SBIR Phase I: High Efficiency Gasification of Wood for Integrated Production of Hydrogen, Power, Wood Pellets and Activated Carbon

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将整合活性炭生产和高效发电。 氢燃料发动机产生的高温蒸汽和含氮废气将用于在单个反应器中将生物质转化为合成气和活性炭。 将研究反应器条件以优化碳和合成气的产率和组成。 该提案的业务背景是部署在一个木材颗粒厂，其中利用气化炉的热量和电力来降低颗粒生产成本。 碳将作为颗粒的添加剂进行研究，以增加能量密度和提高稳定性，这两种品质将解决颗粒工业市场的障碍。 还将评估通过吸附金属来处理酸性矿井废水的产品碳。这项研究的更广泛的商业和环境影响是由于有可能增加生物量的使用，例如森林间伐，通过热电结合的高效率转换来取代化石燃料。 通过降低生产木屑颗粒的成本并提高其价值和可靠性，颗粒燃料可以取代煤炭。 生物碳的高效和广泛生产可用于保护水和土壤以及增强碳固存。 如果这一举措成功，将产生广泛分布的工厂，通过创造清洁能源和水质方面的就业机会，可以产生重大的经济影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will integrate activated carbon production and high efficiency power generation. High-temperature steam and nitrogen-containing exhaust gas from a hydrogen-fueled engine will be used to drive the conversion of biomass to syngas and activated carbon in a single reactor. Reactor conditions will be studied to optimize the yield and composition of both carbon and syngas. The business context for this proposal is deployment at a wood pellet mill where heat and power from the gasifier are utilized to reduce the cost of pellet production. The carbon will be studied as an additive to pellets to increase the energy density and improve stability, two qualities which will address barriers to industrial markets for pellets. The product carbon will also be assessed for the treatment of acid mine drainage by the adsorption of metals.The broader commercial and environmental impacts of this research are due to the potential to increase the use of biomass, such as forest thinnings, to displace fossil fuels by high efficiency conversion through combined heat and power. By reducing the cost of producing wood pellets and increasing their value and reliability, pellet fuels can displace coal. The efficient and wide spread production of bio-carbon has application in the protection of water and soils as well as enhanced carbon sequestration. The widely distributed plants that will result if this initiative is successful can have a significant economic impact by creating jobs in clean energy and water quality.