[Gasification] Peter's newbie question...

[Tom Reed]

Dear Peter and All:

(There are two "Toms" often writing to this site, Tom Reed and Tom Miles, both quite knowledgable in biomass pyrolysis and gasification.  I suggest you add the REED or MILES to the "dear tom"s". )

I know (and admire) Tom Miles.  He's very knowledgable, but hides it modestly under a sunny manner.  Also has a wonderful family. (How's Molly?0

I am 89 (in my 90th year) and Tom Miles is considerably younger, but I'm not sure how much....

I'm in excellent health, and expect to live another few decades.  I have four children and 7 grandchildren, 1 GGC, now 1 year old.  Hope to have another dozen before I leave.  

Thomas (Binnington) Reed

Thomas B Reed 
280 Hardwick Rd
Barre, MA 01005
508 353 7841

> On May 20, 2015, at 3:30 PM, Peter Davies <idgasifier at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear Tom,
> 
> I hope this finds you well, I noticed your post to the list below and thought I would share some of our recent success with you. Our system is not a TLUD, but it is not a conventional downdraft either and was described by a visiting scientist as "A descending bed downdraft". It is nonetheless perhaps of interest in regard your balances below.
> 
> We have been getting formal gas analysis through SGS here in Australia (NATA certified lab results) as follows:
> 
> CO - 15%
> H2 - 30%
> CH4 - <1%
> CO2 - 8%
> N2 - balance.
> 
> This with a co-product yield of around 20% of charcoal (dry basis)...Starting with wood chips @22% mc.
> 
> The 2:1 ratio of H2:CO suggests the extra H2 is coming from the moisture cracking.
> 
> Gas sampling was undertaken using a purpose built column designed to give uniform mixing and flow at the sampling point and the sample was taken using a certified SGS vacuum flask for such sampling. (pic attached). I have also included a couple of files from recent testing on pelleted cotton gin trash (which is giving similar test results to wood chip). The flare video was taken 3 minutes after first start-up onsite, cold bed no char in starting sample. I was simply using the hand held butane torch to see if any CO was beginning to come through (you see a color change around the butane flame), I had just begun telling my wife that it looked like it was not far off from ignition.... No filtering beyond a cyclone and simple condensate trap. The other picture is carbonised cotton pellets that come out as the co-product, they have a higher value as char than their embedded energy in Australian situations.
> 
> cheers,
> Peter
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On 21/05/2015 3:57 AM, Tom Reed wrote:
>> Dear Anand and All:
>> 
>> Thanks for your comments.  I am so glad that the TLUD principle, first used in our cook and camp stoves about 1985, is finding broader uses now.  It depends on the facts:
>> 
>> Wood is comprised of 80% Cellulose and only 20% lignin
>> 
>> When the fuel is lit ON TOP, the cellulose is vaporized:
>> 
>> Celllulose, a great fuel which breaks down about 330 C to form H2 and CO
>> 
>>       C6H10O5 + heat ===> 5 CO + 5 H2 + C
>> 
>> This gas is useful for cooking and running engines.
>> 
>> The 20% lignin in the wood is uniformly converted to charcoal.
>> 
>> This works on wood at any scale.  The cellulose gas is relatively clean and is fine for cooking as is.  For engine use, passing the gas through a container of previously produced charcoal is sufficient to cool and clean it for engine use.
>> 
>> Yours for clean cellulose gasification and char production,
>> 
>> TOM REED
>> 
>> Thomas B Reed
>> 280 Hardwick Rd
>> Barre, MA 01005
>> 508 353 7841
> 
> -- 
> Peter Davies
> Director
> ID Gasifiers Pty Ltd
> Delegate River, Victoria
> Australia
> Ph: 0402 845 295
> 
> <Bedding in test gasifier.wmv>
> <char pellets.jpg>
> <gas sampling.jpg>