Hello All, Kelly Burnham with Proton Power here. I'd be glad to contribute where I can, and in response to Art's questions:
'what type of biomass', we've tested over 50 different types of biomass. By and large most woody or herbaceous biomass works fine up to about 45% MC. 'gasification style' is hydrous pyrolysis. No pure oxygen and no oxidization agents. Slight positive pressure at discharge. Horizontal anger. Hope this helps. Kelly B. On May 15, 2014 10:29 AM, "Tom Miles" <[email protected]> wrote: > All, > > > > I have invited Dr. Sam Weaver and Kelly Burnham of Proton Power, to join > this discussion so that you can answer your questions directly or they can > respond to your previous questions. To review the thread to date see the > archives at > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/gasification_lists.bioenergylists.org/2014-May/date.html > > > > Visit the Proton Power website at http://www.protonpower.com/ > > > > After several years of development Proton Power is working through their > first year of a 750 kWe scale up plant at Wampler’s Farm Sausage in Lenoir, > Tennessee. > > > http://www.protonpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Wamplers-Case-Study.pdf > > Tom Miles > > T R Miles Technical Consultants Inc. > > Portland, OR > > [email protected] > > www.trmiles.com > > www.gasifiiers.bioenergylists.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *From:* Gasification [mailto:[email protected]] > *On Behalf Of *Art Krenzel > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 14, 2014 11:47 PM > *To:* Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification > *Subject:* Re: [Gasification] Tennessee company - pyrolysis biochar + > hydrogen ($1.75 per gallon diesel-equivalent?) > > > > Rex, > > > > It is always good to hear from you again. I can always count on you to > come up with better, faster and cheaper ways to get things done. $2/kg is > considerably different than $12/kg for hydrogen costs. > > > > What biomass feedstock and gasification style does PROTON POWER use to > produce such high hydrogen content syn gas? I notice no nitrogen content > in the syn gas so I presume they are using pure oxygen as the oxidizing > agent. Is it pressurized as well? I see the photo on their website shows > a horizontal "pug mill" style mixer which I assume is their gasifier as > well. > > > > Good to hear from you again. > > Art > > > > > > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Thu, 15 May 2014 07:59:13 +0200 > > Subject: Re: [Gasification] Tennessee company - pyrolysis biochar + > hydrogen ($1.75 per gallon diesel-equivalent?) > > > > Art, > > > > You are correct about making hydrogen from methane particularly at the > > $4/MMBTU level seen in the USA. However, this is only strictly true on > large > > scale. At small scale gasification is an order of magnitude cheaper than > > steam methane reforming. When I made enquiries about a small (75bpd) > > hydrotreater, I was given a rough cost of $10m with a further > approximately > > $8m for the SMR. Needless to say, I nearly fell off my chair! Some of the > > issues were that the design of a hydrogen plant is by its very nature > > expensive. Then there are materials of construction - stainless steel. > Then > > there are the safety aspects that require as much instrumentation as a > 2000 > > bpd plant. One comment I got was "do they make hydrogen compressors that > > small?". > > > > Proton Power claim to have a process that produces 65% H2, 30% CO2 and > 5% CO > > starting at the 250kWe scale. It is a very small step from there via > > pressure swing absorption to get 99.9% hydrogen. PSA equipment does > exist at > > small scale and they have the compressors for compressing syngas. This > > should produce hydrogen at the $2/kg level rather than the methane SMR > route > > of $12/kg. > > > > Kind regards > > Rex > > > > Dr. Karve, > > > > Being able to technically generate hydrogen using incandescent carbon in > a > > water gas reaction does not make the process economically competitive. > > Typically, the use of incandescent carbon is a batch, cyclic process > which > > produces pulses of gases which vary in purity over each cycle > > > > Compare the economics of using a batch feedstock which has a variable > > composition to one which has a very pure, low cost feedstock (CH4) day in > > and day out. As a process designer, you can readily see that even > through > > the chemistry works out to generate hydrogen using incandescent carbon, > the > > day to day practicality of operating a multistage process with such a > > variable feedstock is much more difficult and more expensive. > > > > Art, > > > > You make a very valid point, particularly on large scale equipment. > However, > > down at small scale, you cannot beat the competitiveness of gasification > as > > a hydrogen producer. It is an order of magnitude less than going the SMR > > route using methane. > > > > > > > > --- > > This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus > protection is active. > > http://www.avast.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Gasification mailing list > > > > to Send a Message to the list, use the email address > > [email protected] > > > > to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page > > > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_lists.bioenergylists.org > > > > for more Gasifiers, News and Information see our web site: > > http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/ > > _______________________________________________ > Gasification mailing list > > to Send a Message to the list, use the email address > [email protected] > > to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page > > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_lists.bioenergylists.org > > for more Gasifiers, News and Information see our web site: > http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/ > >
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