Room: Auditorium 2
Date: Monday, 09 June 2025
Time: 16:15 - 17:15 CEST
Session code 4AO.5
Biomass gasification, processes, gas cleaning, activated carbon and chemical looping
Integration of Physical Activation into Industrial Wood Gasification Plant: Activated Carbon Production, PAH Removal and Electrical Efficiency Improvement
Short Introductive summary
Significant efforts have been made to improve the efficiency of gasification systems, but their economic viability remains dependent on prevailing conditions. In addition to renewable energy, gasification produces gasification char (GC), a carbonaceous by-product that makes up ~10 wt% of the biomass feedstock. GC is often considered a low value material, which is typically discarded or used for heat generation. Physical activation offers a promising way to convert GC into high-value activated carbon (AC). However, this approach still represents a significant research gap, possibly due to the inherent challenges associated with GC, including a soft skeleton, high degree of graphitisation, ash content and reduced porosity. In laboratory scale activation, mild H2O activation (=750°C, =20 min) was found to be the most efficient. At pilot scale, autothermal activation within a 1.2 MW wood gasification plant increased the BET surface area from 268 to 640 m²/g, reduced PAH16 levels to EBC certification standards and produced a gas with a heating value of 3.86 MJ/Nm³, thereby improving plant efficiency.
EUBCE Student Awardee Presentation
Presenter
David GURTNER
MCI Internationale Hochschule, JRZ Pulveraktivkohle, Energy and Environmental Engineering Dpt., AUSTRIA
Presenter's biography
David Gurtner studied Environmental and Energy Engineering and has spent the past four years working in the field of pyrolysis and gasification. He is currently completing his PhD, which focuses on the production of activated carbon from gasified waste, and is expected to finish soon.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
M. Kresta, Management Center Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AUSTRIA
M. Maurer, Management Center Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AUSTRIA
A. Hofmann, Management Center Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AUSTRIA
C. Pfeifer, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, AUSTRIA
Session reference: 4AO.5.3