Pressurised Gasification of Wood with Oxygen Combustion or Eectrical Heating

Summary

The general purpose of the Compagnie Generale d’Electricité (C.G.E.) program is to be able to design and build plants for methanol production from wood in Europe or in other parts of the world. The C.G.E. program is conducted by Novelerg and carried out by other CGE subsidiaries:

• Les Laboratoires de Marcoussis, the CGE Research Center,

• Les Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne,

• CGEE-Alsthom.

The general study of a 50 tons a day methanol plant is now in progress in close cooperation with Technip. The following tasks on the experimental study of wood gasification have been completed:

• we have designed and built a laboratory apparatus which has been used for the last 6 month for tests which show the strong influence of pressure on the kinectics of pyrolisis and gasification,

• a test gasifier of significant size (height of 13,5 meters,diameter of 1,3 meter) has been designed and is now at the final stage of manufacturing by Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne in Nantes; this gasifier will be sent to Marcoussis in July for extensive tests of both the key components such as the pressurized lock hopper for wood feeding and the complete system: influence of pressure, influence of the mass flow of recycled gases, comparison of electrical heating to the oxygen combustion of wood to provide the high temperature heat needed for wood gasification.