Re: Biochar groups
CA...@aol.com
BIOTEN POWER AND ENERGY GROUP
Energy production has become the concentrated focus of our nation as well as those who are not nearly as blessed with resources. While we consumer enormous amounts of energy of all kinds we have the capacity to produce it with minimal impact on the environment. In fact it can be a remediation technique as in beetle damaged trees used as fuel as well as a recycling technique with various organic fractions of material currently landfilled, and a sanitation technique with conversion of human and animal manure and other waste into energy.
Until recently the conversion of combustible material into energy was accomplished by consuming the fuel to convert heat into steam. Besides vast amounts of water being impacted by the process the air became the dilutant which received the resulting emissions.
By devising a way to economically and effectively convert biomass into an energy source without combustion we have been able to bridge the waste to power gap in a responsible and sustainable process. Every type of fuel consumed in any process currently in use contains volatile gases which are the energy drivers. By heating this same fuel material in an oxygen deprived environment these volatile components can be released without combustion. This technique is called gasification.
In a gasifier various organic materials such as wood waste, crop residue, biosolids, manure, construction debris, and others are heated by a char bed in a chamber which strictly regulates the air allowed into the process. This results in a cooking effect which releases the gaseous substances in the fuel which actually account for the energy value of that fuel.
Nearly all wood contains about 6800 BTU per pound of usable energy. If this energy is released in a gasification process the result is very much like a simple version of propane or natural gas. While the energy content of this synthetic gas, or syn gas, is less than propane it is still a valuable energy source.
Volatilization of fuels results in a gas comprised of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and inert nitrogen. Except for the nitrogen, these are energy components much in demand for production of heat, hot water, steam, electricity, and mechanical power via engines of all kinds. These syn gas components can be used in the same way natural gas or propane is used but also as replacements for gasoline and diesel fuel in engines and turbines.
2.5 pounds of dry fuel can be expected to produce at least 1 kW of electrical energy via gasification. Consider the volume of wood standing dead or dying in the western USA forests. Not only is this a fire hazard of immense proportions but it is a beneficial resource being wasted. Consider also the combustible materials currently landfilled, left to rot or disposed of in costly ways when they could become clean and reliable energy sources.
Syn gas fueled engines can be attached to generators to produce electrical power from 5 kW to 1 MW with modular equipment setups in economical and sustainable decentralized power systems. A clinic in Kenya or a community in California could be powered by these systems using waste material as fuel. Alternatively the engine power could be used to pump irrigation or domestic use water, operate air conditioners, power industrial processes, or a host of other applications.
Since considerable heat is generated in the gasification process it is also possible to produce distilled water from nearly any source, including seawater, using the heat salvaged from the power platform. Generally speaking 2.5 lb of dry fuel will produce 1 kW of electricity and 10 gallons of clean water. In many parts of the world the water is more important than the electricity.
By using the available fuel in a controlled environment within the gasifier the highest heat value can be obtained and resulting in beneficial opportunities for the ash. The nutrient value of the fuel in terms of potash, potassium, phosphorus and trace minerals remain in the ash. By recycling the ash into soil amendments the sustainability of the power process is advanced and even provides an additional profit center. The char produced in the gasifier does not have to be consumed to ash. It can be extracted to provide Terra Preta, probiotic livestock feed ingredients and other beneficial and profitable products.
While using waste materials to produce fuel fulfills an energy need it also presents other opportunities if the power platform is modular and scalable. The electric grid is fragile in the USA and non-existent in some other countries and cities. Decentralized power production on an appropriate scale allows for lower transportation costs of fuel, redundant power infusion into the distribution network and increased security of the system as a reliable provider of energy. The failure of a significant sized power plant can darken a large portion of a country. But if multiple smaller plants are strategically sited the can not only be more economical to operate due to fuel transport issues but also provide confidence that the power system can survive a failure of some of its components.
The decentralization of critical power needs is important in 1st world as well as 3rd world countries. When the needs of the critical infrastructure of a community are examined it becomes apparent that hospitals, community control centers, military installations, essential service providers and essential industrial processes rely heavily on dependable power. Decentralized power at any cost becomes incredibly important. With this technology we have the added advantage of making decentralized power the most economical as well as the most reliable power available.