Abstract
Fixed-bed biomass gasification coupled with internal combustion engines allows an efficient exploitation of biomass for the combined production of heat and power (CHP) at a scale with increased economic viability with respect to combustion-based CHP systems. The main barrier on the way towards a wider market distribution is represented by the fact that a robust practical operation of state-of-the-art fixed-bed biomass gasification systems is limited to very specific fuel properties and steady operation.
The aim of this work is twofold. On the one hand, to present the main objectives and methodologies implemented in the FlexiFuelGasControl project (which stands for “Increased fuel flexibility and modulation capability of fixed-bed biomass gasifiers by means of model-based control”); and, on the other hand, to show the preliminary results of the first test runs performed in a monitored
commercial plant selected for the study.
In order to assess the general operational behaviour of the whole gasification system an experimental one-week-long test run has been performed by BIOENERGY 2020+ and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano as round robin test. The plant has been tested under different operating conditions, in articular, varying the load of the engine and the moisture content of the feedstock. During the test run, the gas composition has been continuously monitored, as well as the temperature in different parts of the reactor.
The results shown in the present work provide a unique indication about the behaviour of a small-scale fix-bed gasifier working in conditions different from the nominal ones.