Grantee Research Project Results
Advanced Slagging Gasifier for Biomass Wastes
EPA Contract Number: EPD06032Title: Advanced Slagging Gasifier for Biomass Wastes
Investigators: Schaffer, Mark
Small Business: Advanced Fibers & Powders, LLC
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: March 1, 2006 through August 31, 2006
Project Amount: $70,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Waste , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development
Description:
Gasification provides a potential means of deriving clean energy from biomass waste materials. One of the greatest obstacles to the effective gasification of animal and farm waste is the slagging behavior of the residual ash at temperatures that yield the most efficient gasification performance. Many wastes particularly are problematic for dry ash gasification processes, especially waste from concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs (e.g., poultry litter and other animal manures) because these wastes combine high ash content with low ash fusion temperatures. This Phase I project will address the development of an advance counter-rotating vortex (CVR) slagging gasifier for the processing of animal and farm wastes. Specific attention will be directed toward poultry litter (a CAFO waste). The advanced gasification technology being developed represents modifications to a previously developed vitrification technology for the processing of carbon- and ash-containing industrial wastes to operation under reducing conditions for the gasification of animal and farm wastes. The proposed gasification technology operated reliably and efficiently above the ash fusions temperature, thus avoiding ash slagging problems while achieving improved H2 and CO yields. Tar formation also is mitigated by the disassociation of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons at these higher operating temperatures. The great degree of turbulence and high mixing rates achieved within the gasification reactor result in very high heat release rates (> 100,000 °C/second), which in turn promote the rapid disintegration of the biomass feedstocks. This results in improved carbon conversion efficiency and reduced wall heat transfer losses. The net result is the achievement of very high gasification efficiencies with improved product yields and quality. The robust nature of the proposed technology can be applied to the gasification of a wide range of animal and farm wastes, as well as other biomass materials.
Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, waste gasification, residual ash, advanced slagging gasifier, poultry litter, concentrated animal feeding operations, CAFO, industrial waste, animal waste, farm waste, carbon conversion, biomass wastes, EPA,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, POLLUTION PREVENTION, Sustainable Environment, Energy, Environmental Chemistry, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Environmental Engineering, energy conservation, waste to fuel conversion, waste gasification, agricultural byproducts, animal waste, poultry waste, alternative fuel, biowaste, agriculture, alternative energy source, animal waste gasifier, bio-based energyProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.