BIOMASSGASI

EMISSIONS
A Venturi scrubber used to clean gasifier syngas results in
reliability and cost savings.
t an East Coast saw-
mill, a gasifier con-
verts wood chips
in^** 3 syngas that
generates 320 Idto-
watts of electricity in
a dual-fuel internal
combustion engine. In addition, approxi-
mately 1,800 MBtu/hr created in the process
heats the Siiwmill.
The gasifier was commissioned in 2005.
The original design used an electrostatic
precipitator (ESP) to clean the syngas before
It was combusted. Problems developed with
the ESP, which caused the system to be taken
out of service after operating for only 53
hours. A more reliable way to clean the syn-
gas was needed. As the cost to improve the
[jerformance of the ESP was prohibitive, the
decision was made to replace the ESP with a
Venturi scruhher system.
Syngas cleaning system
design
The ESP was replaced hy a Venturi scrub-
ber operating at 50-inch W.C. The scrub-
By ANDREW C. BARTOCCI and
RONALD G. PAnERSON, PH.D., Envitech, Inc
her was placed downstream of an existing
packed-tower scrubber. An induced draft
fan was added to overcome the scrubber
pressure drop.
Placing the scrubber downstream of
the packed-tower scrubber offers several
advantages;
Water vapor in the gas stream is con-
densed on the particulate in the packed
tower scrubber. This grows the submi-
cron particles to a larger size so that they
are collected at higher efficiency in the
Venturi scrubber.
The gas volume is reduced by approxi-
Figure 1: Modified syngas cleaning sysfem process flow diagram.
JUNE2OO8 www.poiiutionengfneering.com 33
Wet
Scrubbing
mately 40 percent, which means that the
fan horsepower is reduced accordingly.
Compression of the gas in the fan adds
approximately 20"F of reheat. With this
amount of reheat, the syngas line from
the tan outlet to the engine only needs
to be insulated, not heat-traced, to avoid
water condensation.
Unlike the existing ESP, the Venturi
scrubber does not require high-volt-
age, eliminating the need for safety
interlocks.
A process flow diagram for ihe modified
syngas cleaning system is shown in Figure
1. The gas enters the syngas cleaning system
at approximately 600 NmVhr at 15-percent
moisture and a temperature of 1,200'T. The
inlet load is about 3,000 mg/Nm' of particu-
late and 1,000 mg/Nm' of tars.
The hot syngas from the gasifier passes
through a cyclonic separator to remove par-
ticles greater than 10 microns. The syngas
then pas.ses through an evaporative quench-
er to cool the gas to saturation.
After the quencher, the syngas enters a
condenser/absorber (C/A) tower for sub-
cooling. The packing is wet-film, random-
dumped, stainless steel. Process water col-
lected in the C/A sump is recirculated to
the quencher and the C/A through a fin
Particle Removal Efficiency
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Vanturi Scrubber @ 50 in. WC
WESP@SCA= 120
0.1 1
Particle Size, pmA
10
Figure 3: Particle removal efficiency comparison for ESP and Venturi
90
eo
Particle Size Distribution
70 60 so 40 30 20 10
article Size Distribution
Initiai Distribution
Grown Distribution
-
y
^
_ -
-
^,^
20 30 40 50 60
Percent Less Than, *)
SO 90 95
Figure 4: Particle size comparison ot initial and grown distributions
Figure 2: Venturi Scrubber System
tube cooler. A blowdown stream taken
from the C/A purges soUds and tars from
the system.
The Venturi scrubber removes fme
particulate before the syngas enters a
chevron-style entrainment separator for
removal of water drops. Finally, the gas
passes through a multistage centrifugal
blower for compression prior to entering
the internal combustion engine.
Liquid from the Venturi scrubber is
collected in the sump of the entrainment
separator and recirculated to the scrubber.
The Venturi overflow is pumped to the
C/A sump.
Figure 2 shows the Venturi scrubber
system that was integrated into the existing
plant equipment. The gas enters vertically,
in a downward direction, at the scrubber
inlet. It passes through the mist eliminator
and then through the induced draft fan.
The syngas cleaning system was designed
to take advantage of water vapor condensa-
tion effects to enhance particle collection
and reduce energy consumption. Some of
the water vapor condenses on the particles
in the C/A, causing their mass and diameter
to increase, which makes them easier to
collect. The rest of the condensing vapor
sweeps particles with it as it moves toward
the cold surface of the scrubbing liquid.
To a lesser extent, thermal forces resulting
from the temperature gradient between
the gas and the cold surface also enhance
particle collection.
JXJNE2008 www.poiiutionengtneering.com 35
Wet
Scrubbing
Comparison of ESP and
Venturi systems
Figure 3 compares the particle removal effi-
ciency of an ESP versus a Venturi .scrub-
ber system operating at a pressure drop of
SO inches W.C. For particles larger than I
micron, the systems have similar efficiencies.
For particles smaller than 1 micron, however,
the removal efficiency of the Venturi begins
lo degrade.
The system tobk
advantage cf
condensation
effects, using sab-
cooling to improve
the performance of
the scrubber. ~^
Sub-cooling improves
performance
Figure 4 shows the effect on particle size dis-
tribution when water vapor in the gas stream
condenses onto the particulate. The curve
shows the particle size distribution in the
un-grown state without sub-cooling (solid
red line). In this case, 30 percent of the par-
ticles are between 0.5 and 0.55 microns, and
20 percent are approximately 0.35 microns.
After sub-cooling (dashed blue line), particle
size increases from 0.5 to 0.55 microns to
0.65 to 0.7 microns, and from 0.35 microns
to 0.6 microns. At slightly under 0.6 microns,
the particle size distribution flattens. The
effect of sLib-cooling Is to grow the particu-
late, making it easier to collect in the down-
stream Venturi.
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Wet
Scrubbing
Outlet Particle Cumulative Concentration
CT 10.000.00
g 1,000.00
5 100.00
10.00
1.00
0.10
0.0)
s t a n da r d
Sub-cooled
0.1
10
Initial Particle Size, microns
Figure 5: Outlet particle cumuiative concentration
Figure 5 shows the standard inlet condition or un-grown state
(solid red line) and the sub-cooled condition or grown state (dashed
blue line). The outlet coEicentration for both conditions is essentially
the same for particles up to 1 micron, approximately 1 mg/DNm\
However, in the sub-cooled condition, the total outlet concentra-
tion, including sub-micron particulate, is dramatically reduced from
1,000 mg/DNm^ to 100 mg/DNm^ Approximately 99 percent of the
outlet concentration is less than 1 micron. These particulate are small
enough and their concentration is iow enough to be combusted or to
pass through the engine.
Conclusion
Operational problems developed with an ESP syngas cleaning system
which caused the system to be removed from service. A 50-inch V^'.C.
pressure drop Venturi .scrubber syngas cleaning system was designed
to replace the ESP.
A packed bed scrubber downstream of the Venturi scrubber
uses sub-cooling to improve the Venturi performance. Sub-micron
particulate are grown to a minimum size of just under 0.6 microns,
enabling the cumulative outlet concentration to be reduced from
1,000 mg/DNm'' to 100 DNm'. More than 99 percent of the panicu-
late leaving the Venturi scrubber are sub-micron. This outlet concen-
tration ensures efficient combustion of the syngas.
The redesign has proved cost effective and reliable, enabling the
gasifier to return to operation. In addition, the modified syngas clean-
ing system eliminates the need for high voltage safety interlocks that
were used in the ESP. PB
For mor e i nfor mat i on, c o n t a c t An dr e w Bor t occi , Nc t i o n a i Sales Ma n a g e r for
Envitech Inc. a t (619) 223-9925 ext, 203 or a ba r t o c c i @e n v i t e c hi n c .e o m, Visit
www.envitectiincconri.
Visit www.poirutionengineering.com t o el ect r oni cal l y fo r wa r d a c o p y of fhis
ar t i cl e t o a c o i i e a g u e or c u s t o me r
References
1, Cr a wfo r d, M. Air Pollution Control Theory. 1976.
2. Cal ver t . S.; Englund, M, Handbook of Air Pollution Technology, 1984,
PoiiuHon Engineering JUNE2008