Experimental analysis of a bubbling fluidized bed gasification plant fed by biomass: Design, implementation and validation of the control system

Abstract

Despite being a renewable source, biomass as fuel for power generation is still not completely exploited. In biomass gasification plants, control operations are crucial for the proper management of the plant. This paper describes the results of a regulation control applied to an experimental biomass bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasification plant. The aim of implementing the system is to improve the biomass gasification process, increasing the efficiency and ensuring the safety in the plant operation. The equivalence ratio (ER) is one of the main parameters in a gasification process. To improve the ER, the airflow input is controlled, measuring the air velocity through an anemometer. On the other hand, the biomass flow is controlled modifying the speed of the screw conveyor using an inverter for regulating the frequency of its electric motor. A PLC is used for programming the instructions to implement control functions and to store the data given by the measurement devices. Once implemented the control system, the biomass gasification plant could work either; manually o automatically, allowing to adjust ER, increasing efficiency of the process. Finally, some tests are done to validate the control system, using the acquired data to improve the process.