Cleaning Up Gasification Producer Gas for Use in an IC Engine

Abstract

A great deal of recent commercial interest in gasification technology has been centered on the idea of conditioning the producer or syn-gas generated to a level suitable for inclusion in an internal combustion (IC) engine power generation in the 3–15 MW range. Ideally the feed stocks for the gasification system should be able to encompass a variety of opportunity fuels to reduce the energy input costs to the engine. However, these opportunity fuels can cover a wide variety of potential energy sources such as refuse derived fuels, recovered plastics, and various grades of woody biomass, which can present operational challenges to the successful operation of an IC engine. Most major IC engine manufacturers have published guideline specifications for acceptable levels of particulate matter, sulfur, halogens, trace metals, and tar dew points to be maintained in handling a gasification producer gas. The requirements can be very rigorous especially in the context of variable feed mixtures and operational variations encountered in gasification of opportunity fuels. This presentation will address commercial research efforts to adapt an emerging air pollution control technology, the EISENMANN WESP-2F, as the desired technical solution for appropriately conditioning gasification producer gas to a point where inclusion in an IC engine is feasible. Research and testing on the aforementioned system took place using a pilot sized unit operating a slipstream off a commercial sized gasifier testing a number of opportunity fuels. Technical challenges encountered and lessons learned are recounted.