Companies team up to develop gasification of glycerin for electricity
Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. announced today that Advent Power Systems, Inc., one of the company's licensees in the field of biomass based industrial syngas generators, has signed an agreement with Florida Syngas LLC to develop 10 one-megawatt combined cycle electric generators utilizing Cyclone's heat-regenerative, external combustion engine technology.
The companies' plans are to power these industrial generators using a glycerol-based synthesis gas produced through Florida Syngas' proprietary plasma gasification process called GlidArc. Glycerol (glycerin), the waste product of the biodiesel industry, yields a hydrogen-rich, carbon neutral gas with its only waste products being hot water and useable heat. Under the agreement, Florida Syngas will design and build the synthesis gas converters, and Advent Power Systems will develop the engines and generator sets utilizing Cyclone's patented engine technology. Development of the equipment will be co-located in both Grant and Coconut Creek, Florida.
Cyclone engine technology is a new type of external combustion engine but relies on established technologies, such as those used in gas turbines, diesel engines, and steam engines. The engine is based on the Schoell cycle, a cross between a Rankine, Diesel and Carnot cycle engine (schematic, click to enlarge). Its main characteristic is that it will burn any combustible fuel, including biomass and municipal waste. Advent Power Systems claims the engine has other advantages:
Glycerin glut
The exponential growth of biodiesel production contributes to a growing glycerol supply. There is already a global glut of this compound available. According to recent research, 2006 saw a production of five million tons, a 54% rise from the previous year. It is believed that output will continue on this trend, with a yearly production of 10 million tons of biodiesel expected by 2010 and therefore around a million tons of extra glycerin (previuos post).
Many researchers and companies are therefor looking to use this surplus optimally and profitably as a feedstock for other products. Some are focusing on the production of other biofuels such as biohydrogen, ethanol, or biogas. Still others have found cost-effective applications for new types of biopolymers, bioplastic films, and green specialty chemicals such as propylene glycol. Finally, some researchers have found glycerin makes for a suitable cattle and poultry feed:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biodiesel :: byproduct :: glycerin :: gasification ::
Florida Syngas and Cyclone Power technologies see an opportunity to use glycerine for the production of electricity. The parties anticipate that the potential for systems combining the GlidArc and Cyclone technologies to generate power and heat is in the multi-billion dollar range over the next decade. With the backing of several government funding sources, Dr. Myers stated that he hopes to have a demonstration project under accelerated development later this year.
References:
MarketWire: Cyclone Power Technologies' Licensee Signs Agreement to Develop Biogas Generators - February 5, 2008.
Cyclone Power Technologies: The Cyclone Engine Empowers the Biofuels Revolution [*.pdf].
Biopact: Large glycerin surplus from the production of biodiesel seen by 2010 - November 05, 2007
Biopact: Leeds researchers produce biohydrogen from biodiesel byproduct glycerol - November 27, 2007
Biopact: Scientists convert biodiesel byproduct glycerin into ethanol - November 04, 2007
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: Dow develops propylene glycol from biodiesel residue - March 19, 2007
Biopact: Students patent biopolymer made from biodiesel and wine byproducts - June 20, 2007
Biopact: Researchers make biodegradable films from biofuel and dairy byproducts - June 11, 2007
Biopact: Researchers study effectiveness of glycerin as cattle feed - May 25, 2007
Biopact: Biodiesel byproduct glycerine makes excellent chicken food - August 04, 2006
Biopact: Glycerin as a biogas feedstock - December 27, 2006
The companies' plans are to power these industrial generators using a glycerol-based synthesis gas produced through Florida Syngas' proprietary plasma gasification process called GlidArc. Glycerol (glycerin), the waste product of the biodiesel industry, yields a hydrogen-rich, carbon neutral gas with its only waste products being hot water and useable heat. Under the agreement, Florida Syngas will design and build the synthesis gas converters, and Advent Power Systems will develop the engines and generator sets utilizing Cyclone's patented engine technology. Development of the equipment will be co-located in both Grant and Coconut Creek, Florida.
Cyclone engine technology is a new type of external combustion engine but relies on established technologies, such as those used in gas turbines, diesel engines, and steam engines. The engine is based on the Schoell cycle, a cross between a Rankine, Diesel and Carnot cycle engine (schematic, click to enlarge). Its main characteristic is that it will burn any combustible fuel, including biomass and municipal waste. Advent Power Systems claims the engine has other advantages:
- Clean burning – Provides complete combustion and a very clean exhaust
- Efficiencies comparable to diesels, when all required subsystems are included
- High horsepower to weight ratios – about a 2.5 to 1 advantage over full diesel systems.
- Low noise, vibration, and infrared signatures.
- Large range of sizes possible – from 1 KW up to over 1 Megawatt.
- Facilitates conversion to a range of synthetic fuels, including biomass.
- Provides an ideal power source for hybrid and conventional vehicles.
- Does not require a radiator, water pump, oil pump, complex fuel injection, or catalytic converter, reducing cost, weight, space and increasing reliability.
Glycerin glut
The exponential growth of biodiesel production contributes to a growing glycerol supply. There is already a global glut of this compound available. According to recent research, 2006 saw a production of five million tons, a 54% rise from the previous year. It is believed that output will continue on this trend, with a yearly production of 10 million tons of biodiesel expected by 2010 and therefore around a million tons of extra glycerin (previuos post).
Many researchers and companies are therefor looking to use this surplus optimally and profitably as a feedstock for other products. Some are focusing on the production of other biofuels such as biohydrogen, ethanol, or biogas. Still others have found cost-effective applications for new types of biopolymers, bioplastic films, and green specialty chemicals such as propylene glycol. Finally, some researchers have found glycerin makes for a suitable cattle and poultry feed:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biodiesel :: byproduct :: glycerin :: gasification ::
Florida Syngas and Cyclone Power technologies see an opportunity to use glycerine for the production of electricity. The parties anticipate that the potential for systems combining the GlidArc and Cyclone technologies to generate power and heat is in the multi-billion dollar range over the next decade. With the backing of several government funding sources, Dr. Myers stated that he hopes to have a demonstration project under accelerated development later this year.
Using the GlidArc technology they [Florida Syngas] have developed, we can convert an abundant and cheap by-product of bio-diesel production into a valuable non-polluting fuel that will ultimately be burned in a Cyclone engine to produce electricity and heat. - Dr. Phillip F. Myers, President of Advent Power Systems."There is a natural synergy between these two technologies," confirms John P. Sessa, President of Florida Syngas. "Our GlidArc Synthesis Gas reactor is a logical fit with the Cyclone Engine as a prime mover." According to Mr. Sessa, glycerol is the waste (or co-product) of the bio-diesel refining industry, and as that industry has begun to ramp-up, so has the surplus of glycerol. An engine fueled by this synthesis gas would also have the advantage of being carbon neutral, giving operators a keen leg-up with respect to impending carbon "Cap and Trade" legislation.
References:
MarketWire: Cyclone Power Technologies' Licensee Signs Agreement to Develop Biogas Generators - February 5, 2008.
Cyclone Power Technologies: The Cyclone Engine Empowers the Biofuels Revolution [*.pdf].
Biopact: Large glycerin surplus from the production of biodiesel seen by 2010 - November 05, 2007
Biopact: Leeds researchers produce biohydrogen from biodiesel byproduct glycerol - November 27, 2007
Biopact: Scientists convert biodiesel byproduct glycerin into ethanol - November 04, 2007
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: Dow develops propylene glycol from biodiesel residue - March 19, 2007
Biopact: Students patent biopolymer made from biodiesel and wine byproducts - June 20, 2007
Biopact: Researchers make biodegradable films from biofuel and dairy byproducts - June 11, 2007
Biopact: Researchers study effectiveness of glycerin as cattle feed - May 25, 2007
Biopact: Biodiesel byproduct glycerine makes excellent chicken food - August 04, 2006
Biopact: Glycerin as a biogas feedstock - December 27, 2006
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