[Gasification] Gasification Digest, Vol 28, Issue 7

Wed Dec 26 10:16:55 CST 2012

Dear Tom Miles and all

Biochar has changed the options with wood gasification, but there are several questions that need to be answered.

O. Using Toplit Updraft gasification, you have the option of keeping 20% charcoal as a by-product.  In this case, the heat for pyrolysis is more than supplied by the volatile products of pyrolyising the cellulose and converting the lignin to charcoal.  Temperatures in the autopyrolysis bed range from 500-700C, higher than those generating "cowboy" charcoal.  

So is this charcoal superior to Cowboy?  

O Since wood is typically 50% carbon, and charcoal yield for TLUD gasification is 20%, you will put one CO2 into the atmosphere for every Carbon sequestered as charcoal.  But that's better than letting all the C in the wood turn to CO2 or methane as would otherwise happen.  

Comments?

Tom Reed

Thomas B Reed 

On Dec 22, 2012, at 1:09 PM, "Tom Miles" <tmiles at trmiles.com> wrote:

> Peter,
>  
> It is a highly functional gasifier that makes two good products – gas and biochar - in variable proportions. As you know it is a challenge just to sell a gasifier in energy markets that are dominated by low cost natural gas. 
>  
> I had previously understood that the 200 tpd gasifier referred to in the article was a pilot facility that was owned and operated by ICM. However, it appears that it might have also been operated on trial by the county as a means of wood waste reduction and the term ran out. That’s pure speculation but it was not generating heat or power for a customer.
>  
> Tom     
>  
> From: Gasification [mailto:gasification-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Peter Mason
> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2012 6:35 AM
> To: gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Gasification] Gasification Digest, Vol 28, Issue 7
>  
>  
> Just curious - is the ICM technology based on gasification or pyrolysis? Maybe this just highlights the fact that you cannot expect any single technology to deliver multiple outcomes.
>  
> Peter Mason.
>  
>    A problem well defined is a problem half solved and always start with the end in mind.
>  
> Mason & Associates.
> Renewable Energy Project Developers.
> pmason at telus.net
>  
>  
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gasification [mailto:gasification-
> > bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of gasification-
> > request at lists.bioenergylists.org
> > Sent: December-21-12 8:01 PM
> > To: gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org
> > Subject: Gasification Digest, Vol 28, Issue 7
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:44:03 +0000 (UTC)
> > From: rongretlarson at comcast.net
> > To: biochar at yahoogroups.com, Tom Miles <tmiles at trmiles.com>,
> >     albert.bennett at icminc.com
> > Cc: gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org,    biochar-policy
> >     <biochar-policy at yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Gasification] [biochar] ICM gasifier project comes to a
> >     close
> > Message-ID:
> >     <469265106.1024285.1356043443355.JavaMail.root at sz0133a.emeryville
> > .ca.mail.comcast.net>
> >
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> > 
> > 
> >
> > Tom, Lists, Bert
> >
> > Because this sounded pretty bad news for biochar, I have done a little
> > looking around. I eventually talked to the key individual at ICM - Dr.
> > Bert Bennett, who has agreed to comment on your news story below.
> >
> > Bert gave a very informative plenary about this specific ICM plant at
> > Sonoma. Anyone can watch a good 15 minute video found at:
> > http://2012.biochar.us.com/conference-videos
> >
> > I also found a shorter similar 5 minute audio from 2011
> > http://domesticfuel.com/2011/05/10/icm-spotlights-biomass-gasification-
> > at-conference/
> >
> > There are also plenty of news releases on the facility - all I saw were
> > very complementary.
> >
> > Because Bert has agreed to give some more background, I won't say more
> > except to say this should be by no means the end of the biochar story
> > from this 350 person company, that is operating worldwide.
> >
> > Ron
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Miles" <tmiles at trmiles.com>
> > To: biochar at yahoogroups.com, "Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and
> > gasification" <gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 11:08:46 AM
> > Subject: [biochar] ICM gasifier project comes to a close
> >
> > > The article below demonstrates how difficult it Is to convert urban
> > residues to heat, power and biochar in today?s economy.
> >
> > > I observed that technically the ICM gasifier worked very well. The ICM
> > gasifier can take wood, straw or corn stover and convert it to gas and
> > biochar in various proportions. It makes a good quality biochar that
> > has been tested in various locations. I was impressed by the fuel
> > flexibility.
> >
> > The economic challenges are manifold: if it is not feasible to generate
> > and sell heat or power and biochar at one location then you can?t
> > generate the cash flow necessary to run the plant. We hope that Bert
> > Bennett and his team at ICM can find a suitable customer.
> >  
> > Tom
> >
> > ICM gasifier project comes to a close
> >
> > By Ashley Bergner Newton Kansan
> >
> > December 20. 2012 11:00AM
> >
> > www.thekansan.com/article/20121220/NEWS/121229996
> >
> > > The decommissioning of ICM's prototype gasifier at the Harvey County
> > Transfer Station marks an end ? or at least a postponement ? of the
> > county's vision of a viable waste-to-energy system.
> > At Monday's county commission meeting, officials announced the project
> > would be coming to a close, and within six months, all the equipment
> > will be taken down.
> >
> > "It would bring to a halt our hopes ... of what would be a waste-to-
> > energy facility," said John Waltner, county administrator.
> > ICM?s Biomass Gasification System, also known as a ?gasifier,? burns
> > trash and converts it to synthetic gas, which can be used to generate
> > power in industrial and commercial settings. ICM tested thousands of
> > tons of different types of waste, which are referred to as
> > ?feedstocks.? Feedstocks tested included wood chips, wheat straw and
> > refuse-derived fuel (this includes junk mail, cardboard and other paper
> > products thrown away).
> >
> > Using a gasifier to convert Harvey County trash into energy had once
> > appeared to be a possibility. The Harvey County facility likely would
> > have needed to burn 90 tons of trash per day, a number officials had
> > thought the county could reach.
> > ICM plans to try to market the technology in a different area, perhaps
> > overseas.
> > Despite the county's disappointment the project wasn't ultimately
> > viable here in Harvey County, they said their experience working with
> > ICM was positive.
> >
> > "It really has been just a terrific exercise for us," Waltner said.
> >
> > Commission chair Marge Roberson agreed."It feels really good that
> > Harvey County had the tenacity to push to take a good, hard look at
> > doing something with trash other than putting it in the ground," she
> > said. "I absolutely do not regret any moment we've spent with this
> > partnership."
> >
> > Waltner does believe the technology will be prove to be viable in the
> > future.
> >
> > "They're going to be successful," he said of the company. "This is
> > something that's going to happen."
>  
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