Government gasifier projects...

["Tom Reed" <tombreed@attbi.com>]

Dear Tom, Andrew et al:

I'm glad Tom Miles could counter my overgeneralized blackwash of Government
projects.  I have been involved in a few and learned a lot and hope I am
passing it on as much as possible.

The Hawaii project in particular grated on me because it went through
several phases before any money was spent.  In its initial phase (about
1986) it was meant to be a "Methanol from Biomass" project which I applauded
and still applaud.  Congress set aside $5 M in matching funds.  It was
rumoured to be "prewired" for the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) gasifier
in Chicago.  Our (SynGas Inc.) 40 page proposal from SynGas for a
pressurized fixed bed oxygen gasifier was rejected immediately, even though
we had been operating a one ton unit for  4-5 years at the Solar Energy
Research Institute.

This first phase faded when IGT's matching funds proved vaporous.  The money
must have been underground because it resurfaced about 1992 (?) in similar
form, a METHANOL FROM BIOMASS project.  I remember sending an objecting
letter to the DOE that the IGT gasifier was not very suitable because it
made a gas high in hydrocarbons which would have to be reformed to a syngas,
while other gasifiers (oxygen in particular) make a gas that is primarily CO
and H2 and would require much less conditioning.

The Hawaii project was crippled by working with one of the world's most
difficult feeding fuels - raw bagasse from sugar cane.  Tom could tell you
the details, but it chewed up a million dollars worth of feeders.  And
probably $50 M worth of development time and much talent over 12 years.

~~~~~~
In several ways bagasse is a very attractive energy source.  Every sugar
plant is a potential source of biomass or power and Winrock is busy helping
to convert low pressure sugar mills to high pressure "power plants/sugar
mills" around the world.

If you densify bagasse (piece of cake) it makes one of the nicest biomass
fuels, well washed and very dense.  Pellets were selling in Brazil for <
$10/ton last year and I have been working with a group heading toward
methanol.  They are ready to start testing on their phase II gasifier in a
month or two.  The pellets would be suitable for a coal type lock hoppers -
proven technology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the other hand I have been involved in a lot of Small Business Innovation
Grant projects and they seem to do very well.  Industry is not usually in a
position to test new ideas, so SBIRs provide a Phase I II III stage to
bringing them to fruition.

Yours truly,                                TOM REED
BEF GASWORKS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Miles" <tmiles@trmiles.com>
To: "Tom Reed" <tombreed@attbi.com>; "AJH" <andrew.heggie@dtn.ntl.com>;
<gasification@crest.org>; "Stoves" <Stoves@crest.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2002 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: GAS-L: feeding biomass into pressurised systems


> Andrew,
>
> You seem to have touched a nerve. :-)
>
> I presented the essential results of the Technology Verification Phase
> demonstration, for the period 1996-1997, clearly and objectively, in a
paper
> presented to the Bioenergy 98 conference in Madison, Wisconsin. My
> presention was based on the project report that was prepared by the
project
> team. With all due respect I think the reports were ignored rather than
> buried because some people find politics a lot more fun than science and
> engineering. I think Tom and I simply differ on whether the testing was
> useful.
>
> Just last week I encountered  cases where individuals and companies
involved
> in that project have taken the results of their experience and carried
them
> further in the past five years to improve their systems. They have done
that
> with investment of their own funds and energies and their activities are
not
> for me to discuss here. You'll just have to take that on faith.
>
> In my experience it is not unsual for publicly funded projects to have
their
> detractors. A frequent and negative consequence is that sometimes gossip
and
> hearsay from people who have no relationship to the project is
> misinterpreted and damages similar projects.
>
> It's far more productive to move on and explore or revisit the variety of
> technical solutions that we have available, as you are attempting to do.
> You've listed a number of feeding options and concepts. Each have been
> tested in various forms at both the small and large scales. Some are
> still under development and testing by various entities and all merit
> further discussion.
>
> Tom Miles
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
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