can you explain why everyone is using internal combustion engines rather than going to the direct way and converting heat into steam and the generating power that way? You don't need any refineries or anything like that for that to happen you just burn all of that in a secondary combustion chamber
At 35% efficiency, a combustion engine is much more efficient than a steam engine at 15%. In a combustion engine, the energy of the combustion is directly transformed into motion. A steam engine needs to turn water into steam first, costing a considerable amount of energy that is lost via the steam vent. Gasified biomass also burns cleaner and more completely.
How quickly does this start stop, does it have logic inputs. I am imagining having both solar and wind, then this just turns on at the end of the day to top off the batteries, to maximize battery life and minimize fuel consumption. Or can it somehow auto-regulated, so that it supplements wind and solar eliminating the need for batteries; and not unnecessarily consuming fuel?
The reactor takes roughly 10 minutes to warm up, up to 20 minutes if there is a lot of humidity in the gas circuit, especially if it is cold. I don't know what precisely you mean by logic inputs, but if you are concerned about putting this on a microgrid, this machine has DSE grid-tie electronics that manage the synchronization and cut-off thresholds for tying onto a 3-phase AC grid. If what you want is the machine to instantly turn off whenever solar and wind energy suffice, so as to not consume any biomass feedstock when it is not needed, this machine cannot do that. The intended use for such a mixed microgrid is for this machine to ramp up production, usually in the evenings and into the night, when solar isn't available.
Austin Liu Wow thanks, honestly wasn't expecting an answer. Tells me what I was considering. By logic, I mean like something a 5v signal wire input to control active\inactive states; so it can be hooked to timers, voltage sensors, thermostats, scales, whatever. But it doesn't sound like it has a standby state to control output\fuel consumption, so it wouldn't work that way as you say. I have a lot with plenty of lumber and cold winters, and am trying to figure out ways to minimize battery bank size and still have some quality of life with occasional power tool use.
nustada There aren't any external controls to the machine. The machine auto-regulates the output to match the load. The engine turns a 3-phase AC generator, and since AC power must remain at a constant frequency, we can use minor deviations from the target frequency to inform a feedback-loop that opens or closes the throttle valve to the engine to let it suck in more or less gas. If the load increases, the flywheel begins to slow down; a very sensitive detector connected to the engine governor can catch this condition and open up the throttle to counter this. If the load decreases, the flywheel begins to speed up, and the same governor throttles the engine intake to reduce power output. The rate at which the engine sucks in gas from the gasifier determines how much air gets sucked into the air intake of the gasifier. That's how the machine self-regulates the output to match the load.
Austin Liu Few more questions, what is the maximum chunk size for the hopper? Have you studied net energy supply\consumption when accounting for chippers?
The biochar product that comes out is very pure and made up almost entirely of carbon and minerals--there is very little in the way of ash or tars and our biochar has passed IBI certification: biochar-international.org/ibi-certified-biochars/
Let me explain the ash production. This is not something that can be eliminated or fixed. About half of the gas is produced via tar cracking, and about half is produced via reduction reactions (see this: www.allpowerlabs.com/gasification-explained, but specifically this graphic: www.allpowerlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Reduction-Reactions.png ). The wood chips fed into the machine pyrolize into charcoal chips, and then the charcoal chips get consumed via reduction reactions. (The ash content of the wood, which constitutes 1-2% by mass, remains, since it does not turn into gas.) However, in the process, they shrink to the point where they pack too densely to permit the rate of gas percolation needed to feed the engine. It is at this point that the char-ash gets purged to restore the rate of gas production. It is not white powdered as; it looks like charcoal, but the ash content within is somewhat higher than your conventional charcoal. (The char-ash is usable as biochar, and it is actually rather fantastic biochar. We have found that there's more and more interest in the biochar and less in the gas at this point. Since one comes at the expense of the other, we cannot optimize for both. On the request of our customers, one of our future models will actually produce more char-ash for use as biochar.)
What temp does this unit run at? Can the hydrocarbons be collected and stored for shipment elsewhere, instead of being run directly through the generator instantly?
The reactor's reduction zone runs at over 800˚C. It doesn't produce hydrocarbons; it produces a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It is not cost-effective to store and ship; the gasifier is aspirated by the atmosphere, so the gas is pre-diluted with nitrogen from the air. Because of this, it is best used directly. Also, our machine maintains a decent level of efficiency by recycling heat from the engine for various processes on the reactor and gas filtration; if you aren't running an engine to supply this waste heat, the reactor becomes significantly less efficient.
The Power Pallet continues to be refined and is now a much more mature and efficient product than five years ago. Learn more here: www.allpowerlabs.com/pp30-power-pallet
+Billy Schorn how much does it cost to buy a solar setup that can generate 15 kilowatts 24 hours a day in any weather? How much for the batteries and how long will they last. It's a no brainer this system is literally 100% better than any current solar setup. Except maybe some form of solar powered hydrolysis and storing the hydrogen gas.
Billy Schorn Probably need to empty the ash daily and check the oil pretty regularly I would think. I like solar too I just don't think its as good as most other options yet.
Billy Schorn We have made significant improvements in addressing the noise. The current model, the 25kW PP30, has an enclosure around the engine, and the engine is decoupled from the radiator fans. The fans are now electric, and have shrouds around the blade tips. The fans only turn on when they need to, and don't spin faster than they need to. It is definitely louder than solar, but for people who have biomass waste and who need the heat, our machine is a better fit. 25kW of solar panels will fill a parking lot. 25kW of biomass energy fits on a footprint just a bit larger than that pallet. The current machine outputs 2kW thermal per 1kW electrical output, in the form of hot water. The ideal application is not to run this 24/7, but to use it in a microgrid to complement intermittent sources of renewable energy.
@1.50per watt you are way tooo expensive...I can do this with solar @ same price with free sunlight to power it.... you still must buy stock and empty ash some where...not cool at all...
solar needs way more watts to do the same as this unit because solar only generates power while the sun is up and while your panels may receive an average 7 hours of daylight per day, the average peak sun-hours may actually be closer to only 3 or 4 which has to be stored in an expensive battery bank for use during the rest other 2/3 of the day that the panels are not generating power. Also cloudy days can cut the power output of panels down by 50%. where as this "Power Pallet" runs full power 24/7. considering nationwide peak sun hours I would guess that the power pallet could put out about 10 times more power on an average day (24hrs) compared to a solar panel rated at the same wattage.
The machine has a very specific niche that it fills. It disposes of biomass, and provides energy, and the most recent models produce 2kW of thermal energy in the form of hot water for every 1kW of electricity it generates. Solar has become impressively affordable, but it has not broken into this particular niche. In a lot of places where biomass waste from the nut processing industry or forestry management or lumber processing costs the produces money to dispose of, our machine solves two problems in one solution. The current generation of machine outputs 25kW, and its footprint is just a foot longer than the one in this video. 25kW of solar panels will cover the entire roof of a barn twice over, and only gives you its rated power at the schedule of the sun, not as you demand it. If you need power density, and have the biomass, then our machine is a better fit.
Austin Liu Of course, biomass is just solar in chemical storage; seems like a silly thing to complain about. Its energy gets released back into the environment one way or another, may as well harness it.
