HomeFAQ's 10. What distinguishes the Blue Tower from wood combustion and from other gasification processes?
10. What distinguishes the Blue Tower from wood combustion and from other gasification processes?
The essential factor of all combustion processes is that the combustible is completely oxidized, that means burned and that a lot of heat, as much as possible, is extracted from the flue gas for example in a steam boiler. The heat may either be used directly as heat or indirectly for the electric power production. The flue gas would then be given off to the atmosphere through a chimney after thorough cleaning. Two points may be made concerning combustion:
If only heat is needed, then combustion would be used rather than gasification to convert the biomass.
Certain types of biomass would not burn properly. These may be still gasified.
The product of the gasification is a combustible gas. Such a gas is much more useful than a hot flue gas. In the Blue Tower, steam is used as gasifying agent instead of air or oxygen. Hence, the result of the gasification in the Blue Tower therefore is an especially high-quality gas that consists about half of hydrogen and to a big part still of other calorific value rich gases (Carbon monoxide, methane and so forth). There are mainly four applications of the product gas:
In a „classic“ way as fuel gas for motors, boilers, etc.
As fuel gas in a gas engine or in a fuel cell for electric power production with high efficiency
For hydrogen production
As a raw material for synthesis gases
The Blue Tower is not the only steam gasifier on the market. But his qualities make it unique:
It works under atmospheric pressure. There are no big pressure vessels with hot gases inside.
It is robust and not at all selective with respect to the input material. E.g. fine particles, a big problem for the most air blown gasifiers, can be handled without problems.
It is efficient and safe: Steam gasification is an endothermic process. Nothing needs to ignite or burn out. The gasification process would run only when heat is provided by the heat carrier.
