to produce a synthesis gas containing carbon... 

These products can be fairly easily processed into high-quality diesel and jet fuel in theory, any source of carbon can be used to generate synthesis gas. These facts along with the growing need for petroleum alternatives have renewed interest in FT synthesis. During the twentieth century, the FT process was used to produce fuels from coal in large and costly reactors. Recently, this megasize approach has been applied to world-scale GTL plants in Qatar. However, to tap abundant biomass resources and stranded natural gas reserves, a smaller scale, yet economically viable, FT process is needed. 

In principle biomass is a useful fuel for fuel cells many of the technologies discussed above for using biomass as a fuel produce either methane or hydrogen directly and as highlighted below synthesis gas production from biomass for conversion to methanol is an attractive option. Cellulose-based material may be converted to a mixture of hydrogen (70% hydrogen content recovered), CO2 and methane by high-temperature treatment with a nickel catalyst. 

Werpy, T. Peterson, G. (eds) (2004) Top Value-Added Chemicals from Biomass, Vol. 1. Results of Screening of Potential Candidates from Sugars and Synthesis Gas. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US, August 2004. 

When methanol is made from natural gas, the gas reacts with steam to produce synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This then reacts with a catalytic substance at high temperatures and pressures to produce methanol. The process is similar when methanol is produced by the gasification of biomass. The production of methanol from biomass or coal can cost almost twice as much as production from natural gas. 

Consecutively, the heavy paraffins are cracked into lighter hydrocarbon fractions by hydro-cracking. For example, for the Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis (SMDS) process, the liquid product stream is composed of 60% gasoil (diesel), 25% kerosene and 15% naphtha. The gaseous product mainly consists of LPG (a mixture of propane and butane) (Eilers et al., 1990). Figure 7.3 shows a simplified diagram comprising all process steps to produce synthetic hydrocarbons from biomass, natural gas and coal. 

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