07 Alternative energy sources (bioconversion energy)

99101335 CO2 mitigation cost: bioenergy systems and natural

gas systems with decarboniratlon
Gustavsson, L. and Borjesson, P. Energy Policy, 1998, 26, (9), 699-713.
In Sweden power production with bioenergy systems is more costly than
with fossil energy systems at present. The competitiveness of bioenergy
systems could be improved by the new technology under development, such
as integrated gasification and combined cycle technology (IGCC) and
reduced biomass costs. The COz mitigation costs are lower for biomass
systems using IGCC technology than for natural gas systems using
decarbonization. Considering the temporally reduced greenhouse gases
from the soil when short-rotation forest (Salix) replaces annual food crops
on mineral soils, the COz mitigation costs could be reduced further by
about 10% for bioenergy systems. The cost of Salix can be reduced in the
future by about 30% because of improvements in plant breeding and
cultivation methods and even more if Salix plantations are used for the
treatment of municipal waste water. This would further improve the
competitiveness of bioenergy systems. Several data used in the cost
calculations are uncertain, especially regarding new technologies such as
IGCC, decarbonization and waste water treatment in Salix plantations and
will vary with local conditions. The results are, however, most sensitive to
changes in the fuel costs and particularly so in the case of natural gas
systems.
99101336 Conversion of biomass in the fluidized bed
Guo, Q. et al. Meitan Zhuanhua, 1998, 21, (3), 33-37. (In Chinese)
The paper gives a review of the characteristics of biomass fluidization and
processing, describing biomass combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. The
newest developments in the co-gasification of coal and biomass and co-
pyrolysis of coal and biomass are also summarized.
99101337 Design aspects of fast pyrolysis reaction systems
for liquids from biomass
Peacocke, G. V. C. et al. I ChemE Res. Even?, Two-Day Symp., 1998, 1055
113.
There is an increase in the conversion of biomass and agricultural wastes by
advanced technologies for the production of alternative fuels, chemicals
and derived products. Gasification is approaching the demonstration/
commercial stage. Fast pyrolysis is now at the pilot/demonstration stage and
the importance of good design in this emerging technology is important to
its subsequent development. Biomass fast pyrolysis offers the advantage
over gasification in that a liquid is produced which can therefore be stored
and transported to the power generation facility as required. The liquids
can also be used for the recovery of specialty chemicals and the production
of specialty products such as fertilizers and resins. Design aspects of a fast
pyrolysis system include: pyrolysis, char removal, liquids collection and gas
clean up.
99101336 Effect of fuel moisture content on biomass-IGCC
performance
Hughes, W. E. M. and Larson, E. D. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, 1998,
120, (3). 455-459.
The efficient conversion of biomass fuels to power can be affected by the
moisture level in the fuels. The efficiency and net power output of a
fluidized bed gasifier-combined cycle with flue gas drying is studied here for
a range of as-received raw biomass moisture contents and levels of pre-
gasification drying. The lack of empirical data available, made a modelling
approach necessary to simulate the effect of varying moisture content in the
gasifier feed biomass. For a specified as-received biomass moisture content,
drying prior to gasification increases overall efficiency, but the gains in
efficiency decrease with increasing levels of drying. For a specified post-
dryer gasifier feed moisture content, cycle efficiency and power output
increase with decreasing as-received biomass moisture down to 30%, below
which the change in cycle performance is negligible.
99101339 Energy and CO2 balances in different power gen-
eration routes using wood fuel from short rotation coppice
Dubuisson, X. and Sintzoff, 1. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1998, 15, (4/5), 379-
390.
The development of bioenergy can play a significant role in the reduction of
COz emissions to the atmosphere by substituting fossil fuels and storing
carbon in biomass and soil. The objective of this study was to carry out an
energy and carbon analysis of different power generation routes using wood
fuel from short rotation coppice. Three scenarios of wood fuel production
were considered. based on the level of intensification of cultivation
practices. in terms of machinery and materials input. Local and regional
transportation were distinguished, as well as natural convection or forced
ventilation for drying. Three conversion systems were also studied; local
peak electricity generation, local co-generation of heat and power (CHP)
and centralized power generation by wood and coal pulverization co-firing.
The energy and carbon balances of different wood-energy routes were
estimated by calculating direct and indirect energy and carbon costs of all
their components (fuel, materials and machinery). Energy ratios of 22, 23
and 26 after storage and drying at the farm were obtained respectively for
the different scenarios. An average of 1.7 kg of carbon (kgC) is released per
GJ of wood energy produced. Crop maintenance and chemical fertilization,
account for 40% of total energy costs and 25% of total carbon costs of wood
fuel production. Finally, fossil fuel substitution has avoided carbon
emissions, with the emissions reaching 6.3-8.8 tC ha- yr- with
CHP, 3.8-5.4 with peak power production and 3.3-4.6 with centralized
co-firing.
99101340 Energy from biomass and waste: the contribution
of utility scale biomass gasification plants
Maniatis, K. and Millich, E. Biomass and Bioenergv, 1998, 15, (3), 195-
200.
The European Commissions Green Paper on renewable energy technol-
ogies (RET) sets as a target the doubling of their contribution from the
present 5.6% to about 12%. Moreover, the Kyoto Protocol has added a new
impetus in the market penetration of RET. Amongst all the renewable
energy sources, biomass represents the highest potential and it is generally
accepted that it will have to play the major role in meeting these targets.
Utility scale biomass gasification plants are been implemented presently
and several plants are under construction world-wide. These plants offer
significantly higher efficiencies than traditional steam cycles and improved
economies.
99101341 Environmental burdens over the entire life cycle of
a biomass CHP plant
Jungmeier, G. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1998, 15, (4/5), 311-323.
If the use of biomass for energy production is to be increased, it is
important to know the possible and significant environmental effects. A life
cycle inventory (LCI) was made on a 1.3 MW,i biomass CHP plant located
in Reuthe/Vorarlberg/Austria with the purpose of analysing the different
environmental burdens over the entire life cycle. The plant is fired with
coarse and small fuelwood (10,000 t/yr) from industrial waste and forest
residues. The boiler for the steam process has a moving grate burner and a
muffle burner. The annual production is 4700 MWh of electricity and
29,000 MWh of district heat. The methodology of the analysis is orientated
on the IS0 Committee Draft of the Series 13,600. The analysis was carried
out for the different sections of the biomass plant over their entire life cycle
construction, operation and dismantling. The plant in Reuthe, which is the
first co-generation system of this kind in Austria, is a model for other
similar projects. The results are shown as environmental burdens of one
year and of the entire life cycle. Some results of the life cycle inventory, like
the mass and energy balances, selected emissions to air, allocation results
and effects on carbon storage pools are given. The results demonstrate that
depending on the stage and the period of life, different environmental
burdens become significant, i.e. COz emissions of fossil fuels during
construction, NO, emission during operation, emissions to soil during
dismantling. The different options for allocating the environmental burdens
to electricity and heat show a wide range of possible results, depending on
the choice of allocation parameters (energy, exergy, credits for heat or
electricity, price). With the results of the analysis it is thus possible for
future similar projects to know when and where significant environmental
burdens might be further reduced and what kind of research and
development work should be done for further improvements. The work
for this paper has been part of the Austrian case study of the European
Commissions ExternE project on external costs of power production.
99101342 EU-demonstration project BIOCOCOMB for bio-
mass gasification and co-combustion of the product-gas in a
coal-fired power plant in Austria
Mary, A. and Zotter, T. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1998, 15, (3). 239-244.
Since the early 1980s studies and research projects on biomass resource
potentials and conversion technologies for electricity production from
biomass were carried out by Draukraft, a local energy supplier within the
Verbund group, Austrias largest power supplier. The lecture describes in
detail different technologies for co-firing in general as well as a new
method: Gasification in a separate, external CFB-reactor and co-firing of
the gas in the coal boiler. The design basis of the CFB-gasifier for the
BIOCOCOMB project in Zeltweg Power Plant was the CFB-technology of
Austrian Energy, Austrias largest supplier of systems for thermal energy
generation and environmental technology.
99101343 Fast pyrolysis of sweet sorghum and sweet
sorghum bagasse
Piskorz, J. et al. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 1998, 46, (1) 15-29.
The yields of pyrrolytic liquids from Italian sweet sorghum and sweet
sorghum bagasse were evaluated by the Waterloo fast pyrolysis methodol-
ogy; this method employs a bed of fluidized sand at atmospheric pressure.
Reaction temperatures were varied from 400 to 560C and apparent
volatiles residence times from 222 to 703 ms. The results are presented.
99101344 Finnish forest energy systems and CO2 conse-
quences
Korpilathi, A. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1998, 15, (4/5), 293-297.
Since 1993, when the Ministry of Trade and Industry started eight new
energy technology research and development programmes (including the
Bioenergy Research Programme), the development of wood fuel produc-
tion technology has been active in Finland. The objective is to improve the
competitiveness of indigenous fuels - wood fuel and fuel peat - compared
to imported fossil fuels. Due to new, effective equipment and good logistics,
production costs of fuel chips from logging residues have decreased by 25%
and are now approaching the target of US$8.5/MWh (45 FIM) with
transportation distance being up to 80-100 km. This price target was set at
the start of the Bioenergy Research Programme, but it is still valid
Fuel and Energy Abstracts March 1999 135