GAS-L: Re: Tar measurement (fwd)

[Reedtb2@cs.com]

Dear Mrs. Parikh, Timo Herthan et al:

Congratulations to Timo on inventing a tar meter.  Tars are perceived as the 
number one problem of gasification.  The first step in solving problems is to 
be able to quantify them.  Your meter has a promise of doing that.  

I have been thinking about the possibility of a continuous "tar meter" based 
on an FID for some time, but we haven't done anything as yet here at CPC.  It 
sounds like Timo has taken the necessary steps to make a meter that could 
become a standard to replace condensing liquids at various temperatures and 
arguing about what is or is not tar.  

I like the triple separation into low temperature pass (=methane and HCs), 
medium (for benzene and other fuels), and  passing everything above 100 C 
(the tars).  

Is this meter described in a publication of the University of Stuttgart?  Is 
it available commercially?  Please let us know.  

Yours truly,                        TOM REED                    CPC/BEF


In a message dated 3/13/00 1:22:39 AM Mountain Standard Time, 
parikh@me.iitb.ernet.in writes:

<< Dear Dr Reed,
 
 I am forwarding a mail received regarding Tar measurement. Your openion is
 solicited urgently.
 Regards
 Mrs parikh
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
 Prof. (Mrs.) P.P.Parikh          Phone  Office : 5783496, 5767548 
 Dept. of Mechanical Engg.                        5782545 Ext. 7548 / 8385 
 I.I.T. Bombay              Home   : 5704646    
 Mumbai 400 076 INDIA        Fax    Office : 5783496, 5783480
        
                     email : parikh@me.iitb.ernet.in                   
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 ---------- Forwarded message ----------
 Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 14:34:42 +0100
 From: Timo Herthan <herthan@IVD.Uni-Stuttgart.DE>
 To: parikh@me.iitb.ernet.in
 Subject: Tar measurement
 
 Dear Mrs Parikh
 
 I read your email to Dr. Reed concerning the tar measurement problem in the 
gasification
 mailing list archive. Please give me the time to introduce to you a method 
which was
 developed at the Institute of Process Engineering and Power Plant Technology 
(IVD) of the
 University of Stuttgart in Germany. 
 
 The TA 120 Tar Analyser was developed for quasi-continuous online 
measurement of the
 content of condensable aromatic hydrocarbons, designated as tars, in the 
producer gas from
 biomass gasification. The inset of this quantification method features a 
series of
 improvements regarding conventional methods, like the wet chemical 
measurements. Thereby,
 the possibility of simultaneous and quasi-continuous online measurement of 
tar, aromatic
 and total hydrocarbon content persuades the user. The analysis time is about 
two minutes.
 As a matter of principle, the TA 120 can be used in other fields of 
application, where
 high seething and volatile hydrocarbons should be measured separately. The 
crossover to
 the production in series is made by Ratfisch Analysensysteme GmbH in Poing, 
Germany.
 
 The principle of the Tar Analyser is the following : 
 Hot gas is sucked in and purified from fine particles and aerosols, before 
three sample
 loops are loaded contemporaneously. These three gas volumes are flushed one 
after another
 by carrier gas to the flame ionization detector (FID). Thereby, the first 
sample flows
 through a tar filter and the second through an aromatic filter before they 
reach the FID;
 the third sample reaches the FID unaltered. The concentrations of tars, 
aromatics and
 total hydrocarbons are then calculated and displayed. The deposit 
temperatures of both
 filters can be regularised independently from each other. Flush cycles are 
reducing memory
 effects to a minimum and are increasing the lifetime of the filters. The 
pressure, flow
 rate and intensifier parameters of the FID are justified by the TA 120. The 
control
 parameterisation of the measurement cycles can be made optional on the TA 
120 or by the
 software TA 120 DataAquisitionÓ from PC/Laptob.
  
 · Detector:
    Flame ionization detector (FID)
 · Analysis Temperature:
    Up to 300 °C
 · Filter Temperatures:
    0  to  + 100 °C 
    (adjustable in steps of  1 °C)
 · Number of Filters:
    Two
 · Number of Sample Inlets:
    Two
 · Effective Range:
    3 decates up to max. 120 gC/m3 
 · Time for one Analysis:
    About 120 seconds
 · Measurement Limit:
    < 0,2 % of the total hydrocarbon content
 · Reproducibility:
    ± 0,5 % of the measured value
 · Linearity:
    ± 2 % of the effective range accumulated value
 · Sample Pressure:
     - 30 - 50 mbar
 · Sample Gas Flow Rate:
    10 - 80 l/h
 · Heating Time:
    about 60 minutes
 · Temperature Control:
    PID- Controller
 · Ambient Temperature:
    +5  to  + 35 °C
 · Signal Outlet / Peripheral Control:
    RS 485/232 - Interface
 · Alarms:
    - Sample loops
    - Oven Temperature
    - Temperature of both filters
    - sensor break (temperature)
 · Status Displays:
    - Status of the analytic cycle
    - Sample Inlet
    - Oven Temperature
    - Filter Temperature 1 and 2
 · Software:
    TA 120 DataAquisitionÓ 
 · Required Gases:
    Fuel FID:   
    - Hydrogen (Purity 5.0), 2 bar, about 2 l/h
    Air FID:
    - synthetical air (HC-free), 3 bar, 20 l/h
    Carrier Gas:
    - Nitrogen (Purity 5.0) or compressed air, 2 bar, 5 l/h
    Valve Control:
    - compressed air, 6 bar, 50 l/h
    Calibration Gas:
    - about 5 Vol.-% Methan in N2 , max. 100 mbar
 · Gas Connections:
    6 mm clambing ring screw joint.
 · Power Supply Line:
    230 V / 50 Hz / 1500 VA
 · Weights and Measures:
    about  30 kg
    6 HE x 19 " x 480 mm (H x B x T)
   
      
 If you have more questions about the tar analyser feel free to contact me.
 
 Kind Regards
 Timo Herthan
  >>
The Gasification List is sponsored by
USDOE BioPower Program http://www.eren.doe.gov/biopower/
and PRM Energy Systems http://www.prmenergy.com
Other Sponsors, Archives and Information
http://www.crest.org/renewables/gasification-list-archive
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/gasref.shtml
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/
http://www.crest.org/renewables/biomass-info/carbon.shtml