Gasification: Difference between revisions

Environmental advocates have called gasification "incineration in disguise" and argue that the technology is still dangerous to air quality and public health. "Since 2003 numerous proposals for waste treatment facilities hoping to use... gasification technologies failed to receive final approval to operate when the claims of project proponents did not withstand public and governmental scrutiny of key claims," according to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.<ref>[http://www.no-burn.org/downloads/Incinerators%20in%20Disguise:%20Case%20Studies%20of%20Gasification,%20Pyrolysis,%20and%20Plasma%20in%20Europe,%20Asia,%20and%20the%20United%20States%20.pdf GAIA Report]</ref> One facility which operated from 2009–2011 in Ottawa had 29 "emissions incidents" and 13 "spills" over those three years. It was also only able to operate roughly 25% of the time.<ref>[http://www.zerowasteottawa.com/docs/141-RT-3557_RevA_PTR%20Final%20Assessment%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Plasco Energy Group Demonstration Project Final Report] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718153256/http://www.zerowasteottawa.com/docs/141-RT-3557_RevA_PTR%20Final%20Assessment%20Report%20FINAL.pdf |date=2011-07-18 }}</ref>

Several waste gasification processes have been proposed, but few have yet been built and tested, and only a handful have been implemented as plants processing real waste, and most of the time in combination with fossil fuels.<ref>[http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wtd/679004/679021/679065/ Gasification case studies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060804215602/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wtd/679004/679021/679065/ |date=2006-08-04 }} by the [[Environment Agency]] of England and Wales</ref>

In small business and building applications, where the wood source is sustainable, 250–1000 kWe and new zero carbon biomass gasification plants have been installed in Europe that produce tar free syngas from wood and burn it in reciprocating engines connected to a generator with heat recovery. This type of plant is often referred to as a wood biomass CHP unit but is a plant with seven different processes: biomass processing, fuel delivery, gasification, gas cleaning, waste disposal, electricity generation and heat recovery.<ref>[http://www.alfagy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6 Wood Gasification CHP / Cogeneration Plants] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707110458/http://www.alfagy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6 |date=2011-07-07 }}, 02.09.09</ref>

[[Diesel engine]]s can be operated on dual fuel mode using producer gas. Diesel substitution of over 80% at high loads and 70–80% under normal load variations can easily be achieved.<ref>[http://www.kedco.com/ind/industrial/principles-of-gasification/ Gasification Appliances Review]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 04.02.08</ref> [[Spark ignition engine]]s and [[solid oxide fuel cell]]s can operate on 100% gasification gas.<ref>[http://e-collection.ethbib.ethz.ch/view/eth:41553 Electricity from wood through the combination of gasification and solid oxide fuel cells], Ph.D. Thesis by Florian Nagel, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, 2008</ref><ref>[http://orbit.dtu.dk/getResource?recordId=209388&objectId=1&versionId=1 Characterization of biomass producer gas as fuel for stationary gas engines in combined heat and power production], Ph.D. Thesis by Jesper Ahrenfeldt, Technical University of Denmark March 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.biocellus.com/pdf/High_temperature_electrolyte.pdf High temperature electrolyte supported Ni-GDC/YSZ/LSM SOFC operation on two-stage Viking gasifier product gas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217093848/http://www.biocellus.com/pdf/High_temperature_electrolyte.pdf |date=2008-12-17 }}, Ph. Hofmann ''et al''. in Journal of Power Sources 173 (2007) 357–366</ref> Mechanical energy from the engines may be used for e.g. driving water pumps for irrigation or for coupling with an alternator for electrical power generation.