Development of a Biomass Gasification Process for the Coproduction of Methanol and Power from Red Sea Microalgae

Abstract

In this study, an algae biomass gasification process using a dual fluidized bed with combined power and methanol cogeneration was developed. The gasification process was modeled using Aspen Plus and validated using experimental data of two microalgae species (Nannochloropsis oculata and Dunaliella salina) commonly found on the western coast of Saudi Arabia. The impacts of different operating conditions, including the gasifier temperature, steam-to-biomass ratio, and algae-char split ratio, on the compositions of four main gases (CO, CO2, CH4, and H2) were investigated. The results of the parametric studies indicated that the gasification temperature has a significant effect on the composition of the synthesis gas, where 700–850 °C was the ideal operating range for gasification. Altering the ratio of biomass to steam showed a slightly smaller effect on the synthesis gas composition. The char split ratio should be kept below 75% to ensure an adequate heat supply to the process. The proposed process successfully converted 45.7% of the biomass feed to methanol at a production capacity of 290 metric tons per day. On the other hand, 38 MW of electricity capacity was generated in the combined power cycle.

Keywords

• biomass
• microalgae
• gasification
• fluidized bed
• methanol
• power