Situation

  • The Problem: Biomass and municipal solid waste (MSW) are underutilized energy sources due to high tar production and low conversion efficiency.
  • The Goal: Optimize a 75 KWth bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasifier to handle diverse feedstocks (industrial/agricultural waste).
  • Environment: Research conducted in the on-site bay using a system funded by a $60,000 NSF EPSCoR grant.

Task

  • Design: Integrate a biogas burner into the existing gasification infrastructure.
  • Analyze: Evaluate how feedstock variation and reactor hydrodynamics impact cold-gas efficiency.
  • Maintain: Ensure project continuity through rigorous data documentation for faculty and future researchers.

Action

  • Hardware Engineering: * Designed and installed improvements to a biogas burner as part of a collaborative engineering team.
  • Experimental Testing: * Conducted parametric experiments focusing on temperature, bed composition, and fluidization hydrodynamics while analyzing gas chromatography.
  • Data-Driven Optimization: * Identified correlations between feed system configurations and tar production levels.
  • Knowledge Management: * Drafted technical reports and findings for the Engineering Department Chair.

Result

  • Efficiency Gains: Identified specific operating parameters that maximized cold-gas efficiency while minimizing tar.
  • System Capability: Successfully upgraded the research platform with a functional burner for synthesis gas combustion.
  • Academic Impact: Created a foundational dataset and documentation library used by subsequent student research teams.