Abstract:
A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical plant are disclosed. Some embodiments may include a solar thermal receiver to absorb concentrated solar energy from an array of heliostats and a solar-driven chemical reactor. This chemical reactor may have multiple reactor tubes, in which particles of biomass may be gasified in the presence of a carrier gas in a gasification reaction to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide products. High heat transfer rates of the walls and tubes may allow the particles of biomass to achieve a high enough temperature necessary for substantial tar destruction and complete gasification of greater than 90 percent of the biomass particles into reaction products including hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas in a very short residence time between a range of 0.01 and 5 seconds.
Abstract:
An integrated plant is provided to improve carbon utilization of carbon molecules from gasified woody biomass to be converted into methanol. Detectors ensure a minimized sulfur content of less than 0.05% by dry weight of the woody biomass. A biomass gasifier reacts woody biomass in a rapid gasification reaction to produce a syngas composition having a ratio of hydrogen to carbon dioxide that is higher than needed for methanol synthesis. Parallel to the gasifier, a hydrocarbon reforming reactor provides a syngas composition having a ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide that is higher than needed for methanol synthesis. The combined syngas mixture from the biomass gasifier and the hydrocarbon reforming reactor comprises feed to a methanol synthesis plant, such that a majority of the carbon dioxide produced by the biomass gasification reaction and the hydrogen produced by the hydrocarbon reforming reactor are synthesized into methanol.