Development of gasification and power generation system from unused biomass

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H06916
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Energy engineering
• Research Institution: Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGUCHI Shimpei 地方独立行政法人大阪府立産業技術総合研究所, その他部局等, 研究員 (40761002)
• Research Collaborator: KATAGIRI Kazuaki ; OZAKI Tomoatsu ; KAKITSUJI Atsushi
• Project Period (FY): 2015-08-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: Downdraft gasifier / Solid Oxide Fuel Cell / Simulation / Modeling / Hydrogen / Thermodynamic / Electro chemical / Catalyst

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed the novel biomass power generation system using a downdraft gasifier and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). To establish the design and control guidelines for a gasifier, a calculation model to specify a downdraft gasifier was constructed. We compared the measurement of the gas composition derived from a small (0.1 kW) and a big (20 kW) sized downdraft gasifier of furnace with a calculated value, relatively. And, it was found that the composition of gasification gas could be estimated based on the conditions of temperature, biomass material, air, water, and so on.
Estimating the gasification power generation with a small-sized downdraft gasifier and SOFC, in addition, we recognized that the maximum power from the gasification gas of wood could be controlled in the range of 40 - 80 % against the pure hydrogen. Moreover, the carbon deposition was not found on the electrodes of SOFC by canning electron microscope observations.

Free Research Field

Chemical engineering and electrochemical science