Biomass gasification for electricity generation: Review of current technology barriers
TL;DR: In this paper, the main factors to be considered in the design of a gasification plant have been outlined, and it is observed that there are a great number of factors involved in design and operation of a plant, and many of them are critical.
Abstract: Biomass gasification has yet to consolidate its position compared to other techniques for exploiting biomass energy. Neither the research conducted nor the plants built in recent decades, nor even government support for this technology, have provided a sufficient boost to increase the level of implementation of gasification despite its advantages in aspects such as greater efficiency and the reduction in CO2 emissions, as there are numerous other methods of biomass energy conversion that provide stiff competition. In this paper, gasification techniques have been reviewed in depth and the main factors to be considered in the design of a gasification plant have been outlined. It is observed that there are a great number of factors involved in design and operation of a gasification plant, and many of them are critical. Moreover, having designed a plant according to certain specifications, there is a high probability that these initial conditions can vary, causing a malfunction of the plant.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present how renewable energy resources are currently being used, scientific developments to improve their use, their future prospects, and their deployment, and represent the impact of power electronics and smart grid technologies that can enable the proportionate share of renewable resources.
Abstract: Electric energy security is essential, yet the high cost and limited sources of fossil fuels, in addition to the need to reduce greenhouse gasses emission, have made renewable resources attractive in world energy-based economies. The potential for renewable energy resources is enormous because they can, in principle, exponentially exceed the world׳s energy demand; therefore, these types of resources will have a significant share in the future global energy portfolio, much of which is now concentrating on advancing their pool of renewable energy resources. Accordingly, this paper presents how renewable energy resources are currently being used, scientific developments to improve their use, their future prospects, and their deployment. Additionally, the paper represents the impact of power electronics and smart grid technologies that can enable the proportionate share of renewable energy resources.
1,990 citations
Cites background from "Biomass gasification for electricit..."
...Potential benefits and technical limitations of biomass energy [13]....
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...Moreover, the utilization of biomass-derived fuels will also greatly mitigate current energy security and trade balance issues, and foster socio-economic developments for many nations, as indicated in Table 2 [13]....
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TL;DR: This review presents a comprehensive description of the current pathways for recycling of polymers, via both mechanical and chemical recycling, and discusses the main challenges and some potential remedies to these recycling strategies, thus providing an academic angle as well as an applied one.
1,352 citations
TL;DR: The goal of this study is to review the fundamental structures and chemistries of wood and wood-derived materials, which are essential for a wide range of existing and new enabling technologies.
Abstract: With the arising of global climate change and resource shortage, in recent years, increased attention has been paid to environmentally friendly materials. Trees are sustainable and renewable materials, which give us shelter and oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Trees are a primary resource that human society depends upon every day, for example, homes, heating, furniture, and aircraft. Wood from trees gives us paper, cardboard, and medical supplies, thus impacting our homes, school, work, and play. All of the above-mentioned applications have been well developed over the past thousands of years. However, trees and wood have much more to offer us as advanced materials, impacting emerging high-tech fields, such as bioengineering, flexible electronics, and clean energy. Wood naturally has a hierarchical structure, composed of well-oriented microfibers and tracheids for water, ion, and oxygen transportation during metabolism. At higher magnification, the walls of fiber cells have an interes...
1,031 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of pyrolysis process parameters on the production of biochar through biochar of biomass is discussed and a comparison between the existing techniques is established in the present work.
Abstract: Biomass is considered to have potential to be used as an alternative energy source. High carbon content present in biomass converts it into high energy biochar on thermochemical treatment. Among few well established thermochemical technologies for the treatment of biomass and biogenic waste to produce high energy char along with oil and gaseous yield, pyrolysis is the most studied and discussed technique in the recent past. A comparison between the existing techniques is established in the present work. Production of char from the biomass and biogenic wastes is reviewed and it was found that yield of the biochar depends upon the biomass composition like moisture content and presence of cellulose or lignin. Pyrolysis product distribution and their quality strongly depend upon the process parameters. Different biomasses which can be used as raw material in pyrolysis are also reviewed and categorized depending upon their source. Pyrolysis process parameters such as temperature, heating rate, residence time etc. also influence the biochar yield. This study discusses the effect of these process parameters on the production of biochar through pyrolysis of biomass.
944 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive review on the technical advancements, developments of biomass gasification technology and the barriers being faced by different stakeholders in wide dissemination of the technology for day to day requirements of the society, followed by recommendations for policy makers to make this technology popular while serving the society.
Abstract: Due to fast climate change and foreseen damage through global warming, access to clean and green energy has become very much essential for the sustainable development of the society, globally. Biomass based energy is one of the important renewable energy resources to meet the day to day energy requirements and is as old as the human civilization. Biomass gasification is among few important aspects of bioenergy for producing heat, power and biofuels for useful applications. Despite, the availability of vast literature, technological and material advancements, the dissemination of gasification technology could not overcome the critical barriers for the widespread acceptability over the conventional energy resources. This article presents a comprehensive review on the technical advancements, developments of biomass gasification technology and the barriers being faced by different stakeholders in the wide dissemination of the technology for day to day requirements of the society, followed by recommendations for policy makers to make this technology popular while serving the society.
536 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present how renewable energy resources are currently being used, scientific developments to improve their use, their future prospects, and their deployment, and represent the impact of power electronics and smart grid technologies that can enable the proportionate share of renewable resources.
Abstract: Electric energy security is essential, yet the high cost and limited sources of fossil fuels, in addition to the need to reduce greenhouse gasses emission, have made renewable resources attractive in world energy-based economies. The potential for renewable energy resources is enormous because they can, in principle, exponentially exceed the world׳s energy demand; therefore, these types of resources will have a significant share in the future global energy portfolio, much of which is now concentrating on advancing their pool of renewable energy resources. Accordingly, this paper presents how renewable energy resources are currently being used, scientific developments to improve their use, their future prospects, and their deployment. Additionally, the paper represents the impact of power electronics and smart grid technologies that can enable the proportionate share of renewable energy resources.
1,990 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the costs and technologies involved in an integrated system for the production of electricity from biomass in general and wood in particular are reviewed, and the main conclusions are that wood handling, storage, drying, comminution and screening are well established and present no uncertainties in operation and performance.
992 citations
TL;DR: The analysis indicates that gasification is a technically viable option for the solid waste conversion, including residual waste from separate collection of municipal solid waste, and can have a remarkable effect on reduction of landfill disposal option.
952 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an overview of the principles, reactions, and applications of four fundamental thermo-chemical processes (combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction) for bioenergy production, as well as recent developments in these technologies.
949 citations
TL;DR: An extended overview of the organic and inorganic phase composition of biomass was conducted in this article, where reference peer-reviewed data and own investigations for various minor organic components and minerals, and modes of element occurrence identified in biomass were also applied and organized to describe the biomass systematically.
778 citations
"Biomass gasification for electricit..." refers background in this paper
...C o n si d e ra ti o n s a b o u t th e cu rr e n t m a in ty p e s o f g a si fi e rs [2 5 ,5 3 – 5 6 ]....
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...There is currently deemed to be a need for a more detailed investigation into the study and characterization of the biomass that can be used for energy purposes, as less is known about these fuels than about fossil fuels such as coal [6]....
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