2010 - 19th Annual NC State Undergraduate Research Spring Symposium

Session Time : 4/22/10 10:30 AM - 4/22/10 11:45 AM

Content Area : Biological & Agricultural Engineering

Student Presenters :
Edward Eugene Godfrey III Biological & Agricultural Engineering

Mentors and/or Co-Authors :
Mari Chinn Bio & Agri Engineering

Abstract Title : Design and Testing of a Downdraft Modified Decagon Imbert Gasifier

Abstract :
In the current energy climate, where fossil fuels are in limited supply and costs are not stable there is a need to identify new as well as exploit already known renewable sources of energy. The processing of agronomically based biomass can offer a sustainable energy product. One thermochemical approach that can convert complex carbon in biomass to useful single carbon gases and hydrogen (producer or synthesis gas) is gasification. These gases can be further converted with chemical and/or microbial catalysts to ethanol and high energy hydrocarbons or can be used directly to fuel an engine. Development of a functional gasification system that can generate “clean” gas streams in suitable quantities is critical to the advancement of thermochemical processing of biomass to a valuable fuel. The objectives of this research were to 1) design and fabricatea downdraft gasifier that can be easily modified so as to be adaptable to multiple feed stock types (e.g. woodchips, switch grass pellets, cotton stalks, bagasse etc.) and various synthesis gas applications and; 2) test the overall system performance. The design process and final gasification unit will be presented.