[Gasification] a need for help

[doug.williams]

Dear Elisabeth,    (Off Gasification List please)

I would like to respond to your quest to find a gasifier for your project, 
but several details need sorting out in view of the commercial state of 
these technologies.

> I have been interested in gasification since 1990.   My interest and work
> experience has been focused around gasification of waste, mainly biomass
> waste.

My experience with biomass gasification for power generation at Fluidyne 
began in 1976. www.fluidynenz.250x.com



> A bio-refinery will include biogas digester for all kitchen waste, food
> waste, and garden waste; canola crusher/biodiesel plant, ethanol fermenter
> and of course a gasifier.

You do not state how you plan to use this gasifier.


> I would like to use a mix of 40% secondary paper fibre, 30% of plastics 
> and
> the rest 30% of hog fuel, saw dust, etc.

Did you know that to mix paper, and plastics can create dioxin emissions if 
any chlorine is present? Not all paper is equal, and some are full of clay 
fillers that are really useless in a fuel mix.

> Altogether we have now
> approximately 7,290 metric tons of mixed waste, it is going to be source
> separated; it represents now 52% of paper fibre, 27% of wood and about 21%
> plastics.   We may want to add more wood waste, to create a composition we
> want.

If you were able to gasify this quantity in the way you perceive, how many 
hours per day will the gasifier operate. alternatively, how much waste per 
day is available?

 > I was inquiring from a gasification company in British Columbia, Canada
> (Nexterra) about capital and operating costs for a gasifier of this size 
> and
> a value of producer gas.  They kindly asked me to provide proximate and
> ultimate analysis of the mix, ash analysis and of course bone dry energy
> content.  I do not know where to get this information.

Nextra have a mature gasification system, but it can only fuel boilers as my 
current information records. They have an updraft system which cannot be 
used for engine generator systems, as these require a high quality tar free 
gas, and also need very careful fuel preparation for their reliable 
operation. We do not request this type of information, and you waste money 
to obtain it, only to then learn that the ash content is too high!

> Also, anyone who
> would direct me to a another gasification process that has a proven
> expertise of handling this kind of mix?

I cannot refer you to any one manufacturer, as I doubt if any gasify these 
fuels in the mix you state. We do see a lot of claims made about processes, 
but it is usually just hype to attract funds for further development.

If you can expand on the questions I ask, then I will see it could fit into 
the size of gasifier we are building in Winnipeg.

Regards,
Doug Williams,
Fluidyne Gasification.