Gasification of Seed Corn
Discarded seed corn was employed as a model biomass for several reasons. Corn grain is relatively dense compared to many other types of biomass which facilitates its handling. The increased density translates into smaller volumes of material to store and transport and leads to a decreased tendency to form dust. Another benefit of using seed corn as a feedstock is that it feeds consistently. Many types of biomass form planer or cylindrical structures when ground but seed corn forms particles with a high degree of sphericity. Unlike the spherical particles of ground seed corn, the high geometric aspect ratios of other types of ground biomass encourage bridging behavior in the feed system making the establishment of steady state feed rates more difficult. Additionally, the low ash content of corn helps reduce the accumulation of alkali in the fluidized bed, prolonging the bed’s useful life.
Flow Diagram
Equipment
Video links
Ag Bio-Power Gasifier
References