DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF FURNACE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BAMBOO CHARCOAL

This paper presents the study of carbonization systems for the production of Bamboo Charcoal which is formed on dry distillation of raw bamboo. The paper mentions the drawbacks of the conventional practices of production of Bamboo Charcoal. Design of a new charcoal production unit is aimed at eliminating the identified drawbacks in the present methodology of production making the process of production faster and more efficient by minimizing heat loss during the production process. Designing is attempted with strong consideration for manufacture, operational cost and ease of operation of the furnace as the process finds application amongst rural people with little or no technical knowhow, making simplicity of design absolutely critical for implementation of the developed technology. Results of testing and experimentation presented in this paper describe the working prototype confirming qualitative and quantitative improvements in the bamboo charcoal being produced as compared to the conventional method of production

Kinetic Model Development for Biogas Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Lignocellulosic biomass has great potential for biogas production, but there are various factors which affect the performance of lignocellulosic biomass. Among the various factors, temperature is one of the important factors which play a significant role in biogas production from lignocellulosic biomass. Biogas production was studied for bamboo dust, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse and rice straw, all separately mixed with cattle dung. The effect of temperature on biogas production from various lignocellulosic biomasses was studied for temperature range from 35°C to 55°C at steps of 5°C. The objective of this work is to develop a mathematical model for evaluating the effect of temperature on the rate of biogas production from various lignocellulosic biomasses. The new mathematical model is derived by modification of the modified Gompertz model. The new model is found to be suitable for lignocellulosic biomass mixed with cattle dung in the temperature range 35°C to 55°C. The resulting estimated biogas production is found to be highly correlated to the experimental data of present study

Small-scale anaerobic digestion: a case study

Biogas is clean environment friendly fuel that can be obtained by anaerobic digestion of animal residues and domestic and farm wastes. It is an important renewable energy resource. Biogas generally comprise of 55-65 % methane, 35-45 % carbon dioxide, 0.5-1.0 % hydrogen sulfide and traces of water vapor

Providing energy for rural Indian communities: anaerobic digestion at Loughborough University

Rural Hybrid Energy Enterprise Systems (RHEES) is a research partnership between 6 UK and 7 Indian Universities. The aim of this project is to develop best practise at a smaller community scale which makes use of hybrid and combinations of biofuels. The idea is to improve rural energy availability, equity of cost and to generate an economic stimulus from the desire to provide greater energy security and reduced environmental impact. Our part of the project is AD and here we describe the typical Assam design. We summarise how a novel gas monitoring device for remotely controlled, autonomous monitoring of AD might avoid shock loadings from heterogeneous feedstocks

The implementation of decentralised biogas plants in Assam, NE India: the impact and effectiveness of the National Biogas and Manure Management Programme

The Indian Government’s National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) aims to deliver renewable energy services to households across the country by incentivising the deployment of family-sized (<6m3) anaerobic (biogas) digesters. We investigated how NBMMP policy is implemented at three levels, from government and state nodal agency, via private contractors to households. We analysed the scheme across two districts in Assam, north-east India, interviewing stakeholders in rural households, state and non-state institutions. We found a top-down, supply-side approach which enables central government to set targets and require individual states to deploy the scheme. Participation in the NBMMP was found to deliver improved energy service outcomes to a majority of households that can afford to participate, although the level of knowledge and understanding of the technology amongst users was limited. Improved training of householders, and particularly women, is needed in relation to the maintenance of digesters, feedstock suitability and the environmental and potential livelihood benefits of digestate. A policy revision which highlights the contextual and demand-side issues around adopting the technology, may deliver monetary benefits from market competition and enable development of community-focused microfinance schemes to improve the affordability of biogas systems

DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF CONDENSER FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BAMBOO VINEGAR

This paper presents methods for the production of Bamboo Vinegar. Bamboo Vinegar is formed on condensation of Bamboo Vapor which is a byproduct of bamboo pyrolysis occurring during the process of production of Bamboo Charcoal. The Paper mentions the conventional practices of producing Bamboo Vinegar and provides detailed study on the development of a condenser of adequate rating and sizing for the production of Bamboo Vinegar. Appropriate assumptions are made in designing the condenser which is a modification of a shell and tube type heat exchanger. The condenser acts as a heat sink improving the yield and quality of bamboo vinegar produced. Designs have been attempted with strong consideration for manufacture and operational cost as the condenser finds application amongst rural people with little or no technical knowhow, therefore simplicity of design is absolutely critical. Experimental results confirm working prototype of condensation system. Improvement over conventional method of production is specified for in this paper

Effect of particle size and sand inventory on wall-to-bed heat transfer characteristics of circulating fluidized bed riser

The present paper describes a numerical study on the steady state wall-to-bed heat transfer characteristics of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser of cross section 0.15 m × 0.15 m and height 2.85 (m). 3-D CFD simulations for heat transfer characteristics were carried out for heated portion (heater) of 0.15 (m) width and 0.60 (m) height. Heater was placed 0.60 (m) above the distributor plate which is the lower splash region of CFB. For modeling and simulation, CFD code Fluent - version 6.3.26 has been used. Modeling and meshing were done with Gambit software – version 2.4.6. The wall of heater was maintained at the constant heat flux q” = 1000 (W/m2). RNG k-ε model was used for turbulence modeling. Mixture model and Gidaspow model for phase interaction were used for the simulation of two phase flow (air + sand mixture flow) and Gidaspow model found to be more accurate model further simulations. Results obtained were compared for distribution of bed (air + sand mixture) temperature across the heater and local heat transfer coefficient along the height of the heater for two sand inventories (4 kg and 7 kg) and six particle sizes falling in the range of Geldart B type particles (60 μm, 100 μm, 160 μm, 260 μm, 360 μm, 460 μm). Results obtained through CFD simulations were compared with available literatures and experimental results which were obtained from available CFB setup of IIT Guwahati.P. Mahanta, R.S. Patil and Manmohan Pande

Some Studies on Wall-to-bed Heat Transfer in a Pressurized Circulating Fluidized Bed Unit

AbstractIn the present work, a pressurized circulating fluidized bed (PCFB) unit of 54 mm inner diameter and riser height of 2000 mm has been fabricated to investigate the effect of pressure on suspension density and heat transfer. The effects of blending of biomass in sand, and superficial velocity on bed hydrodynamics and heat transfer has also been studied. Experiments have been conducted at four different percentage blending of biomass such as 2.5%, 7.5%, 15% and 20% in sand with two different weight composition ratios and at a superficial velocity of 5 m/s. Operating pressure is varied from 1 to 5 bar in a step of 2 bar. Results show that, the axial heat transfer coefficient increases from the bottom to the top of heat transfer probe with the increase in operating pressure. The radial variation of heat transfer coefficient decreases from the wall to the core of the heat transfer probe. The heat transfer coefficient is also found to be higher in between the 7.5 to 15% biomass blending in sand. The overall uncertainty in calculating heat transfer coefficient is found to be 3.90%

Biomass gasification for decentralized power generation: The Indian perspective

This article attempts to highlight the technical and economical issues related to decentralized power generation in India using biomass gasification. Biomass-based energy has several distinct advantages such as wide availability and uniform distribution that puts it ahead among the renewable energy options for India. The estimated potential of power generation through renewable sources in India is 85 GW with biomass power contributing approximately 20 GW. Especially, in the remote areas and hilly terrains of India, biomass gasification-based power generation offers a highly viable solution for meeting energy demands of small villages and hamlets, which would not only make them independent but will also reduce burden on state electricity boards. This paper reviews various technical options for biomass gasification-based low-, medium- and large-scale power generation. We essentially discuss the merits and demerits (operational and other problems) of different systems. Further, we also deal with economics of these systems and discuss principal factors influencing the viability of the biomass-based power generation. Finally, we review some case studies of biomass-based power generation for meeting energy needs, both thermal and electrical.Biomass gasification Biomass gasifiers Rural electrification Decentralized power generation

Charging Station Placement for Electric Vehicles : A Case Study of Guwahati City, India

The ever-increasing population of India accompanied by the recent concerns regarding fossil fuel depletion and environmental pollution has made it indispensable to develop alternate mode of transportation. Electric vehicle (EV) market in India is expanding. For acceptance of EVs among the masses, development of charging infrastructure is of paramount importance. This paper formulates and solves the charging infrastructure-planning problem for Guwahati, India, that will develop as a smart city soon. The allocation of charging station problem was framed in a multi-objective framework considering the economic factors, power grid characteristics, such as voltage stability, reliability, power loss, as well as EV user's convenience, and random road traffic. The placement problem was solved by using a Pareto dominance-based hybrid algorithm amalgamating chicken swarm optimization (CSO) and the teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. Finally, the Pareto optimal solutions were compared by fuzzy decision-making.Peer reviewe