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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #252937
Title: Gasification of blended animal manures to produce synthesis gas and activated charcoal

Author
item Ro, Kyoung
item MAHAJAN, DEVINDER - Brookhaven National Laboratory

Submitted to: Pacific Basin Society Chemical International Congress Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/18/2010
Publication Date: 12/15/2010
Citation: Ro, K.S., Mahajan, D. 2010. Gasification of blended animal manures to produce synthesis gas and activated charcoal [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), December 15-20, 2010, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Blended swine solids, chicken litter, and hardwood are renewable and expensive sources to produce combined heat and power (CHP), fuels and related chemicals. The therrmochemical pathway to gasify manure has the added advantage of destroying harmful pathogens and pharmaceutically active compounds during the process. We are focusing on a skid-mounted, integrated down-draft gasifier for conversion of these feedstocks to synthesis gas (syngas) at 850°C. The composition of the resulting synthesis gas is established using GC in the TCD mode. Syngas to produce CHP is an option but the focus is an alternative to produce fuels. Our focus is on renewable fuel, dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute by catalytic conversion of syngas. The overall fuel production scheme thus consists of: 1) feedstock gasification, 2) separation of bio-char produced during the process, 3) using the treated bio-char bed to remove H2S, and 4) conversion of clean syngas to DME using the one-step pathway. To develop this route, charcoal is analyzed for its surface area, HHV, and total element contents. Some of the charcoal is also activated using both physical and chemical methods. Adsorption characteristics of activated and non-activated charcoals are currently under evaluation. A parallel effort is underway to convert simulated syngas into DME.