Commercial Operation of Thermogenics’ Model 103-2X-6 gasifier Update March, 2007

Commercial Operation of Thermogenics’ Model 103-2X-6 gasifier Update March, 2007
Leland Taylor, Thermogenics, Inc. March 2007
Model 103-2X-6 at Snyder, Texas

This photo shows the installation of the Model 103-2X-6 gasification system at the Snyder Brick and Tile plant in Snyder, Texas. The fuel used at the time of this photo is cotton "burrs" the husks of the cotton boll, leaves, stalks, cotton, weeds and other cotton components gathered in harvesting cotton using stripping.

The fuel can be seen in the live bottom hopper on the right, a converted truck road salt spreading unit. The material is fed into the system to the right where it is introduced to the pressurized reactor through a proprietary feeding system. From the reactor the gas goes through cooling coils which also generate process steam, then to and electrostatic precipitator, then to a water cooled heat exchanger to reduce the temperature. From this it proceeds to a chiller to reduce the temperature further then to the final electrostatic precipitator to remove the condensed aerosols including water, organics and other contaminants which may contribute to emissions or engine fouling. The gas is then fed to the brick kiln through the pipe that can be seen on the wall of the brick plant. There it is fed to the kiln in parallel with the natural gas burner heads. Ash is discharged behind the feed hopper on the back-side of the reactor. Ash is mixed in with the clay for brick making or sold as a fertilizer if biomass is used. With the gasifier ash meeting US EPA TCLP acceptance for landfill, it is not a problem to dispose of.

This system has operated for 1685 hours on various fuels, including tires, press cake, cotton burrs, refuse derived fuel, poultry litter, and of that, approximately 300 hours on cotton burrs during reactor and feeding modifications to handle the burrs. Additional operations on plastic, waste oils, tires, dried sewage sludge (30% moisture), and other feedstocks are planned when the fuels are available.

Specifics:
Kiln natural gas demand: 10mm BTU/hr. 24 hours/day 7 days/week.
Approximately 10 day downtime/year.
Cost of natural gas $6-15/mmBTU. Operating cost: $60-150/hour, 350 days/year $511,200 to $1,270,000/year.
Current kiln replacement for natural gas, 30% with 1/2" pipes, to go to 80% with 1" pipe upgrade.
Total system capacity is 1500#/hour of fuel which ranges from 80% of natural gas usage to 180% depending upon fuel, cotton burrs 80%, tires 180%.
Electrical power for peak shaving power production: 200kW.

Contact:
Leland Taylor
Thermogenics, Inc.
7100-F 2nd St. NW Albuquerque New Mexico 87107
phone: 505-463-8422 fax:505-268-9206 (call first)
e-mail linvent@aol.com web:www.thermogenics.com