Community Power Corporation

University of Montana Bio-Energy Project: Energy Tech Practicum(5.4 MB ppt)
Brian Kerns, University of Montana, Alternative Energy Research and Development, brian.kerns@umontana.edu August 4, 2008

Biomax 25

Biomass Project
Sponsored by USDA
3 year project, begun 10/2006
Utilizes Community Power Corp.’s BioMax® technology
Custom-built portable trailer
$500,000 for BioMax & trailer
Convert wood residue to
Electricity
Thermal (heat) energy

Project Concept:
Is it economically viable to transport portable distributed energy generators into locations that are producing biomass residues?

BioMax 25
- 25 kilowatts electrical
= 200,000 Btu/h heat
- Elec. & heat energy for 15 avg. MT homes
- 50 lbs/hr wood chips
- 1,750 scf/h prod. gas
- Char/ash production 0.75 lbs/hr
- Soil amendment
- 70% overall efficiency

Fuel Equivalents
1 hr operation = 50 lb wood = 400,000 Btu
= 3.3 gal gasoline
= 8 gal diesel
= 4.5 gal propane
= 2.9 gal crude oil
= 33.3 lbs coal
= 387.9 cubic feet natural gas

BioMax Emissions
Complies w/ CA air stds
Lbs/kWh
NOX 0.00065
CO 0.0000295
VOC 0.000031
PM2-5 0.0003
PM10 0.0000
CO2 7.7260
Hg 0.0000
Pb 0.0000
SO2 <0.0030

See also:
Woody Biomass Lights Up Researchers Capitol Press, 8/22/08

Prototype gasifier turns wood chips into versatile fuel source

Barbara Coyner
For the Capital Press

MISSOULA, Mont. - With a flip of a switch, Brian Kerns can turn wood chips into energy for a car, light at a remote work site, or electricity for the energy grid. . .

For the economics see:
Fuel to Burn: Economics of Converting Forest Thinnings to Energy Using BioMax in Southern Oregon. E. M. (Ted) Bilek, Kenneth E. Skog, Jeremy Fried, Glenn Christensen, USFS General Technical Report FPL-GTR-157

SMALL-SCALE LUMBER DRYING USING WOOD GASIFICATION AS A HEAT SOURCE
Richard D. Bergman, USDA Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin, Western Dry Kiln Association, May, 2005

ABSTRACT
Small, rural forested communities have the economic need to develop a wood products industry to replace the loss of large sawmills and maintain forest health. The main
objective of this study was to explore the potential of using producer (wood) gas to fire a hot water boiler for a small dry kiln capable of drying both softwood and hardwood lumber.
A BioMax wood gasifier, a hot water boiler, and dry kiln were integrated as parts of a whole lumber drying system for a field test in southwestern United States. Results so far found the amount of gas heat produced from the wood chip-fed BioMax 15 and 50 is
250,000 and 1,000,000 Btus per hour respectively, while the hot water boiler provides 109,000 Btus per hour for a 3,500 board foot dry kiln.

Small Modular Biomass Gasification
Rob Rizzo,Mt Wachusetts Community College,Biomass Combined Heat & Power For Delmarva, Dover, Delaware, June 12, 2007

Biomax 50
-50 kWe combined heat and power
-Thermal energy for heat
-Thermal energy for absorption chiller
-Electricity: 8.1 liter GM turbocharged stationary engine with genset
-24/6 operation
-No additional staffing
-transparent
-1.5 tons/day green chips consumption
-Seeking funding for other prime movers

Operating the BioMax 50 System
(Emergency Shutdown)
-Emergency Shutdown
-Kills power to all electrical devices
-Shuts the feed gate
-Emergencies
-Gas Cooling Blower Failure
-Engine and Roots blower failure
-System clogged

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

IEA Task 33 Thermal Gasification of Biomass: Technical Presentations from the Fall Meeting Oct 30-Nov 2, 2006 Chicago, Golden, USA

50 kWe Demonstration Gasifier Starts at Mt. Wachusett Community College, Massachusetts
Rob Rizzo, Mount Wachusett Community College, October 30, 2006

50 kWe Engine-Generator