Compact high-density gasifier for waste biomasses

Title : Compact high-density gasifier for waste biomasses

Abstract:

Biomass gasifiers, as used during the Second World War, had many drawbacks, particularly the production of gas rich in tar. In recent decades, sophisticated multi-stage gasifier systems with complex filtration mechanisms have been developed to address these issues. However, these systems are highly complex and require high-quality fuels such as wood, making them unsuitable for processing "waste" biomass like hay or straw. Based on fundamental physics principles, we have developed a new and remarkably simple gasifier with a very high-power density. It can operate at lower temperatures, enabling the gasification of materials like straw and hay at 400–500°C without causing ash liquefaction or sintering. This innovation effectively produces what was once known as "town gas" from fast-growing biomass that would otherwise be discarded and decompose into CO₂, heat, and water. Since all types of biomasses contain approximately 40% (molecular) hydrogen, they serve as the most efficient and cost-effective hydrogen storage available. Our gasifier is designed to fully utilize this hydrogen storage, making biomass a practical and sustainable energy source.
In parallel, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the gasifier was developed as a preliminary tool to support the experimental analysis. The model focuses on the description of flow behavior and overall biomass trends.

Biography:

Daria Botsula is a PhD candidate at the University of Udine, Department of Physics, working in the field of Renewable Energy with a focus on biomass gasification. Her research involves the experimental investigation and advanced CFD simulations of a compact high-density gasifier for waste biomass, combining reactor-scale studies with modeling.
She holds a Master's degree in Chemical Technology and Engineering from Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine. During her master's studies, she was involved in the university-scale production of hydrogel alginate bandage for burn treatment. In her thesis research, she performed a comprehensive process analysis and optimization of the drying stage, achieving a reduction in processing time from 48 hours to 1.5 hours.