Real time control of gasifiers to increase tolerance to biomass variety and reduce emissions

英国拥有巨大的生物质资源，但目前未得到充分利用，据估计，有1,000-1,400万吨可持续生物质可用于发电和供热。最近的一份报告得出结论，到2050年，生物质可以提供英国近50%的能源需求，其优势是它是安全的，并按需提供电力和能源。利用这一点的问题是生物质的可及性、生物质的种类和当前的加工选择。气化是将生物质转化为其组成成分并产生氢、一氧化碳和甲烷的过程，这些氢、一氧化碳和甲烷可用于驱动内燃机或涡轮机发电，而热量是气化过程的一部分。气化炉目前没有达到预期的性能，主要原因是焦油生产(影响合成气质量)、生物质多变性以及缺乏对预处理方法的标准。这项研究致力于克服这些技术和经济障碍，重点关注生物质收获的能源需求，为不同的生物质品种开发更好的气化过程模型，并通过实验确定生物质变化和预处理方案对气化炉性能的影响。重要的是，将开发仪器和控制以最大限度地减少焦油生成和优化气化过程，并将其与系统的技术经济指标相结合。这项研究由7个相互关联的工作包组成。1)开发气化过程的数学模型，以预测生物质种类及其预处理对气化性能的影响，并允许优化气化炉设计。2)设计小型、模块化的试验台气化炉，以便开发和测试可靠且廉价的仪表和控制策略，以针对不同的生物质和处理方案优化气化器的性能。3)为2)和更大的流态化床气化炉开发气化炉仪表。评估实时焦油检测方法，通过最大限度地减少焦油产量和产生更清洁的气体，提供一种控制气化炉的方法。4)评估一些英国本土物种的生物量特征，以便进行选择和混合，以减少生物量差异，从而改善气化。5)利用表征的生物质，将通过评估热能、合成气和焦油产量来衡量小型和大型气化炉的气化效率。将评估控制系统对业绩的影响。6)将利用生命周期分析和技术经济调查确定这些过程的温室气体排放和可持续性。7)利用现有的技术、环境和经济数据--从1)到6)--并将为英国和国际确定改善生物质品种和前处理气化工艺性能的战略。将确定气体液化和燃料储存的可能性。这是一个多学科项目，侧重于影响当前糟糕的气化性能的问题，并将使人们更好地了解生物质及其预处理对气化效率和排放的作用。将研究解决方案，以控制气化炉，减少焦油生成，并允许更多选择的生物质气化。这将给世界各地的用户带来好处，减少焦油生成，减少停机时间，增加原料机会。这具有巨大的社会经济潜力，将影响英国和世界各地的可持续能源和电力生产，全球人口因使用可持续生物质资源而减少温室气体排放而受益。

The UK has enormous biomass resource which it currently underutilises, it is estimated that there is 10-14 million tons of sustainable biomass which could be used to generate electricity and heat pa. A recent report concluded that biomass can provide nearly 50% of the UK's energy needs by 2050, with the advantage that it is secure and provides power and energy on demand. Problems of utilising this is the accessibility of the biomass, the biomass variety and current processing options. Gasification is a process where biomass can be turned into its constituent components and produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane, which can be used to drive a combustion engine or turbine to produce electricity, with heat being produced as part of the gasification process. Gasifiers are currently not meeting performance expectations primarily due to tar production (impacting syngas quality), biomass variability and lack of standards over pretreatment methods. This research seeks to overcome these technical and economic barriers by focussing on the energy requirements for biomass harvesting, developing better models of gasification processes for different biomass varieties and experimentally determining impacts of biomass variance and pretreatment options on gasifier performance. Importantly, instrumentation and control to minimise the tar formation and optimise the gasification process will be developed and coupled with techno-economic indicators of the systems. The research is composed of 7 interconnected work packages.1) Develop mathematical models of the gasification process to predict the impact of biomass variety and its pretreatment on the gasification performance and allow optimal gasifier design.2) Design a small, modular test-bed gasifier to allow development and testing of robust and inexpensive instrumentation and control strategies, to optimise the performance of the gasifer for different biomass and treatment options.3) Develop gasifier instrumentation for 2) and for larger, fluidised bed gasifiers. Evaluate methods of real time tar detection that will provide a method to control the gasifier, by minimising the tar output and producing cleaner gas. 4) Assess the biomass characteristics of some indigenous UK species to allow selection and blending to reduce biomass variance, leading to improved gasification. Quantify the energy requirements for unlocking stranded forestry assets and the impact of various pretreatments on the feedstock potential.5) Using the characterised biomass, the gasification efficacy will be measured for small and large gasifiers by assessing thermal, syngas and tar outputs. The impact of the control systems on performance will be evaluated.6) The greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability of these processes will be determined using life cycle analysis and techno-economic investigations. 7) Using the available technical, environmental and economic data - from 1) to 6) - and strategies towards improved gasification process performance for biomass varieties and pretreatment will be identified for the UK and internationally. The potential of gaseous liquefaction and fuel storage will be identified. This is a multidisciplinary project that focusses on the issues impacting poor, current gasification performance and will provide greater understanding of the role that biomass and its pretreatment has on gasification efficiency and emissions. Solutions will be researched to control the gasifier and reduce the tar formation and allow gasification of a broader selection of biomass. This will provide benefit to users around the world, allowing reduced tar formation, less downtime, and increased feedstock opportunities. This has significant socio-economic potential to impact sustainable energy and power production in the UK and around the world, with global population benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions from using sustainable biomass resources.