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Gasification : a well-established thermal process |
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Gasification is a thermal process which involves heating components which are mainly organic (waste, biomass, etc.) in an atmosphere which contains no air. Carbon-containing components react with steam and CO2 at a temperature of 850°C in endothermic thermo-chemical transformation reactions, known as gasification:
C + H2O  CO + H2
C + CO2 2CO
C + 2H2 CH4
What is principally obtained is therefore a gas made up of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, called synthesis gas, or syngas.
The advantage of this process lies in its ability to convert solid components into hot gas, whose calorific value is recovered to produce electricity.
The principle of gasification has been known for a long time, since the process was used in gas works in the middle of the 19th century to produce gas for lighting and town gas.
The main advantage is due to the fact that the energy potential of the waste product is transferred to a gas, refined and cleaned of its possible pollutants with a very good output. Besides, a clean gas is burned, like at home, contrary to a waste incinerator where everything burns in a blended way creating polluting combinations which it is necessary to filter intensely later.
Finally the innovative party set up by Europlasma is a tool of Purification with high temperature based on plasma torches.The obtained biosyngas is then purer, driving to a better outpout of the installation: for the same used quantity of fuel, more electricity is produced. Besides, the biosyngas being less charged in tars and alcanes, it is more respectful of the environment.
It should be noted that gasification is not incineration:
Although it involves a related thermal process, gasification is not a combustion process and there is no flame. Combustion is an exothermic reaction of the type
C + O2 CO2
which requires large volumes of air in order to ensure that the oxidation reaction proceeds properly. The gas obtained is mainly carbon dioxide, whose sole energy content is due to its heat, which may be transformed via a recovery boiler.
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