Gasification Wood Boiler

5 Uses For Wood Pellets

2016-03-17T15:11:00.000+00:00

If you're keen on saving money on your heating bill, doing your bit for the planet, and want to reduce your carbon footprint then you might already be using wood pellets. If you're not already using them, then here are 5 uses for them.

Domestic heating systems
Domestic wood pellet boilers are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and are already common place throughout parts of Europe. By installing a pellet burning boiler you will have a much more efficient heating system, and be able to save money too. When the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI)becomes available for domestic systems, you'll receive a payment for using renewable heating, and so your new pellet boiler will start to pay for itself. Remember that most wood boiler and stove manufacturers will recommend using premium wood pellets.

Commercial heating systems
Commercial customers can already benefit from the RHI, and so changing to a more environmentally and cost effective form of heating is proving extremely attractive. With highly efficient and powerful boilers available, commercial customers are changing from heating systems that are expensive to run to more cost effective ones. No matter whether you run a small hotel, a hospital, gym and leisure centre, or schools, you'll be able to reduce your carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels, and save money on your heating costs by using a pellet boiler.

Horse bedding
Wood pellet horse bedding has many benefits over wood shavings, including cost. You'll find that it takes you less time to muck your horse out too. If you're looking for more absorbent horse bedding, and want to save money too, you'll want to try wood pellets. No matter whether you have your own horse or run a stable, you'll notice the difference, and are sure to be converted. Economy pellets are fine for horse bedding, and will be slightly cheaper than premium too.

Cat litter
Again, thanks to the impressive absorbency, economy pellets make excellent cat litter. As well as working out cheaper than your current type of cat litter, you'll find that pellets are easier for you, and nicer for your cat too. It doesn't matter if you only have a single cat at home, or run a cattery, you'll be soon convinced.

Spillages
Because wood pellets are highly absorbent, they are extremely useful for mopping up spillages. Used in the oil industry and in many other environments too, pellets can be found in a wide range of scenarios and situations where spillages are common, and difficult to clean up.

Now you know more about them, isn't it time you made the switch to wood pellets?

Matthew James is the Ecommerce Manager for Liverpool Wood Pellets, one of the leading suppliers of Wood Pellets in the UK. Why not see how you can get cheaper heating or Horse Bedding from liverpoolwoodpellets.co.uk

Gasification Wood Boilers

What Are My Fuel & Technology Choices?

2012-08-24T13:58:00.001+01:00

Gasification Wood Boiler

Over the past two years, the dramatic rise in natural gas and oil prices has had a crippling effect on the bottom line of any substantial energy user who depends on these fuels. Numerous industrial and non-regulated utility clients have contacted ESI to perform preliminary engineering and feasibility studies to investigate the cost and benefit of switching to a solid fuel. The reasons are obvious. Depending upon the location, companies are forecasting their delivered natural gas pricing going forward at $9.00 to $12.00 per mmbtu. On the other hand, coal and waste wood can be delivered between $2.00 to $3.50 per mmbtu. If your low pressure saturated steam load is approximately 150,000 pph, you are going to use approximately 1.5 million mmbtus per year which means that your annual operating cost savings would range between $8 - $15 million per year.

The first question we get is generally the same. What fuels are economically available and what type of boiler should I put in to burn them? One would think that the answer to this question would be readily simple and easily defined by answering the following questions:

What is the delivered cost of the cheapest fuel?
What technology is best able to burn that fuel?

Unfortunately, the analysis becomes much more complex because of several factors, each of which can have a dramatic effect on the results. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

How much real estate is available for the new solid fuel-fired facility?
How is the fuel delivered, by truck or rail?
Are long-term contracts available for the preferred fuel at attractive rates?
How many days of on-site fuel storage are required?
Is the proposed site a non-attainment area for any existing criteria pollutant?
What are the key factors that need to be considered in a new air permit?
What are the trade-offs the company wants to consider regarding capital and operating cost?
How will the new facility affect the current process and other plant operations?
How will back-up capacity and redundancy be addressed and provided?
What is the required corporate return on investment?

The answers to many of these questions are interrelated which makes for a dynamic analysis. However, there are some general principles and guidelines that can help anyone contemplating a capital project for a fuel change. In this and subsequent issues of the ENERGY SOURCE, ESI will provide some basic answers to the following questions:

What are the commercially available technologies for firing solid fuels?
What are the differences between these technologies?
What technology is best for a specific fuel?
What are the differences between firing wood, coal, and other solid fuels?
What are the critical parameters in a fuel analysis that affect the technology selection and plant design?

What Are The Commercially Available Technologies for Firing Solid Fuels?
Currently there are four primary technologies for firing solid fuels in a boiler:

Pulverised Coal
Stoker Fired
Bubbling Fluid Bed
Circulating Fluid Bed

Gasification technology is emerging as a commercially available technology; however, the current experience in this technology is in fairly small systems typically under 100 mmbtu/hr heat input. For this reason, we will not include gasification in this discussion.

Pulverised Coal Technology- A pulverised coal-fired boiler typically fires sub-bituminous and bituminous coal. These boilers range in size between 50,000 pph hour small industrial size units and large utility boilers up to 1300 MW. With this technology, mine run coal is received on-site where it is typically crushed and then pulverised to pass a minimum of 70% through a 200 mesh screen and 98.5% through a 50 mesh screen. Once sized, the coal is introduced into the furnace through air-staged low NOx burners. The technology responds very well to load swings. Units utilising this technology have been in commercial operation since the late 1800's. PC boilers are relatively high NOx generators as compared to BFB and CFB boilers. The technology must use back end air pollution control equipment to control SOx, NOx, particulate, HCL, and mercury emissions. The capital costs for PC units larger than 150,000 pph are relatively low when compared to the newer CFB and BFB units.

Stoker Fired Technology- Stoker technology can be designed to fire a wide variety of solid fuels which include coal, wood, and other opportunity fuels alone or in combination. Stoker-fired units can vary in size from 15,000 pph to 500,000 pph. As stated, the technology is very versatile in its ability to be designed to fire various fuels; however, once a fuel is selected, the technology is much less forgiving than CFB or BFB for drastic variations in fuels. The technology is not appropriate for biomass conversion or opportunity fuels with fuel moisture's in excess of 55%.

With a stoker-fired unit, fuel is metered and distributed across a horizontal surface (grate) inside the boiler with small holes that allow combustion air to pass through. The combustion air passes through the "bed" of burning material on the grate and interacts with the fuel. Additional combustion air is usually introduced above the bed to complete the combustion of any volatile gases. The boiler grate can be either a stationary or a move able type. Stationary grates are less expensive but require periodic manual deNOx and CO generators compared to the other solid fuel technologies. The capital cost of this technology is among the lowest, especially in the smaller size ranges.

Bubbling Fluid Bed Technology- Bubbling fluid bed (BFB) technology is designed to fire relatively high moisture (over 45%) fuels with relatively low heating values. Fuels ideal for this technology include various biomass fuels, most sludges, and some waste fuels. Boiler sizes range from 30,000 pph to 500,000 pph systems. BFB fired boilers larger than this are now being considered. With this technology, fuel is introduced to a lower portion of the boiler or combustive that has been designed to hold an inert bed of material. The bed is heated to a temperature between 1400°F and 1700°F. Combustion air is introduced to the bed via fluxing air nozzles which are located in the bed thereby fluxing the bed and fuel mixture into a low density state much like boiling water. Additional combustion air is introduced above the bed to com bust the volatile gases driven off in the bed combustion process.

Bubbling fluid bed technology is very adaptable to many fuel types as long as the moisture content does not get too low and the alkali content in the fuel does not get too high. Alkali's include potassium and sodium which can cause bed agglomeration. Ash is removed from the bed by a bed drain system that is typically screened to remove any sand taken out with the bed drains. The sand is re-injected back into the bed. Fluidised bed boilers can respond well to load swings; however, due to the high thermal mass from the bed of the boiler, they are not as responsive as stoker or pulverised coal-fired units. Fluid bed technology is among some of the newest commercially viable solid fuel combustion technology, having been in existence since the 1970's. Besides the fuel flexibility of the technology, one of the other chief advantages of this technology is the relatively low emissions. Due to the low combustion temperatures of a fluidised bed, NOx generation is very low. Another advantage is that if the fuel has high sulphur content, limestone can be introduced into the bed to control the sulphur dioxide emissions. Fluid bed technology remains a relatively high capital-intensive technology when compared to stoker-fired technology.

Circulating Fluid Bed Technology- The latest generation in commercial combustion technology is the circulating fluid bed (CFB). This technology is the most versatile when considering the various fuels which are capable of being combusted. Fuels widely ranging in HHV and moisture content from anthracite coal to biomass to petroleum coke have all been successfully fired with this technology. Boiler sizes using this technology range from 100,000 pph to over 600 MW utility boilers. Like the BFB technology, fuel is introduced into a lower portion of the boiler or combustive which has been designed to hold a bed of inert material and fuel. Using conventional burners, the bed is heated to a temperature between 1400°F and 1700°F. Combustion air is introduced to the bed via fluxing air nozzles which are located in the bed and fluidised the bed material. However, with a CFB, the material is fluidised to the point that it actually travels up the furnace and is allowed to exit the furnace.

Once the material leaves the furnace, it is captured by either large high efficiency cyclones or multicyclones where it is recirculated back to the bottom of the furnace. Additional combustion air is introduced above the lower furnace to com bust the volatile gases driven off by the combustion process. Ash is removed from the bed by a bed drain system. Circulating fluid bed boilers can respond well to load swings; however, due to the high thermal mass from the bed of the boiler, they are less responsive than pulverised coal-fired units. CFB technology is among the newest commercially viable combustion technology, having been in existence only since the 1980's. Besides the fuel flexibility of the technology, one of the other chief advantages is the relatively low emissions. Due to the low combustion temperatures of a CFB, NOx generation is very low. Another advantage is that if the fuel has a high percentage of sulfur, limestone can be introduced into the bed to control the sulfur dioxide emissions. Fluid bed technology remains the highest capital cost technology compared to all other technologies.

ESI hopes this brief introduction into the various technologies available for steam and power generation has been informative. The next article in the series will outline specific differences in the various technologies including emissions limit capabilities, fuel limitations, and more. If you are currently evaluating your options for solid fuel firing, give the experts at ESI a call to discuss your options. Contact Jay Garrett at 770-427-6200 or info@esitenn.com.

ESI ( http://www.esitenn.com/ ) provides rental boilers, biomass conversion and bulk material handling systems consulting and implementation for steam power generation system applications.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Good, Bad and the Ugly in Wood Pellet Appliances

2012-06-03T08:14:00.000+01:00

Biomass burning heating systems inherently have several facets just like in the popular movie and expression the good, bad and the ugly. The most widely used fuel product of biomass combustion for heating is wood pellet and wood chips. The good side of the pellet stoves is worth pitting against the bad and the ugly. This exercise will give you an idea why the SEAI in their Home Energy Saving Scheme is willing to award grants up to Euro 2,500 for a Boiler installation, Euro 800 for a Stove installation and Euro 1,400 for a Stove with integral Back Boiler installation.

The good side of Wood Pellet burning appliances

Here are some interesting facts in favour of Wood Pellet appliances.

The pellet stove and boiler are still simple devices. There is a storage container or a hopper which feet the solid bio-mass fuel in to an auger which conveys the fuel to a burn pot. By adjusting the speed of rotation of the auger a steady and regulated fuel feed is ensured.
Modern units while being attractive also utilises microprocessor controls, thermostats etc and automatic ignition and shut down, for user friendly operation. They are also therefore available as remote controlled units which recycle on the operation of a thermostat.
The fuel is made out of waste material and the raw material prices are cheap. Only the vendors of the final product engage in overpricing etc. most of the time in order to make a quick buck.
The fuel is pure bio mass and therefore has a very low carbon foot print. Naturally bio mass is a renewable fuel.
The efficiency of modern microprocessor controlled pellet stoves is as high as 90%. In many countries the users are provided with special incentives like tax rebates and grants even when the efficiency is anything over 75%.
Still the wood pellet price is reasonable while only a few months back fossil fuel prices peaked indiscriminately creating economic chaos everywhere.
The wastage in transit, handling and storage of wood pellets is high. The manufacturing costs too are high. In spite of this the prices are reasonable at present.
The raw material is a resource locally available and therefore the manufacture is not hampered greatly by external influences of petroleum producers etc.
Some pellet stoves can burn not only straight wood pellets but also mixtures of it with corn, sunflower seed, wheat and cherry pits.

The Bad and the Ugly of Wood Pellet burners

The bad side too is interesting.

Unless properly maintained and the system is well designed, the emissions of green house and toxic gases may take place. Many European countries have strict regulations regarding this.
The carbonaceous solid fuel produces a lot of ash and has to be cleaned regularly. This of course is dependent on the quality of fuel used as well. The use of premium grade fuel may result in less than 1% ash residue. On the other hand use of low grade wood pellets may produce up to 4% residual ash.
The product is hygroscopic. The European Norms specify maximum moisture content at production. However during transport and storage wood pellets may absorb moisture lowering its quality. The combustion in the stove or boiler may not be therefore complete and as a consequence inefficient while producing considerable smoke during the process.
The powdery nature of the raw material, wood work waste, is considered an explosion hazard like all other powders.
The readily perishable nature of the wood pellets makes it necessary to have a well protected storage room which makes the initial cost of installation high.
The total wood pellet requirement for an year is purchased in the hot season in the early parts of the year when the prices are low. This quantity runs into several tons even for an average home.
If the pellet stove is not cleaned and maintained regularly the tarry black, combustible, sticky substance known as creosote will accumulate in chimneys and may cause chimney fires.

Who can avail the Bio Mass Stove/Boiler Grants?

According to the terms and conditions of Home Energy Saving Scheme, the following Bio Mass burning stoves and boilers (and complying with the rest of the terms are eligible) for the grants.

Individuals who are home owners
Installing eligible products, in this instance a new wood chip / pellet, boiler or stove with back boiler or a stand alone stove (using the same fuels) and also wood gasification boilers.
Using installers who are registered with the SEAI for the above work.
Individuals intending to retrofit or install a new renewable energy heating system in an existing home built prior to July 2008.

Sam Braidley is a author who writes on topics centred around green technology, for more information please visit his website. http://www.greentech.ie

Gasification Wood Boiler

What a Gasifier Does and Why Gasifiers Are Suddenly Cool

2012-05-17T11:48:00.000+01:00

The first gasifiers were known as gasification retorts and they have been around for well over a century providing our town gas supplies from coal. In basic terms they involve a container in which combustible fuel is heated, driving off flammable hydrocarbon gases. These gases are then scrubbed in filters to remove particulate matter and any corrosive chemicals, before being plumbed into anything from the towns gas supply to a modified carburettor to fuel a standard internal combustion engine.

Gasifiers are available now. They are proven technology. They can and are helping in the war to reduce gas and electricity prices, and the magic thing is that the same principle can be applied to many fuels other than coal.

These systems are capable of producing electricity from any biomass source. They may use any fuel in some, such as coal, petroleum coke, residual oil, oil emulsions, tar sands, and/or other similar fuels. Gasifiers produce a gas which is commonly known as syngas. This gas is used mostly where it is created to power a gas turbine. Gasification uses chemistry and high temperature and pressures to change the way the coal or other form of solid carbonaceous (fossil) fuel produces heat. In other words instead of burning the fuel outright, a gasifier part burns the fuel due to the presence of only a limited amount of oxygen and creates a fuel gas.

One gasifier, for example, is a device that has been developed by TERI (The Tata Energy Research Institute in India) for use in the drying of cardamom. The gasifier uses briquettes that are made from firewood and other types of biomass and turns them into a gas that burns with a clean smokeless flame.

In another example a gasifier is the key component in the Ag Bio-Power Energy System, but it is not the only component. In the patented configuration of the system, solid wastes containing metals and other non-combustible materials are burned separately while a gasifier is used as a scrubber for the polluting emissions because gasification is so good at burning out these substances.

It is reported that Household and Commercial Waste can also be gasified. In this case combustible gases are used within the system for increased efficiency and high temperature combustion than is archived in an incinerator. After gasification the residue of thermal decomposition is cooled and rough particles such as metals and non-combustibles are separated by means of a vibrating sieve and magnetic separator. The separated fine particles are mostly ash and carbon content, and these particles can then be crushed and sent to the final furnace for vitrification, where they are turned into essentially a form of glass, safely binding in any toxic substances, out of harm's way, for ever.

Combustible waste from industrial production processes which is reported to be suitable for gasification includes textile waste, wood scrap/trimmings, plastic scrap, and non-reusable solvents. Textile waste can consist of excess yarn, thread, cloth, carpet, or any other fabric. Combustion temperatures of 1500-1600~F and heat release rates of about 400,000 Btu/cu ft/hr are possible and give heat transfer rates reported to be larger than those of conventional pulverised coal boilers.

Some of these technology providers are claiming cell micro turbine combinations are possible which have the potential to achieve up to 60 percent efficiency and near-zero emissions. On top of that they say that fuel flexibility enables the use of low-cost indigenous fuels, renew ables and waste materials. Even, for example, experts say briquettes produced from agricultural residues can be used in some gasifier models.

Some gasifier plant is now also being developed which is based on fluidised bed technology with the possibility of the common and low cost availability of practically zero emissions release systems achieving high efficiencies using a host cheap, locally produced, renewable fuel sources.

Now, we think that this is pretty cool, when at present all we can see is rapidly rising gas prices and practically no alternatives for me and you, but to pay them.

Reducing energy demand, especially in the sense of better insulation for heating homes and offices, is of course, more of a potential for saving CO2 emissions, but that's not what what we are discussing in this article.

We have been here before, as well, in that in the mid to late 1970s, when it was believed that there was going to be a shortfall of oil due to the formation of OPEC, fuel prices rose excessively. At that time also there was an expected decline in supplies, and considerable effort went into developing alternatives. But, those efforts came to very little, as in real terms the alternatives were still more expensive than the oil and coal based alternatives. This time around that is no longer the case, so expect to hear about more suddenly "cool" energy solutions, but which are also very "hot" indeed - at the same time!

Steve Evans also discusses gasifier plants that convert rubbish into fuel at the Waste Technology web site, and at the Gasification for Energy [http://gasification4energy.com/Gasification-and-Better-Electric-Efficency.php] web site.

Gasification Wood Boiler

An Introduction to Gasification Plant Technology

2012-04-21T13:06:00.000+01:00

The most basic definition of gasification is that it is any chemical or heat process used to convert a substance to a gas.

Coal has been gasified ever since the industrial revolution to produce "town gas". This was once done in the local gas works, and every town had one. Heating the coal under controlled conditions with insufficient air to provide complete combustion produces a gaseous fuel known as syngas, which is also what is known as town gas when cooled cleaned and compressed. As we all know using gas as a fuel for so many jobs is vastly more controllable and vastly preferable to using coal.

Gasification technology is at the forefront in the efforts to develop alternatives for conventional furnaces. It is of particular interest because it offers an opportunity to use the product fuel gas in integrated gasification combined-cycle electric power generation (IGCC). Great hopes are pinned on IGCC as a highly efficient and low polluting emissions technology.

Gasification can also be fueled by materials that are not otherwise useful fuels, such as biomass or organic waste. In addition, it also solves many worries about reducing air quality. This is because the high temperature conversion reaction essential to the process also refines out corrosive ash elements such as chloride and potassium, allowing clean gas production.

Furthermore, many have reported that using their technology product gas heating (calorific) value can be made stable regardless of changes in feedstock type, ash content, or moisture content.

In some types of gasification plant, gasification takes place on the three by-products of pyrolosis and uses them to fuel a second reaction by concentrating the heat onto a bed of charcoal. These coals normally reach 1800+ degrees F, in the gasifier, which is hot enough to break the water vapour into hydrogen, and the CO2 into carbon monoxide.

Gasification is extremely environmentally friendly in that if properly designed, gasification systems produce very minimal pollution even when processing dirty feed stocks, such as high sulfur coals. In addition, gasification can effect large volume reductions in solid wastes while producing an environmentally friendly inert slag-type byproduct.

Jan Becker, Technical Director, of a US energy company growing fast on its gasification skills, added that; "the gasifier is becoming an important factor in the race toward the 'greening of America' as there is more and more awareness that many of the substances that America throws away can be gasified and then made into useful products like electricity, ethanol, methanol, and bio-diesel."

The gas produced by gasifiers (mainly comprising of 15-25% carbon monoxide, 10-20% hydrogen and 1-5% methane), is combusted in special burners for maximum efficiency. The best high quality gasifier systems can be fed on what are otherwise just low-grade waste oils or tar oils and slurries. Some slurry fed, O2 blown, entrained gasifiers operate at between 2400 degrees F and 2700 degrees F.

In these latest high technology systems high pressure steam is produced for internal and local CHP (Combined Heat and Power) use, by cooling the syngas in a radiant syngas cooler and then using (in this case) two parallel fire tube convective syngas coolers.

That is the top of the range in technological development. At the bottom. Most basic, level of he gasifier it is really simple. Simply wood burning gasifier stoves can be made to designs freely available as templates which can be made almost completely from junk parts found in various trash bins.

Gasifiers are now also available which are intended for the processing of biomass and organic waste, and this has been found viable at current oil prices, when it is considered that the numerical calculations are based on low-grade coal. It has also been shown shown that the process can be both stable and controllable. New designs can be assessed in advance by taking an appraisal of the numerically derived analysis produced by RESORT software, in order to predict the physical and chemical processes in the gasifier. The Euler-Lagrange approach for gas and particle phase is employed and Naiver-Stokes equations are analysed by the finite volume method.

Steve Evans has written much more about the fascinating new technology of gasification in the leading web site, where you can find out the essential facts about gasification technology, biomass gasification, coal gasifiers, gasification boilers, IGCC, and more...

Gasification Wood Boiler

Biomass Gasification and Syngas

2012-03-27T16:22:00.000+01:00

Biomass-based gasifiers, such as the BioMax units, produce electricity and thermal energy from woody waste including wood chips from hard and soft wood, sawdust pellets, coconut shells, nut shells or corncobs.
The units heat these fuels with about one-third of the oxygen necessary for complete combustion to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, known as syngas. Biomass energy accounts for about 11% of the global primary energy supply, and it is estimated that about 2 billion people worldwide depend on biomass for their energy needs.

Wood gasification seems to be catching on as a viable technology for avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. It has many great uses. Some years ago wood gas was seen as cheaper by all means, but charcoal gasifiers had the edge were so much easier to handle. There are many gasifiers that produce gas from wood and then burn the gas, leaving ash and charcoal.

Wood chips can be fed into gasification plant gasifiers and the gas produced is used to light the furnace in the chamber. Woody biomass plants can show economics which are very local and can provide a secure return on investment in many circumstances. Technologies range from boilers, to gasifiers, to pyrolyzers, to just plain wood stoves. Wood gas can be used to power cars with ordinary internal combustion engines if a wood gasifier is attached. This was quite popular during World War II in several European countries because the armies active in the war did not always have access to oil.

Performance parameters such as air factor, feeding point position and bed height are determined by running trials and looking for a maximum gasifier efficiency and gas heating value and a minimum tar content in the gas. Other parameters which can be optimized by using CSFB software are the pressure drop, the bubble diameter and the gas velocities in the bed.

Syngas, produced in gasification process plants, can be used as a fuel to generate electricity or steam, or as a basic chemical building block for a multitude of uses. When mixed with air, syngas can be used in gasoline or diesel engines with few modifications to the engine.

Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and it can be converted into fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas (which leaves the converter at a temperature of around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a cooling system which generates steam. Syngas can be used as a fuel to generate electricity and steam or as a chemical building block for the petrochemical and refining industries. The gasification process converts feedstock such as coal, crude oil, petroleum-based materials or gases into marketable fuels and products.

Models range in size from 5-kW units for home use to 15-kW machines, enough to power a small business. The company is currently demonstrating six gasifiers in off-grid field applications. Modeling results are compared with the experimental results published in the literature. Predicted effects of bed temperature, equivalence ratio and fuel moisture content on main gaseous composition, tar and NH3 emissions generally agree with the literature data.

Syngas can be used as a fuel to generate electricity or steam, or as a basic chemical building block for a multitude of uses. When mixed with air, syngas can be used in gasoline or diesel engines with few modifications to the engine. Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and it can be converted into fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas (which leaves the converter at a temperature of around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a cooling system which generates steam. Syngas can be used as a fuel to generate electricity and steam or as a chemical building block for the petrochemical and refining industries.

The gasification process converts feedstock such as coal, crude oil, petroleum-based materials or gases into marketable fuels and products.

Steve Evans is enthusiastic about gasification and other renewable energy sources from syngas to farm biogas. He also runs a great web site about dog breeds.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification of Wood and the Future in General For Biomass Gasification

2012-03-11T15:40:00.000+00:00

Gasification of wood is a simple technology that introduces secondary air to the falling ash which superheats it and combusts the ash and wood smoke to a point where there is very little left. The process is extremely efficient and gets the most energy out of a log of wood whilst leaving little ash to clean out.

Gasification is a process for burning wood where the gases from the wood are burned at very high temperatures, and although it was used extensively 50 to 100 years ago, since the advent of cheap oil in the late 1950s and 1960s it has been largely ignored.

Gasification works both at a very simple level in wood stoves and in huge gen stations feed megawatts of power into national electricity grids. For some time the big generators like GE have recognised this and have been developing the highly technologically sophisticated Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Generator, since multi-millions of dollars into the idea.

However, until very recently society had forgotten the fact that gasification can also be sued at the domestic stove level and bring big efficieny and smoke emissions reduction benefits at the same time.

In a simple wood gasifier ingenious design (or a small electric fan in many designs) causes a downdraft which produces extreme heat up to 2000 degrees igniting all gases including smoke and creosote therefore giving almost 100% efficiency. The gasification effect works by way of the downdraft that sucks wood gas from the firebox in the top chamber down into a bottom chamber where superheated combustion occurs.

Biomass gasification extend the idea from wood stoves, where there are a number of products now on the market into using a huge range of available fuels, not just wood. In its current state the use of biomass, is open-source and grassroots. Many people are cobbling together gasifiers and they are normal JoeâEUR(TM)s and JaneâEUR(TM)s. What you or I would call backyard tinkerers! But, we should all be grateful to them because this technology needs wrestling away from the boffins and the multi-millions dollar corporations. It is just too important for the health of the planet that at all levels society uses the renewable energy freely available to us, to its fullest.

Biomass gasification projects could be of interest under the CDM (Carbon Discharge Management âEUR" or carbon Credits within the scheme dreamt up at the Kyoto summit years ago) because the renewable biomass energy used directly displaces greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development.
However, amazingly until recently there was only one biomass gasifier project registered under the CDM as yet, among thousands of other schemes.

Biomass gasification is a renewable, low cost and environmentally friendly energy alternative to using carbonaceous fuels like oil and coal or natural gas. Biomass energy has evolved since its first applications, but in general the sad fact is that until now it has not been possible to reach a solid commercial stage, except during periods of crises and only for some specific applications.

Meanwhile, other gasification technologies, fed by fossil fuels, have received big invetsment and are currently widely used on industrial scales, for example in refineries enabling poor quality and even waste oils which traditional refineries have no use for to be utilized.

Biomass gasification certainly works, and it worked 20 years ago. It is just been seen as a capital-intensive process that has the problem of competing against lower cost (but unsustainable) gasification options, and too complex to be used in the small scale.

Now at least the back garage tinkerers have gasifiers under development which will with their inspired skills and ability to innovate, have every prospect of rescuing this technology from the boffins by producing small cheap and amazingly efficient boilers using all sorts of fuels at present unused and wasted.

For my money I say three cheers for these guys and girls not afraid to get their hands dirty, roll up their sleeves and make so much more than any stove which can make tea!

Steve Evans is an anaerobic digestion biogas energy enthusiast. Far from being despondent about rising gas prices he sees it as a great opportunity for us to start using clean renewable wind turbine energy which is now available all around us.

Gasification Wood Boiler

The Truth About Wood Gasification

2012-02-27T14:37:00.000+00:00

Wood gasification is the process of turning wood into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by reacting the raw material (wood) at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen. Without oxygen, the wood can't burn so it transforms into gas. This gas can be used as fuel in an internal combustion engine.

During World War II wood gas generators where used to fuel automobiles in Europe. If you've been thinking about building one and seeing if I for example you could run a small lawn mower engine off of wood gas. We would encourage you to give it a try.

Gasification is here, now, and possible within the economic means of many Americans. Gasification scales up very easily and cost effectively. That old Chevy 350 engine in your garage can power a 100kw generator if asked to.

Don't let the guys with college degrees suggest that this is rocket science which the average person who can use some metalworking tools cannot use to produce their own highly efficient sustainable renewable energy.
Gasification was an important and familiar 19th and early 20th century technology, and its potential and practical applicability to internal combustion engines were well-understood from the earliest days of their development. Town gas was produced from coal as a local business, mainly for lighting purposes, at least initially, and experience in the trade was widespread; most practising technical people would know a good deal about it.

Gasification of fossil fuels is currently widely used on industrial scales to generate electricity. However, almost any type of organic material can be used as the raw material for gasification but wood is a good place to start. You can use a host of different biomass sources, or even plastic waste. Gasification addresses the problems of efficiency and smoke. However, with the cost of wood so cheap, in many forested areas cost efficiency won/'t be a problem.

The term wood gasification may come across as a bit technical or feel like it requires a graduate degree in chemical engineering to truly understand. In truth the secret is that its pretty simple at a practical level, and for making a wise wood boiler purchasing decision, there are only a few things you need to know.

In the temperature range of 395 ° F to 535 ° F (i.e. a regular fire), the majority of the gases are released from the wood in combination with the smoke. Those gases contain about 50% to 80% of the heat content of the wood. This process results in a gas mixture that is often referred to as synthesis gas or syngas or in the case of a wood fuel wood gas.

Wood is a renewable resource and as we have said already the gasification process is both environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Those benefits are very attractive to the many home and business owners considering the use of wood as fuel for heating or hot water.

Here is an example of a gasification system of this type which is on the market. According to web posts we have seen, Econoburn wood gasification boilers now carry "the Energy Star label. The Energy Star label, is respected by the majority of users and has become recognised by more than 70 percent of American consumers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's commentator. So, you should take notice when a product carries that seal.

Availability of domestic and small business gasification boilers and stoves is not just limited to the US. In Europe you find there are also good vendors of Wood gasification plants from Wolfhagen-Ippingh - Germany.
We suggest that you obtain more information on spare parts, servicing, maintenance, repair or accessories directly from the registered micro-gasifier supply companies. You can also search for the term wood gasification plants for further products and services.

Steve Evans is a renewable energy enthusiast. Far from being despondent about rising gas prices he sees it as a great opportunity for us to start using clean renewable wind turbine energy which is now available all around us.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification Boilers - Use Biomass for Economy

2012-02-18T14:43:00.001+00:00

Biomass is a cheap recycled fuel and which is also sustainable. Biomass probably would have been the original fuel used by human beings ever. The efficiency would have been very low from the very inception but it was never an issue then. Over the years even the renewable biomass thermal energy technologies have improved to obtain higher efficiencies in leaps and bounds due to the dwindling resources and the need for conservation. One such improvement is the development of gasification boilers burning wood gas for space and water heating needs.

The composition of Wood gas

Originally designed to be used in boilers with gas generated from coal the non renewable fossil fuel (during the infancy of the industrial revolution when coal burning was not considered a problem) it was much efficient than wood burning.

What is wood gas?

Wood gas is a mixture of several combustible gases which would release thermal energy at high temperatures when burnt. It is also known as Producer Gas and contains a few other gaseous impurities as well.
A typical sample obtained from wood gas would contain;

Hydrogen -molecular (14%)
Carbon monoxide (27%)
Methane (3%)
Nitrogen (50.9%)
CO 2 (4.5%)
Oxygen (0.6%)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Tar

Production of Wood Gas

Producer gas is generated by the Thermal Gasification of Biomass or other carbonaceous material such as coal in a gasifier (wood gas generator or synthesis gas generator).The process involves two chemical processes at high temperatures (over 700 0 C).The first is an endothermic reaction which burns carbon to CO 2 but is reduced with an endothermic reaction to produce CO gas. The second reaction (which is endothermic) is where Carbon is made to react with Steam producing CO, molecular Hydrogen, and CO 2 . In several gasifiers the actual gasification is preceded by Pyrolysis (transformation due to heat) of carbonaceous biomass matter (wood, Pellets etc) to char, releasing Methane and Tar. In others the gasifier is fed with pre charred biomass.

Wood Gas Boilers (Gasification boilers)

A gasification boiler would use wood gas to produce Heat energy. The technique is known as "updraft" method. The process consists of 4 major stages.

Drying and release of wood gases in the loading chamber in a slow glowing process
Burning of Gas mixture with secondary air in the lower chamber at a temperature of 1204 o C
Flame reheating and Heat exchanging
Combustion gases exhausting through chimney flue

Today you will find gasification boilers' efficiency has improved tremendously.The gasification process converts approximately 75% of the fuel energy content of the biomass to combustible gas. Up to 3 fold increases in the conversion of energy contained in the fuel over that of traditional wood boilers have been noted in gasification boilers. The efficiency is affected by moisture contend of the fuel (which could be any biomass including wood, pellets, wood shavings, saw dust, grain husk etc.).The longer the storage the lesser will be the humidity of Biomass fuel. A humidity of 20% is ideal for best energy efficiency for low emission of CO, smoke etc. A wood pellet boiler with a centralised hydronic (i.e. Water circulating) system on the other hand could be as efficient as 92%.

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology related subjects. For more information about John visit his website http://www.techstore.ie.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification Boilers - Use Biomass for Economy

2012-02-09T14:48:00.004+00:00

The composition of Wood gas

Originally designed to be used in boilers with gas generated from coal the non renewable fossil fuel (during the infancy of the industrial revolution when coal burning was not considered a problem) it was much efficient than wood burning.

What is wood gas?

Wood gas is a mixture of several combustible gases which would release thermal energy at high temperatures when burnt. It is also known as Producer Gas and contains a few other gaseous impurities as well.

A typical sample obtained from wood gas would contain;

Hydrogen -molecular (14%)
Carbon monoxide (27%)
Methane (3%)
Nitrogen (50.9%)
CO 2 (4.5%)
Oxygen (0.6%)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Tar

Production of Wood Gas

Producer gas is generated by the Thermal Gasification of Biomass or other carbonaceous material such as coal in a gasifier (wood gas generator or synthesis gas generator).The process involves two chemical processes at high temperatures (over 700 0 C).The first is an endothermic reaction which burns carbon to CO 2 but is reduced with an endothermic reaction to produce CO gas. The second reaction (which is endothermic) is where Carbon is made to react with Steam producing CO, molecular Hydrogen, and CO 2 . In several gasifiers the actual gasification is preceded by Pyrolysis (transformation due to heat) of carbonaceous biomass matter (wood, Pellets etc) to char, releasing Methane and Tar. In others the gasifier is fed with pre charred biomass.

Wood Gas Boilers (Gasification boilers)

A gasification boiler would use wood gas to produce Heat energy. The technique is known as "updraft" method. The process consists of 4 major stages.

Drying and release of wood gases in the loading chamber in a slow glowing process
Burning of Gas mixture with secondary air in the lower chamber at a temperature of 1204 o C
Flame reheating and Heat exchanging
Combustion gases exhausting through chimney flue

Today you will find gasification boilers' efficiency has improved tremendously.

The gasification process converts approximately 75% of the fuel energy content of the biomass to combustible gas. Up to 3 fold increases in the conversion of energy contained in the fuel over that of traditional wood boilers have been noted in gasification boilers. The efficiency is affected by moisture contend of the fuel (which could be any biomass including wood, pellets, wood shavings, saw dust, grain husk etc.).The longer the storage the lesser will be the humidity of Biomass fuel. A humidity of 20% is ideal for best energy efficiency for low emission of CO, smoke etc. A wood pellet boiler with a centralised hydronic (i.e. Water circulating) system on the other hand could be as efficient as 92%.

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology related subjects. For more information about John visit his website http://www.techstore.ie.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification Boilers - Use Biomass for Economy

2012-02-09T14:43:00.001+00:00

The composition of Wood gas

What is wood gas?

A typical sample obtained from wood gas would contain;

Hydrogen -molecular (14%)
Carbon monoxide (27%)
Methane (3%)
Nitrogen (50.9%)
CO 2 (4.5%)
Oxygen (0.6%)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Tar

Production of Wood Gas

Wood Gas Boilers (Gasification boilers)

A gasification boiler would use wood gas to produce Heat energy. The technique is known as "updraft" method. The process consists of 4 major stages.

Drying and release of wood gases in the loading chamber in a slow glowing process
Burning of Gas mixture with secondary air in the lower chamber at a temperature of 1204 o C
Flame reheating and Heat exchanging
Combustion gases exhausting through chimney flue

Today you will find gasification boilers' efficiency has improved tremendously.

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology related subjects. For more information about John visit his website http://www.techstore.ie.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification Sees a New Dawn and How it Will Benefit Us All

2012-02-01T17:05:00.000+00:00

If you search for gasification and terms like Atwood stove on video sharing sites these days you will see demonstrations of wood being burnt in little stoves which seem to something almost miraculous and quite different from our idea of wood as a fuel. These little boilers light rapidly, produce no detectable smoke after the initial lighting and firing, and burn very hot.

So what is the technique which is being used, and how might it help us all in weaning society off fossil fuels?
What you have seen is a method of gasification. It differs from combustion in that it uses just 20% to 30% of the air or oxygen necessary for complete fuel combustion. During gasification, the amount of air supplied to the gasifier is carefully controlled with the effect that only a small part of the fuel burns completely. Trials of this process have illustrated that up to 70% of the energy value of the fue used can be recovered as what is known as synthesis gas, or syngas. This producer gas can also be used for various applications similar to natural gas.

This is a part of the magic, and not one really shown in the YouTube type videos, but it makes this method even more useful. This is due to the fact that syngas can be put to useful work, in both drying the feed fuel prior to gasification and after collection and storage it can be used as a fossil fuel replacement, and renewable energy source. When a gasification plant also includes Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and/or electricity export from the site, the gains are even more impressive.

Gasification in addition promises to be the most efficient long-term solution for capturing carbon while utilising these valuable feed stocks, and storing the CO2 for very long periods, to reduce or halt global warming.
Gasification of wood and wood-type residues and waste in fixed bed or fluidised bed gasifiers with subsequent burning of the gas for heat production is has become state of the art with designers of these systems working hard to gain the absolute maximum efficiency out of these systems.

These wood gasifiers which are located primarily in the Scandinavian countries are used almost entirely for space heating heat generation. Gasification of biomass is the renewable fuel system preferred by many, and can be defined as the thermal conversion of solid biomass to gaseous fuel.

Gasification has been around for over a hundred years, but the benefits of bio char are only now being discovered. Furthermore, it is still a wide-open field.

Before electric lighting was available in cities there were street lamps fuelled by gasified coal. It is easy to forget that the process has been reliably used on a commercial scale worldwide for more than 50 years in the refining, fertiliser, and chemical industries, and for more than 35 years in the electric power industry. More than 75 companies involved in the development, licensing, and use of these technologies as well as engineering, construction, equipment manufacturing and production of synthesis gas by gasification from coal, petroleum coke, heavy oils and other hydrocarbons.

Gasification has been proven to be a viable technology for CO2 capture and reducing SOx, NOx, particulate matter, and mercury emissions from coal and pet coke-fired power plants, synthetic fuels production, and chemical facilities.

Plants in this category have been capturing carbon dioxide for several decades in chemical plants in China and the United States. It also has potential contributions to make to both transportation and electrical power energy markets. With ongoing concerns about the price and availability of oil, populous countries like the U.S. gasification has proven to be in high demand and quite successful. However, it can also be used in conjunction with gas engines and gas turbines to obtain a higher conversion efficiency than conventional fossil-fuel electric power generation. Gasification can help meet renewable energy targets, address concerns about global warming, and contribute to meeting global environmental targets.

Steve has built a great web site where there is a lot more information about gasification. This is a hot subject indeed for this technology which has become an essential read for all those in alternative energy and interested in taking action to reduce the impact of climate change.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Be aware of an outdoor wood boiler? Please read this first!

2012-01-26T09:13:00.000+00:00

Traditional outdoor wood boilers / furnaces are often substantially dirtier and less efficient than other domestic fuels. The smouldering fires and short smokestacks of outdoor furnaces can be heavy smoke near the ground, where people tend to inhale the smoke particles are filled. Repeated breathing can lead to breathing problems and a worsening of existing conditions.

Although these devices are designed to burn dry wood, some people they use green wood, which is less efficient and produces much smoke to burn. Others burn household garbage or construction debris release harmful chemicals into the air. Not only does this practise is dangerous, it is often illegal.

In an effort to reduce pollution with traditional outdoor wood burners associated control, the EPA launched a voluntary incentive for manufacturers to their action. The new emissions standards set by EPA is 0.60 kg particulate per 1 million BTU of heat input. This represents a 66% reduction made in comparison to the average of 1.8 kg of particulate per 1MM Btu of older model outdoor ovens.

In response to new EPA standards, the manufacturer of outdoor furnaces formerly smoky, inefficient furnaces in 87% of the effective heating system that converts practically emit no smoke.

The method used is to lead this effort, the gasification of wood. Is the process of gasification of wood has been around the 50s, but it's the first time that he successfully adapted for use in small scale.

Wood gasification produces a firebox temperature of about 2000 degrees F. This is 800 degrees hotter than the old models and accounts for more efficiency and less emissions equally.

As I mentioned earlier, the new EPA emissions standards are voluntary. However, if you want an outdoor oven in Maine, Vermont, Washington, and install in some Canadian provinces, the standard is mandatory. Each national and local regulatory agency will continue the power to determine whether the use of wood stoves is suitable in its external areas have.

Homeowners can distinguish the models cleaner and more efficient by descriptive orange coloured hang tags, that the equipment meets EPA voluntary power levels to show the program. With the purchase of a wood gasification unit, outdoor furnace consumers not only cleaner, less polluting furnace than the current models, but also reduces fuel consumption and heating costs by 20-30%. Click here to find out more.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Outdoor Wood Boilers and Furnaces - Why Do They Smoke So Much?

2012-01-21T14:44:00.000+00:00

With energy prices continuing to reach an all time high, more and more people are turning to alternate fuel sources. One of those fuels is wood.

Although people have burned wood for years, why is there so much buzz about outdoor wood burning boilers (or furnaces as they are most commonly referred to).

Well, first off, lets talk about what these are. If you live in a neighbourhood where one has been installed, then I am sure you know what they are! In general they are a self-contained building that looks something like a shed. They consist of a firebox and an area that contains water.

Wood is added to the firebox and the heat that the wood produces is then passed to the water, which in turn enters the house or building and is used for heating and domestic hot water.

Sounds like a great thing right? It is. Or is it? The biggest problem that most people have with outdoor wood furnaces is most produce a ton of smoke at start up. This smoke can also last for a long time during operation (heat cycle) due to the large wood load stored in the firebox.

So why do they smoke so much? There are several reasons. The first reason is most manufacturers do not build these to be very efficient. As the fire burns, the firebox rarely gets hot enough to "gasify" the wood gases driven out of the burning wood. These gases consist of many compounds. The most common compounds are hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide and methane gas. Because these compounds don't get hot enough to ignite and com bust, they escape up the chimney in the form of dense smoke.

Another leading cause of dense smoke comes from burning "green wood". Green wood is wet wood. In other words it has not been "seasoned" or left out to dry for a year or two.

As the green wood burns it gives off water vapour or steam from the water trapped inside the wood. This leads to heavy smoking. This problem is a very simple one to fix. Don't burn green wood! In fact, even know some makers of outdoor furnaces and wood stoves say that you can burn green wood, you shouldn't. You will consume more wood if you burn green wood, and thus loose even more efficiency. Some of the heat energy from the existing fire needs to be used to drive the moisture out of the wood instead of being used to heat the water.

A responsible owner of one of these devices, such as myself, can vary the way you "fire the furnace". Instead of filling the firebox to capacity every time, just add less wood as well as the time of day. I fire my stove at night so the smoke doesn't bother my neighbours during the day. And by adding less wood at each loading, it cuts down on the amount of smoke output.

For the most part, most outdoor wood furnaces are not regulated by the EPA. However, that is changing. Due to the overwhelming popularity of these things, the EPA is now starting to address this problem. Most manufactures of outdoor furnaces are now building models that conform to smoke emission criteria. This is nothing more than a normal path of evolution for these manufactures if they want to continue to sell their products into the future.

The bulk of manufactures are achieving this cleaner burning stove through the use of more modern technology. Although there are many different ways of doing this, the basic principle is the same. That is you need to increase the "combustion temperature" inside the firebox.

In most cases this is achieved by adding a secondary combustion chamber. And in some cases introduces "secondary air". Regardless of the method used, the goal is to get the exhaust gases / gases of combustion, hot enough to gasify, or ignite.

By getting the gases to ignite in the secondary combustion chamber several things are achieved. First, the gases are being burned at a very high temperature and therefore are achieving "complete combustion" (as much as possible in this type of situation) which in turn produces more heat.

The more heat that is produced, the more heat is transferred to the water, thus making the stove more efficient. Because we are able to gasify and burn the gases trapped in the smoke, the overall smoke output is greatly reduced.

The idea of gasification is not new. In fact, the extraction of hydrogen gases from wood was used during World War Two by the military to run jeeps and alike.One of the attractions towards burning wood is that it is a renewable source of energy.And, of course reduces our need for oil from others countries.Despite what some well-intentioned folks may tell you, burning wood is no more harmful then some fossil fuels from a carbon dioxide standpoint. In short, here's why.

Wood contains carbon dioxide as part of the natural growing process. It's part of nature.Of course all fossil fuels contain this gas as well. This is one of the big problems with burning fossil fuels.So, why is burning wood different? Because trees contain carbon dioxide that will naturally escape from the wood in time anyway. That is to say, as a tree dies and decays it will emit carbon dioxide.

Fossil fuels on the other hand, only emit carbon dioxide when burned. So the thought here by most, is if the fossil fuels were never burned and left underground there would be no carbon dioxide emission.

Remember, this is not to say that burning wood is any cleaner, it's just that burning wood adds less NET carbon dioxide to the environment. (So long as we continue to burn fossil fuels)So with the help of the EPA and stove manufactures, we will soon have a wood burning outdoor furnace that will smoke less. Hopefully this will reach some middle ground between those who are upset over smoke and those who STILL have a right to burn wood.

Rich Currie holds licenses in both the electrical field as well as high-pressure boilers. If you are interested in learning more about how outdoor boilers work or any other home repair project, please visit http://www.homerepair-help.com

Gasification Wood Boiler

Why an outdoor wood boiler is more efficient and cost-effective

2012-01-20T03:13:00.000+00:00

Gasification Wood Boiler

Can improve an outdoor wood boiler ? well as an outdoor wood gasification furnace, water heater outdoors or outdoor wood furnace known fact in the home or office. This oven can ignore the drudgery usually time consuming and nerve-wracking the traditional tendency of the wood stove.

Indoor wood stove was very popular in the past. Over the years, users have complained brings many setbacks such as the furnace. Alternatively, outdoor wood boilers easily won popularity. It eliminates the most common problems caused by the combustion inside.

The high cost of fuel and thermal energy are constant setbacks that come with the boiler. It would not be a problem if you opt for an outdoor wood boiler. More households and offices, such a boiler system moving efficiently. Using renewable energy is highly recommended today. A wood boiler is logically safe and economical. It was designed to operate at lower costs, while at the same time, it is easy to install and fast.

Outdoor wood boilers are logically designed, used or placed outside the home or office. It could be protected or unprotected. A boiler safely outside is logical in a solid and well built, enclosed weatherproof steel-frame construction. The furnace can be installed outdoors, connected to the power supply and the isolation of the water lines. They may choose to place off (or adjacent) the structure of the house.

A boiler exposed to the outside can be less expensive to install. However, it should be placed in the building or in a separate complex. It does not work with its own frame or shelter, hence the name. As such, it can be complicated, it can be difficult to install. Whether protected or not, would outdoor wood boiler is ideal. Fire, soot, smoke and wood shavings remain outside the home or office.

How does it work? A water jacket is heated to a house. The water is then used to transfer heat to the heating system through a heat exchanger. A pump would move hot water from the boiler through a hose alone. It would be in turn is a thermostatically controlled water supply is connected on the inside. The pipe may be buried under the ground or could be hidden for aesthetic and safety.

When the chamber is heated, the smoke would be produced and released through an exhaust. This is where the usual setbacks happen with outdoor wood boilers. If not used properly, the exhaust gases can be produced thick and black. Resulting ash can not be reproduced in full. In many markets, these boilers, because this issue settled. Many models are updated, and to prevent the decline.

Needless to say, an outdoor wood boiler is most would be recommended to households or offices in rural or suburban. It would be better if you have your very own wood source. You can even buy cheap chips to use in the oven. Overall it what this type of boiler very sparingly. The oven can also be used in urban areas, although there are specific models or products that are ideal for such settings.

Gasification Wood Boiler

How Gasification Works-High Efficienry Wood Burning Furnaces & Wood Gasifier

2012-01-17T09:03:00.000+00:00

Wood Boilers Save Money And The Environment - Gasification Wood Boilers Efficient And Clean Burning

2012-01-17T02:16:00.000+00:00

Gasification Wood Boiler

If you are like most people, you have watched energy costs skyrocket in the last few years. Well guess what? Prices for oil, natural gas and electricity will only go up. Want to begin saving hundreds, even thousands of dollars on your yearly heating and hot water bills?

Modern wood boilers utilise gasification burning technology to get an amazing 87% energy efficiency from traditional wood fuel sources. These wood boilers utilise a combustion technology called 'Gasification' to capture, extract and transfer this energy that typical wood furnaces simply waste.

As the wood is burned in the firebox, fresh air is blown downwards through the logs and coals. As this hot smoke and air mixture is forced into the combustion chamber, it is mixed with a second jet of super-heated air. This results in a torch like combustion of the retained gases, at spectacular temperatures exceeding 1800 degrees.

The result: almost all the gases are burned, with little residual soot or creosote, and the extra energy extracted is transferred to a full jacket heat exchanger. This extraordinary process allows gasification wood boilers to achieve overall heating efficiencies of almost 90%!

A long burn cycle of up to 8-10 hours, means less hassle, more comfort.

Gasification wood boilers burn cleanly, with little creosote or ash, almost eliminating the risk of chimney fire. With virtually no exhaust gases, they help ease the burden on the environment, and greenhouse gas emissions, while burning wood, nature's oldest renewable fuel.

Did you know you can install and integrate wood boilers with your existing heating system, so when you are not home, your conventional furnace conveniently runs? When you return home, it's back to the savings! Burn any kind of wood you like, including pallets, chip, waste, and even fresh cut green wood. No waiting years for your wood piles to cure.

Alternative Fuel Boilers, a division of Dunkirk Metal Products, is proud to offer the Econoburn(TM) line of wood gasification boilers.

Established in 1946, Dunkirk Metal Products combines over 50 years of metal fabricating experience, with state of the art manufacturing technology, including lasers, turret presses, and automated welding systems, to deliver a superior wood boiler product, custom designed and made in the U.S.A.

You can visit Alternative Fuel Boilers at www.alternativefuelboilers.com for more information.

Christopher is an avid proponent of energy and nature conservation worldwide, and supports the use of sustainable energy heating products.

Gasification Wood Boiler

Wood Boilers

2012-01-16T17:36:00.000+00:00

Gasification wood Boiler

Wood is a traditional form of fuel, which was used in the past but is also considered an important fuel in the present, in terms of its suitability for modern gadgets. Wood boilers are heating systems that use wood chips or wood pellets as fuel. There is a difference between the wood boilers that use wood chips and those that employ wood pellets as fuel.

The former is larger since wood chips are larger than wood pellets. The fuel is obtained from forestry thinning and crops from areas located in close proximity to the boilers. Wood is usually dried over a certain period of time, and then subsequently chipped. Wood pellets, which serve as a fuel for wood boilers, is obtained from the compression of sawdust, a readily available industrial waste product. Since a steady supply of sawdust can easily be ensured, the product is highly recommended for small boilers.

Major wood boilers make use of a downdrafts wood gasification device. This burns wood of all kinds with varying degrees of moisture present in them. These wood boilers function by extracting the wood gases with the help of an induction fan, and then burning them below the wood to make certain that the combustion is more complete. The wood is repeatedly heated by the burning of gases below it. This ensures the steady rise of gases from the wood.

The wood does not burn, but it makes sure that a steady supply of gas is easily available. As the combustion is limited only to the gases, a wood boiler can burn wood with a greater variety of moisture content. Such wood boilers have a system that entails an automatic switchover to oil heat, gas heat or electric heat backup. Another important trait of such wood boilers is the optional lockout system. This helps in sustaining the secondary fuel mode, in case the wood charge is exhausted.

Boilers provides detailed information on Boiler Professionals, Boilers, Electric Boilers, Gas Boilers and more. Boilers is affiliated with Solar Energy Panels.

Gasification wood Boiler

What is Gasification?

2012-01-16T17:30:00.000+00:00

Gasification Wood Boiler

Gasification is the thermal decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in an oxygen restricted environment. The process, which requires an initial heat supply to get underway, produces a mixture of combustible gases (primarily methane, complex hydrocarbons, hydrogen and carbon monoxide) called 'syngas'. Syngas can be stored or combusted as it is produced, giving the process a high degree of flexibility. Gasification enables biomass to be burnt very efficiently and in its most technologically advanced forms gasification can provide for carbon capture (carbon sequestration). This is a way forward in reducing carbon emissions which might also successfully combat climate change.
But, gasification has another use, other than energy production, and that is for the gas to be used as the starting point for the industrial/chemicals and refining industries, as a raw material in place of oil. As oil prices rise, gasification using low grade, and thus much lower cost, raw materials is becoming much more viable economically. The technique which was seen by many even five to ten years ago as expensive, and little more than a university and academic research subject, is now looking increasingly main-stream.
Investors like the fact that by using gasification and the un-glamorous non-stock exchange commodities low grade coal and tar sand biomass feed stocks typically used in large installations, the volatility recently seen in oil and natural gas prices can be avoided.
At the pinnacle of gasification technology is Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology. IGCC is the technology used at large scale by equally large companies like GEC for electricity generation. It is at the cutting edge of what high pressure and high temperature technology can provide, uses pure oxygen for super efficient gasification, and stands beside the atmospheric oxygen separation plant which feeds it, in turn using its own output to power its input. To see an IGCC plant working is an amazingly complex beast, a true wonder combining all of man's the latest engineering skills.
However, the wonder process that gasification can be goes even further. Not only is it a highly efficient method for obtaining energy from organic materials, it can be used as a method for disposing of waste. This is also an admirable attribute in these days of scarce and costly landfill disposal.
The process is not new though, and need not be driven by high technology in order to work. There is a long history of gasification going back many years. It was developed in the 1800s and was previously used to produce gas for lighting and cooking. Every town at one time had it own coking plant, and gasification was the process used to produce coke for fuel, and 'town gas' for piped distribution throughout the neighbourhood.
Unsurprisingly, due to the rapid recent oil price hikes, gasification use is growing everywhere. As we hinted earlier, the secondary step of using Fischer-Tropsch technology is seeing rapid uptake, to take the syngas and can convert it into ethanol, methanol, diesel, etc., and it has become a cheaper alternative to creating these substances from oil.
Gasification in all its variations - and it can be used to create many products (electric power, liquid fuels, hydrogen, synthetic gas) - also provides great opportunities for pollution control. Emissions from the process are inherently less problematic from this form of combustion when compared with incineration, and other methods of burning. Sulfur, nitrous oxides, and mercury are not generated to the same extent within flue gases so there is less efficiency-sapping energy needed to clean these emissions than in traditional systems.
But don't be deluded to think that gasification energy is necessarily green energy. Energy produced by this or any other process is not renewable energy unless the feedstock used is itself renewable biomass. In fact most gasification plants in the past were fossil fueled.
However, this is rapidly changing and for example wood gasification can be considered to be sustainable renewable energy as long as it is supplied by forests which are being managed by replanting all felling according to a proper management program.
Use of gasification by waste disposal operators can reduce dependency on landfill, and provide a replacement for energy previously provided by coal-burning power stations. Generating electricity from household waste by this method is a big step forward, and in the UK the government department DEFRA is funding technology demonstrations to show how well this can work, to prospective local authority waste engineers, councillor's and other decision makers.
Finally, we have yet another advantage of the process to tell you about. One form of waste that the emerging gasification technology has proven successful in treating is waste food, and in sterilising animal by-product food waste. During this process a carbonaceous food waste feedstock material is heated in a reducing atmosphere and this, with the high temperatures present, very successfully destroys pretty much all vectors of disease.

Steve Evans is an energy expert and leading engineer in the promotion of gasification technology. We suggest that you continue now to his web site Gasification for Energy in its wide range of forms from low-tech as in gasification of wood to high tech IGCC [http://gasification4energy.com/IGCC-is-the-Best-Way-to-Burn-Solid-Fuels-for-Energy.php], and small scale to the very largest.

Gasification Wood Boiler