A phenomenological model of a downdraft biomass gasifier flexible to the feedstock composition and the reactor design

The development of a one-dimensional (1D) phenomenological model for biomass gasification in downdraft reactors is presented in this study; the model was developed with the aim of highlighting the main advantages and limits related to feedstocks that are different from woodchip, such as hydro-char derived from the hydrothermal carbonization of green waste, or a mix of olive pomace and sawdust. An experimental validation of the model is performed. The numerically evaluated temperature evolution along the reactor gasifier is found to be in agreement with locally measured values for all the considered biomasses. The model captures the pressure drop along the reactor axis, despite an underestimation with respect to the performed measurements. The producer gas composition resulting from the numerical model at the exit section is in quite good agreement with gas-chromatograph analyses (12% maximum error for CO and CO2 species), although the model predicts lower methane and hydrogen content in the syngas than the measurements show. Parametric analyses highlight that lower degrees of porosity enhance the pressure drop along the reactor axis, moving the zones characterized by the occurrence of the combustion and gasification phases towards the bottom. An increase in the biomass moisture content is associated with a delayed evolution of the temperature profile. The high energy expenditure in the evaporation phase occurs at the expense of the produced hydrogen and methane in the subsequent phases

Optimization of the Efficiency in a Syngas Powered Si Engine Through Numerical Studies Related to the Geometry of the Combustion Chamber

The combustion process occurring in an alternative Spark Ignition (SI) engine powered with bio-syngas from biomass gasification was previously studied by authors through the development of two different numerical models: a 0-1D model developed in the GT-Suite® environment, aimed at gaining a first look upon the main features of the heat release by the syngas and engine performances; a 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model developed within the AVL FireTM software reproducing the engine combustion cycle within a Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) schematization and employing a detailed chemical reaction mechanism to highlight the interaction between the fluid dynamics and the kinetics of the specific biofuel oxidation chain. The numerical results were validated with respect to experimental measurements in a baseline condition, where the presence of a relatively high amount of CO in the exhaust gases was noticed as related to an engine low combustion efficiency, mainly due to the peripheral spark plug position that determines the persistence of residual gases on the opposite side of the combustion chamber wall. The proposed work presents a numerical analysis made through the developed models on the effects of proper changes in the spark plug position. A multi-objective optimization problem is conducted also by varying the Start of Spark (SOS) and the mixture air-to-fuel ratio with the aim of reducing the engine environmental impact without affecting its performances. A centrally mounted spark, along with a correct calibration of the SOS and mixture ratio, allows a reduction of more than 90% of CO emission with respect to the baseline condition without penalizing the engine brake power and efficienc

CFD modelling of a spark ignition internal combustion engine fuelled with syngas for a mCHP system

Micro Combined Heat and Power (mCHP) powered with biomass is nowadays a technology attracting increasing interest to develop a local supply chain to produce, process and valorise the available material in territorial areas as much as possible circumscribed, with a considerable reduction also of the CO2 related to transportation. Application for biomass powered mCHP produces environmental benefits by reducing primary energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions and complies with the need for increased decentralization of energy supply. Of particular relevance is mCHP based on biomass gasification due to the negligible particulate matter release with respect to combustion. The present work describes a 3D CFD model of the spark ignition (SI) internal combustion engine (ICE) fuelled with syngas installed in the mCHP pilot system ECO20 manufactured by the Italian company Costruzioni Motori Diesel S.p.A. (CMD). The considered system is made of a gasifier combined with proper syngas cleaning devices, an ICE and a generator to deliver a maximum electrical and thermal power of 20 kW and 40 kW, respectively. For the proper initialisation of the 3D CFD model, the syngas composition is experimentally characterised using a gas-chromatograph on samples collected under real operation. The calculated pressure cycle is verified by comparison with the one calculated through a properly developed 1D ICE model. Main goals of the performed numerical analysis are to study into detail the combustion process and to assess the engine performance characteristics related to the use of syngas

The “INNOVARE” Project: Innovative Plants for Distributed Poly-Generation by Residual Biomass

The valorization of residual biomass plays today a decisive role in the concept of "circular economy", according to which each waste material must be reused to its maximum extent. The collection and energy valorization at the local level of biomass from forest management practices and wildfire prevention cutting can be settled in protected areas to contribute to local decarbonization, by removing power generation from fossil fuels. Despite the evident advantages of bioenergy systems, several problems still hinder their diffusion, such as the need to assure their reliability by extending the operating range with materials of different origin. The Italian project "INNOVARE-Innovative plants for distributed poly-generation by residual biomass", funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), has the main scope of improving micro-cogeneration technologies fueled by biomass. A micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) unit was chosen as a case study to discuss pros and cons of biomass-powered cogeneration within a national park, especially due to its flexibility of use. The availability of local biomasses (woodchips, olive milling residuals) was established by studying the agro-industrial production and by identifying forest areas to be properly managed through an approach using a satellite location system based on the microwave technology. A detailed synergic numerical and experimental characterization of the selected cogeneration system was performed in order to identify its main inefficiencies. Improvements of its operation were optimized by acting on the engine control strategy and by also adding a post-treatment system on the engine exhaust gas line. Overall, the electrical output was increased by up to 6% using the correct spark timing, and pollutant emissions were reduced well below the limits allowed by legislation by working with a lean mixture and by adopting an oxidizing catalyst. Finally, the global efficiency of the system increased from 45.8% to 63.2%. The right blending of different biomasses led to an important improvement of the reliability of the entire plant despite using an agrifood residual, such as olive pomace. It was demonstrated that the use of this biomass is feasible if its maximum mass percentage in a wood matrix mixture does not exceed 25%. The project was concluded with a real operation demonstration within a national park in Southern Italy by replacing a diesel genset with the analyzed and improved biomass-powered plant and by proving a decisive improvement of air quality in the real environment during exercise

The "INNOVARE" project: Innovative plants for distributed poly-generation by residual biomass

The valorization of residual biomass plays today a decisive role in the concept of "circular economy", according to which each waste material must be reused to its maximum extent. The collection and energy valorization at the local level of biomass from forest management practices and wildfire prevention cutting can be settled in protected areas to contribute to local decarbonization, by removing power generation from fossil fuels. Despite the evident advantages of bioenergy systems, several problems still hinder their diffusion, such as the need to assure their reliability by extending the operating range with materials of different origin. The Italian project "INNOVARE-Innovative plants for distributed poly-generation by residual biomass", funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), has the main scope of improving micro-cogeneration technologies fueled by biomass. A micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) unit was chosen as a case study to discuss pros and cons of biomass-powered cogeneration within a national park, especially due to its flexibility of use. The availability of local biomasses (woodchips, olive milling residuals) was established by studying the agro-industrial production and by identifying forest areas to be properly managed through an approach using a satellite location system based on the microwave technology. A detailed synergic numerical and experimental characterization of the selected cogeneration system was performed in order to identify its main inefficiencies. Improvements of its operation were optimized by acting on the engine control strategy and by also adding a post-treatment system on the engine exhaust gas line. Overall, the electrical output was increased by up to 6% using the correct spark timing, and pollutant emissions were reduced well below the limits allowed by legislation by working with a lean mixture and by adopting an oxidizing catalyst. Finally, the global efficiency of the system increased from 45.8% to 63.2%. The right blending of different biomasses led to an important improvement of the reliability of the entire plant despite using an agrifood residual, such as olive pomace. It was demonstrated that the use of this biomass is feasible if its maximum mass percentage in a wood matrix mixture does not exceed 25%. The project was concluded with a real operation demonstration within a national park in Southern Italy by replacing a diesel genset with the analyzed and improved biomass-powered plant and by proving a decisive improvement of air quality in the real environment during exercise

Dynamic optimization of a cogeneration plant for an industrial application with two different hydrogen embedding solutions

Seasonal storage of hydrogen is a valuable option today increasingly considered in order to optimize cogeneration plants under continuous operation in an incentive framework where electricity sale to the national grids is becoming less economically profitable than in the past. The paper concerns the numerical study and optimization of a cogeneration plant installed in an industrial site having an availability of hydrogen over a continuous time scale, to meet the energy needs and mitigating the environmental impact of the plant operation by reducing the energy withdrawal from traditional sources. Two alternatives are analyzed into detail: the former regards energy production through an internal combustion engine, this last properly controlled to be fueled with blends of natural gas and increasing percentages of hydrogen, the latter concerning the addition of fuel cells to the proposed layout to further reduce the electricity integration by the grid. The dynamic response of the cogeneration system under examination is dynamically evaluated to efficiently fulfill the industrial loads to be fulfilled. First, optimization is performed by implementing a PID controller to better track the industrial demand of electric energy. The main results of this solution reveal a −81% reduction of excess electricity, a −7% reduction of natural gas consumed but a 47% raise of CO2 emissions due to the increase in thermal integration. Then, an additional energy generation from fuel cells is assumed. An economic analysis is carried out for each of the implemented configurations. The adoption of fuel cells, despite requiring a greater initial investment, allows obtaining a SPB of 1,4 years (− 16%), 1,17 Mln € of avoided costs (− 18,5%) and 1320 t/year of CO2 emissions avoided (− 95%) with respect to the initial layout

Technical and Economical Assessibility of Natural Gas - Biogas co-combustion in a SI Engine For Cogenerative Purposes: a Numerical Study

Present paper analyses the flexibility of co-combustion power supply in a Spark Ignition (SI) engine fuelled with Natural Gas (NG) and biogas (BG) for cogenerative purposes. The biogas properties are strongly influenced by the source biomass and by the characteristics of the conversion process, thus the possibility of a double-ramp supply with NG taken from the national distribution network allows to compensate for any decay in engine performance linked to the worst quality of the fuel and, therefore, to ensure more stable operations over time. The effects deriving from the addition of NG are quantified through the development of a dedicated one-dimensional (1D) numerical model of the engine in GT-Power environment. The combustion sub-model is properly customized according to the different fuel composition relying on a detailed kinetic model, where the laminar flame rate is evaluated for each specific fuel considered. As a result, co-combustion operation appears to be a feasible solution both on the technical and economic point. The developed model can be properly adapted for the executive design of energy systems powered by NG-biogas mixtures, helping in the optimization of the energy and environmental performance

Development of a Reduced Chemical Mechanism for Combustion of Gasoline-Biofuels

Bio-derived fuels are drawing more and more attention in the internal combustion engine (ICE) research field in recent years. Those interests in use of renewable biofuels in ICE applications derive from energy security issues and, more importantly, from environment pollutant emissions concerns. High fidelity numerical study of engine combustion requires advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to be coupled with detailed chemical kinetic models. This task becomes extremely challenging if real fuels are taken into account, as they include a mixture of hundreds of different hydrocarbons, which prohibitively increases computational cost. Therefore, along with employing surrogate fuel models, reduction of detailed kinetic models for multidimensional engine applications is preferred. In the present work, a reduced mechanism was developed for primary reference fuel (PRF) using the directed relation graph (DRG) approach. The mechanism was generated from an existing detailed mechanism. The adjustment of reaction rate constants of selected reactions was performed and the present reduced mechanism was validated against experiments in terms of ignition delay times, flame speed and HCCI combustion. Employing similar procedures, reduced reaction mechanisms for ethanol and butanol were generated and incorporated into the PRF mechanism to be able to model multi-component gasoline-primary alcohols combustion. The results show that the present reduced mechanism demonstrates reliable performance in combustion predictions, as well as significant improvement of computational efficiency in multi-dimensional CFD simulations

A 3D CFD Simulation of GDI Sprays Accounting for Heat Transfer Effects on Wallfilm Formation

During gasoline direct injection (GDI) in spark ignition engines, droplets may hit piston or liner surfaces and be rebounded or deposit in the liquid phase as wallfilm. This may determine slower secondary atomization and local enrichments of the mixture, hence be the reason of increased unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter emissions at the exhaust. Complex phenomena indeed characterize the in-cylinder turbulent multi-phase system, where heat transfer involves the gaseous mixture (made of air and gasoline vapor), the liquid phase (droplets not yet evaporated and wallfilm) and the solid walls. A reliable 3D CFD modelling of the in-cylinder processes, therefore, necessarily requires also the correct simulation of the cooling effect due to the subtraction of the latent heat of vaporization of gasoline needed for secondary evaporation in the zone where droplets hit the wall. The related conductive heat transfer within the solid is to be taken into account. In this work, a preliminarily validated spray model is specifically implemented by solving the strongly coupled heat and mass transfer problem describing the liquid and vapor phases thermo-fluidynamics after impact and the wall change of temperature. The discussion is made considering a different boundary condition with respect to standard simulations. Sprays are assumed from to different injectors in order to verify the wallfilm simulation model: the impact over heated walls of the ECN “Spray G” is first discussed, by comparing numerical results with experimental measurements deriving from a combined use of the schlieren and Mie-scattering techniques, then the footprint on the wall of the spray delivered from a 6-hole Bosch injector is related with infrared thermography and LIF measurements taken from the literature

Schlieren and Mie scattering techniques for the ECN “spray G” characterization and 3D CFD model validation

Purpose – This paper aims to study the heat transfer phenomenon occurring between heated walls and impinging fuel, showing the strict relationship between cooling effect after impingement and enhancing of wallfilm formation. The study focuses on a fundamental task in terms of pollutant emissions in internal combustion engines, aiming at giving a major contribution to the optimization of energy conversion systems in terms of environmental impact. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on experimental campaigns relevant at taking measurements of an impinging spray over a heated wall in a confined vessel. The results, in both qualitative and quantitative terms (measurements of liquid and vapour radial penetration and thickness), are numerically reproduced by a computational model based on a Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes approach, properly validated through customized sub-models. Findings – The paper provides quantitative results about the agreement between radial penetration and vapour thickness between measurements and simulation, achieved by taking into account the cooling effect determined by the fuel impingement. This validation of the numerical model allows the author to give more considerations about the link between wall temperature and wallfilm formation. Originality/value – This paper presents an original approach for the simulation of wall heat transfer, by imposing a boundary condition at the wall that may consider the heat conduction and temperature cooling given by fuel impingement in both lateral and normal directions. The classical Dirichlet boundary condition, characterized by imposing a fixed temperature value, is, instead, replaced by an approach based on calculating the unsteady process that couples the heat fluxes between the fluid and the solid material and within the solid itself