Biomass Gasifier Solid Flow Control via Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biomass gasifiers face significant challenges with bridging and congestion issues due to changes in particle size and density, leading to operational disruptions and increased costs, particularly in biomass systems where tar buildup can cause rapid exothermic events and affect engine operation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of automated methods to manage solid flow in fixed bed gasifiers, including aliquot metering, radial mixing without vertical displacement, size selectivity, and shock-induced displacement, along with vibration excitation of gasifier walls, to prevent bridging and ensure continuous material flow without mixing combustible materials with hot char.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If gravity drop equipment is used to manage biomass flow, then the system is simple in structure, but bridging and congestion issues occur due to changes in particle size and density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vibration mechanisms to the grate structure to prevent bridging and congestion of biomass particles. The vibration creates dynamic motion that disrupts particle accumulation and maintains continuous flow, solving the reliability issue while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic shaking or jiggling of the grate at intervals to prevent bridging. This periodic mechanical action disrupts particle packing and maintains flow continuity, addressing the reliability concern without requiring complex continuous agitation systems.
2Reliability
If manual shaking and jiggling is performed to remove jams, then bridging is cleared, but production is stopped and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated vibration system that operates continuously or periodically without manual intervention. The system serves itself by automatically detecting and preventing bridging conditions, eliminating the need to stop production for manual clearing and reducing labor costs while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration mechanism performs preliminary prevention of bridging before jams actually form. By continuously or periodically vibrating the grate, the system prevents particle accumulation from reaching bridging conditions, thereby avoiding production interruptions entirely rather than clearing jams after they occur.
3Ease of operation
If tar buildup is allowed to occur on biomass, then the coating acts as an effective bridge between particles, but rapid exothermic events can occur when the coating reaches the combustion zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes or reduces tar buildup on biomass particles through the vibration mechanism. By preventing tar accumulation that would otherwise act as a binding agent between particles, the system eliminates the hazard of rapid exothermic events while maintaining proper particle flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of tar buildup into a benefit by using controlled vibration to prevent excessive tar accumulation. The vibration keeps tar coatings minimal and uniform, preventing the harmful bridging effect while allowing the tar to still provide some protective function during gasification.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These methods effectively prevent bridging and congestion in biomass gasifiers, maintaining a constant feed rate and reducing operational disruptions, allowing for efficient conversion of biomass to char or ash while minimizing labor and production losses.
Implementation Method 1
vibration excitation of gasifier walls
Implementation Method 2
shock-induced displacement
Data Source
AI summary
A system is described for automatically processing biomass using a series of mechanisms that operate in unison to maintain solids flow through small gasifiers that are otherwise prone to blockage. The system can include an anti jamming mechanism to automatically clear jams within said gasifier using input from at least one sensor.