Development of the IGT RENUGAS{reg_sign} process

Abstract
The RENUGAS process was specifically developed for pressurized fluidized bed gasification of biomass to produce either an industrial fuel gas or a chemical synthesis gas depending on air- or oxygen-blown operation. The RENUGAS gasifier is a single stage fluidized bed reactor with a deep bed of inert solids that provide stable fluidization behavior and needed heat capacity for efficient transfer of energy released by the combustion to the endothermic devolatilization and gasification reactions. The use of a deep single-stage bed of inert solids yields high carbon conversion and low oils and tars production. The 11 metric tonne per day RENUGAS process development unit (PDU) built at IGT under a US DOE program, has been tested under various operating conditions with a variety of feedstocks from RdF to woody and herbaceous biomass. Currently, the PDU is being used to test hot gas cleanup for power turbines in support of the Hawaii demonstration gasifier. Biomass conversions of over 95% were achieved for most biomass tested. The successful demonstration of the PDU tests resulted in RENUGAS being selected for further scaleup to a 91 metric ton per day demonstration gasifier being constructed in Hawaii by the Pacific International Center for High Technology Researchmore » (PICHTR); a research program being conducted by Westinghouse Electric to validate a hot gas cleanup system for operation of the RENUGAS gasifier with a gas turbine; and the feasibility study of a 70-80 Megawatt combined cycle power plant using an air blown RENUGAS gasifier with alfalfa stems as the feedstock. In this paper, the IGT RENUGAS process is described and its status in three current programs is discussed.« less