Thermochemical Process R&D
NREL's researchers have investigated the thermochemical conversion of renewable energy feedstocks since the lab's inception. Researchers have focused on developing gasification and pyrolysis processes for converting biomass and its residues to fuels, chemicals, and power.
Gasification R&D is working to produce biosyngas with characteristics
suitable for commercial applications. One major part of this effort is the development of
biomass gasification combined cycles. Integrated biomass gasification with combined cycles
can be used to generate synthesis gas that can be burned in gas turbines or used in fuel
cells to produce electricity at high efficiency. The methods developed by NREL researchers
for analyzing, cleaning, and conditioning product gas to meet prime-mover (e.g.,
spark-ignited internal combustion engines, turbines, etc.) requirements are critical to
making this technology commercially viable.
Fundamental work is also being conducted at NREL that provides a solid
understanding of the chemistry of biomass pyrolysis, including stabilization and upgrading
of bio-oil, the potential applications of pyrolysis liquids, and the requirements for
engineering systems that can produce fuels and chemicals via biomass pyrolysis on a large
scale.
Learn more by reading an overview of biomass gasification
(PDF 272 KB).
Download Adobe Reader.
Thermochemical Process Integration, Scale-up, and Demonstration
NREL possesses engineering-scale thermochemical facilities suitable for
evaluating a wide range of activities involved in converting biomass into power, fuels,
or chemicals. The Thermochemical User's Facility (TCUF) is the central element of these
activities. The TCUF has been used to demonstrate technologies such as gasification,
catalytic conversion of biomass pyrolysis vapors to gasoline type hydrocarbons and
utilization of phenolic compounds in pyrolysis oil for resin formulations.
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