Simulation of the scaled-up gasifier

 

Chemrec is scaling-up its technology 25 times for the first industrial-scale  plant at Domsjö Fabriker. In addition to the unique amount of successful operation in the development plant, an advanced computerized simulation of the up-scaled gasifier has been performed with excellent results. “The syngas from the process is extremely clean and perfect for production of biofuels, considering the composition”, says senior scientist and project leader Magnus Marklund, at ETC, a research and development centre for renewable fuels and coordinator for the research program.


 
Applying the test results
By applying the test results from Chemrec’s development plant in a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) process model, the predicted scaled-up results gives an indication of the full-scale plant performance.

– Any large scale-up is hard to do safely without an accurate process model, says Dr. Marklund. Chemrec is at the forefront of black liquor gasification technology in the world and the technology is very stable. We have gained revolutionary insights into the process, and I am sure that the results of the research will be mentioned within this field around the world for years to come.

 

Optimizing the gasifier

The research has been conducted during a three year program in close collaboration between Chemrec, universities and research institutes.

 

– We have been sharing the results, be it theoretical or practical, and applied them to the operation of the plant, continues Dr Marklund. In this way the function of the gasifier has been optimized and we have gained a more complete under-standing of the function of the gasifier.
CFD model simulation of the Chemrec gasifier, showing the predicted temperature field (red colour indicates the hot part of the flame) and black liquor particle tracks (black dotted lines).

  



During the research program scientists from universities and research institutes and the operators at Chemrec’s development plant have been collaborating in order to optimize the function of the gasification process. The figures above show the locations of the thermocouples where the reactor temperatures are measured in the DP1 development plant (to the left), which then can be compared to the simulated temperature fields obtained by the CFD reactor model.

The research has been conducted within the second phase of the Swedish Black Liquor Gasification Program (BLGP), performed mainly during 2007-2009. The program has been supported by the Swedish government, research foundations and the forest industry.
 
Senior scientist and project leader Magnus Marklund, at ETC: "We have done some advanced sampling experiments in the development plant. This helped us to thoroughly measure the process responses to the different operational conditions. We have also tested a camera installed in the gasifier that gives us unique possibilities to visualize the conversion process of the black liquor inside the pressurized gasification reactor."
 
 

Inside the glowing hot gasification reactor. The black pipe that can be seen is the gas sampling probe used to withdraw gas samples during operation.
 
 
 
The gas sampling probe that was used inside the gasification reactor (see picture above this one).
 
 
Facts about the Black Liquor Gasification Program
The research and development program, performed during 2007-2009, is a collaboration between the forest companies Kappa Kraftliner, SCA, Sveaskog, and Södra,  Chemrec, The Swedish Energy Agency, the research foundation Mistra, and the regional authority of Norrbotten. The research activities are coordinated by Energy Technology Centre in Piteå (ETC) with projects at Chalmers University of technology, Chemrec, Luleå University of Technology, STFI and Umeå University.

 

ETC is a research and development centre for renewable fuels with focus on combustion, gasification and biorefining processes. In collaboration with private companies and public and academic institutions, they carry out research and development projects, design products, and analyse and solve problems associated with renewable energy resources.