30 th ISTC Japan Workshop on Advanced Catalysis Technologies in Russia Fluidized bed catalytic pyrolysis and gasification of biomass for production of fuel out of renewable resources Prof. Z.R.Ismagilov Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia,

BIOMASS YEARLY WORLD GROWTH - UP TO 200*10 9 t TO DATE YEARLY BIOMASS CONSUMPTION (FOOD, CONSTRUCTION, FUEL PRODUCTION) % ADDITIONAL INVOLVING OF 3 % OF BIOMASS FOR FUEL PRODUCTION IS EQUIVALENT TO 3*10 9 t OF CRUDE OIL REPLACEMENT

Diagram of biomass processing and utilization

Catalytic fluidized bed for biomass pyrolysis and gasification 1. Increase of the process rate and decrease of the temperature to о С 2. Increase of the content of H 2 and CO in the products to vol.% and regulation of H 2 /CO ratio 3. Decrease of the yield of liquid and solid products of pyrolysis 4. Production of low tar or tar free synthesis gas.

For the studies semolina was taken as a biomass model object, with the following chemical composition (wt. %): hydrogen 6.92; carbon 39.18; nitrogen 1.81; ash The combustion catalyst Cu x Mg 1-x Cr 2 O 4 /  -Al 2 O 3 (IC-12-73) was used in the experiments. The inert bed material used in the setups 2 and 3 was granulated  -Al 2 O 3. All setups were equipped with the system for on-line continuous gas sampling for GC analysis. The goal of this work was to study the processes of biomass pyrolysis and gasification in experimental facilities containing fluidized bed reactors. Three setups used in this work were different by the way of conducting the pyrolysis and gasification processes. Experimental

Experimental setup 1 In the setup 1 the reactor contains fluidized bed catalyst in lower part for catalytic combustion of fuel. The height of the fluidized bed being 50 cm and biomass was fed directly to the hot fluidized bed at the height of 40 cm.

Experimental setup 2 The setup 2 contains two fluidized bed reactors. Lower reactor is for fuel catalytic combustion and upper reactor loaded by inert bed material (  -Al 2 O 3 ). The biomass was fed into the fluidized bed of the upper reactor.

Scheme of experimental setup 1 1,2 – reactor: 1 – lower part with fluidized bed of catalyst; 2 – upper part; 3 - high-temperature cyclone; 4 - low- temperature cyclone; 5 – biomass feeder; 6 - rotameter; 7 - valve; 8 – reservoir with fuel; 9 - multi channel temperature control system; 10 - plunger micro pump for fuel injection; 11 - grid filter and fine filter; 12 - ejector

Characteristics of the setups.

The experimental conditions and results of GC analysis of reaction products. Temperature in the biomass feeding zone – 750 o C.Setup 1. *  is oxygen to fuel equivalence ratio, i.e. the ratio of the actual amount of supplied oxygen to that of oxygen required for complete combustion of biomass and fuel

Experimental setup 2 The setup 2 contains two fluidized bed reactors. Lower reactor is for fuel catalytic combustion and upper reactor loaded by inert bed material (  -Al 2 O 3 ). The biomass was fed into the fluidized bed of the upper reactor.

Pyrolysis and gasification of semolina in fluidized beds with different materials. Setup 2.

Conversion of biomass upon the variation of specific biomass flow. Setup 3. Dependencies of the content of gaseous products of air conversion of biomass and initial gases on the value of specific biomass flow. Height of the stationary bed m, height of fluidized bed m, loading of  -Al 2 O 3 (d=1mm) dm 3, T = o C, residence time c.

Conversion of biomass upon the variation of contact time with reaction medium. Setup 3. Dependencies of the content of gaseous products of air conversion of biomass and initial gases on the biomass contact time with reaction medium. Light dots – inert packing  -Al 2 O 3 ; dark dots – catalyst IC Height of fluidized bed m, loading of  -Al 2 O 3 (d=1mm) dm 3, T = o C, biomass flow kg/h, specific biomass flow kg/m 3.

Conversion of biomass upon the variation of additional steam flow Setup 3. Technological characteristics of the process of steam-air biomass conversion upon the variation of additional steam flow (experiments 1-3) and of the biomass pyrolysis process (experiment 4).

Results of the GC/MS analysis of liquid fraction of the biomass pyrolysis and gasification products. Setup 1.

Conclusions: 1. Main products of biomass conversion are the gases: H 2, CO and CH 4. The maximum quantaties of these products are: H % vol., CO %vol., CH %vol. 2. Conducting pyrolysis in the inert atmosphere, or conversion with the addition of water vapor into the reaction zone do not have any advantages over the conventional catalytic process 3. At the values of oxygen excess ratio  > the process proceeds with preferential formation of the gaseous conversion products, while at the values  <0.60 the evolving of liquid and solid products is also noticeable; at  <0.50 the evolving of liquid and solid products becomes very abundant, while that of the gaseous products, on the contrary, decreases. Most optimal is to conduct the process at  ~ In this case, the values of the yields of gaseous products of biomass pyrolysis and gasification are maximal, and evolving of liquid and solid products is minimal.