Biomass gasification feed system design and evaluation

Over the last 100 years, the ability to reliably extract energy through biomass gassification has proven to be quite elusive. Environmental issues, energy shortages, and the lack of coherent energy development policies in third world countries have kindled a renewed interest in biomass gassifîcation technology. Recent innovations in pressurized fluidized bed gassification technology have raised expectations for the development of highly efficient biomass gassifîcation power systems. The use of pressurized gassification systems has introduced a supposedly insurmountable problem regarding the transport of biomass across a pressure differential.

The Mechanical Engineering Department of Texas Tech University has recently created the Institute for Design and Advanced Technology (IDEATE). The objective of IDEATE is to afford mechanical engineering graduate students the opportunity to gain real world experience through research and development in the corporate setting. In this instance, graduate student research assistant sponsorship was obtained through the Texas Tech University IDEATE program and Cratech, Incorporated.

Cratech has developed a completely automated, highly reliable, and uniquely iimovative means of transporting biomass across a pressure differential. This study encompasses the development of the Cratech biomass feed system, weigh belt assembly modeling, and subsequent automated cascade loop PID control development.