Internal Combustion

Gasification of Wood Chip Waste for Domestic Heat and Power - January 2009.
Ken Boak, January 30, 2009

Lister

This is my 1953 6hp Lister diesel Startomatic
generator set installed in the renewable energy
workshop. It supplies heated water and power
to my house. Currently it runs on waste veg oil.

The aim is to run this engine using wood gas
produced from woodchip waste from tree
surgery, plus about 20% veg oil in dual fuel
mode.

Engines have been powered on wood gas for
just over 100 years, with main developments in
Europe and Scandinavia occurring during
wartime fuel shortages in the 1940s.

These pages look at my wood gas project.

Latest Developments in the Use of Wood Gas in Gas Engines (pdf)
Thomas Elsenbruch, GE Jenbacher, Jenbach, Austria, IDGTE Toronto, Canada; 12. June 2008

Jenbacher gas engines – Overview 1
A leading manufacturer of gas-fueled
reciprocating engines for power
generation.
• Power range from 0.25MW to 3MW,
4 platforms / 10 products
• Fuel flexibility: Natural gas or a variety of
renewable or alternative gases
(e.g., landfill gas, biogas, coal mine gas)
• Plant configurations: Generator sets,
cogeneration systems, container solutions
• Delivered engines: about 8,000 units / 9,000 MW

Experiences with Wood gasification
•Harboore / Denmark;
Woodgas; H2: 15 - 18%; CO: 25-28%; LHV = 6.8 MJ/Nm³
•Güssing / Austria
Woodgas; H2: 35 - 40%; CO: 20-25%; LHV = 10.5 MJ/Nm³
•Spiez / Switzerland
Woodgas; H2: 12 - 15 %; CO: 18-20%; LHV = 5.4 MJ/Nm³
•Kokemäki / Finnland
Woodgas; H2: 15 - 18%; CO: 18 - 20%; LHV = 6.1 MJ/Nm³
•Skive / Denmark
Woodgas; H2: 15 - 18%; CO: 18 - 20%; LHV = 6.1 MJ/Nm³

Crucial points in the utilization of
wood gas
- Gas cleaning technology
- Fulfillment of emissions
Installed woodgas plants

Summary
wide range of H2 gases can be used in gas engines
key factor is laminar flame speed
main technical barriers:
gas contamination (tar, humidity....)
CO- emissions

The Institute of Gas Turbine and Diesel Engineers (Canadian Branch)
2008 Spring Seminar: Renewable Fuel Utilization
Seminar Presentations

Open Core Re-burn Stratified Downdraft Gasifiers: References
Tom Miles, November 18, 2007
Temperatures and Gas Composition

Multi-mode Gasifier

"Method an Apparatus for Generating and Utilizing Combustible Gas", US Patent 6,647,903, Nov. 18, 2003, Charles, W. Aguadas Ellis http://freepatentsonline.com/6647903.pdf

Superficial velocity - the Key to Downdraft Gasification T. B. Reed, R. Walt, S. Ellis, A. Das, S. Deutch http://www.woodgas.com/Superficial%20Velocity.pdf

S. Chopra and A. Jain. “A Review of Fixed Bed Gasification Systems for Biomass”.Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Engineering International: the CIGR Ejournal. Invited Overview No. 5. Vol. IX. April, 2007.
http://www.cigrjournal.org/index.php/Ejounral/article/view/960

Design Parameters for a Rice Husk Throatless Gasifier," Anil Kr Jain, May 2006, Agricultural engineering internationals: the CIGR Ejournal, Manuscript EE 05 012 vol Viii.
http://cigr-ejournal.tamu.edu/submissions/volume8/EE%2005%20012%20Jain%20final%2010May2006.pdf

The 2D Eulerian Approach of Entrained Flow and Temperature in a Biomass Stratified Downdraft Gasifier A Rogel and J. Agullon, American Journal of Applied Sciences 3 (10) 2068-2075, 2006
http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajas/ajas3102068-2075.pdf

Method and Apparatus for Generating Combustible Synthesis Gas US patent 20070012229, Jan.18,2007. Rehmat, Amirali G (Darien, IL, US)KAO, Richard L (Northbrook, IL, US), CHUNG, Jin Soo (Hacienda Heights, CA, US) http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070012229.pdf

Operating Engines on Woodgas" Bill Olsen. 2007.
http://www.slideshare.net/ncenergy/operating-engines-on-woodgas-by-bill-olsen

Modeling wood gasification in a countercurrent fixed-bed reactor
Colomba Di Blasi * Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80125 Napoli, Italy
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/109594729/abstract

Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Biomass – a Retrospective and a Prospective
H. S. Mukunda, S. Dasappa, P J Paul, N K S Rajan, G Sridhar, H V Sridhar and U Shrinivasa, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Thermal Gasification Technology: Open Top Re-burn Down Draft IISc.India
NetPro DESI Power India
http://www.desipower.com/field_experience/netpro_experience.htm

A Process and gasifier for Gasification of Solid Biofuel European Patent EP1442101, Henrik
Houmann Jakobsen, May 15, 2003 http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP1442101.pdf

Gasification of bamboo for electricity
Government of India, Ministry of Science and Technology, DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST) 2007

NMBA, National Mission on Bamboo Applications http://www.bambootech.org

DST/ NMBA has approved the establishment of a 25 Kwe fabricated
gasifier with producer gas engine at Namsai, Lohit district.

DST/ NMBA has approved the establishment of a 25 Kwe (35 kg/
hour) gasifier to provide electricity for a residential educational
establishment (Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies,
Dahung) in Arunachal Pradesh.
DST/ NMBA will support, for off-grid and remote villages,
a programme of induction of 6 bamboo gasifiers in 2007 (in
the 25 Kwe - 75 Kwe range), to provide electricity to villages,
or to institutions (residential schools, health sub-centres,
small enterprises).

http://dst.gov.in/admin_finance/ls_9/un_sq561.htm

List of Gasifier Manufacturers working in collaboration with NMBA for induction of bamboo based gasifier systems

Listeroids
Rolf, July 22, 2007

PRM Energy Gasification Systems May 2007
Eneria 1 MWe

5 Years of Operating Experience with a 2 MW CHP Plant Based on Wood Gasification in Güissing, Austria (pdf 736 KB)
C Aichernig, Repotec, AT, October 2006

Gussing Plant 2 MWe + CHP

Gasifier and Engine Tables
Kevin Chisholm, October 11, 2006

Attached is a Spread Sheet "Gasifier and Engine Tables" that should answer a number of questions relating to diesel fuel displaced by using wood gas in a dual fueled engine, or the amount of wood required to provide sufficient gas to run a Spark Ignition (SI) engine of any size.

I put this Spread Sheet together, based on fundamental work done by Doug Williams of Fluidyne, www.fluidynenz.250x.com

Enter the engine speed in the colored block, in Table 1, and this gives results for an engine of 1000 cc displacement. In Table 2, the engine displacement can be entered, and this table gives the expected results for an engine of that displacement.

For a given engine size, if you know its petrol consumption now, the Table 2 would tell you how much wood you would require to operate the engine under similar load conditions. I hope you find this helpful

Best wishes,

Kevin