Development and Demonstration of an Innovative Micro-scale Biomass Gasifier Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power System
Innovative micro-scale Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power system integrated with and powered by a biomass gasification system
All Power Labs, Inc.
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
7th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$1,499,540
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The research team pilot demonstrated two combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) Power Pallet (PP) prototypes. The pilot testing incorporated a rigorous evaluation of the CCHP PP through engineering validation testing to ensure a safe, robust, and efficient design. Results showed that the system efficiency is equal to 80% in converting producer gas to electricity and thermal load, and 44% from biomass to electricity, heat, cooling, and biochar. The gasifier CCHP system converted 28 kg biomass/hr into 89 kW of producer gas, generated a net electrical output of 22 kW, and recovered 48 kW of heat, of which 23 kW used for a heating load and cooling applications. One unit was demonstrated in a small scale microgrid system in Malibu. CalFire awarded funds to Mendocino County to deploy 10 CCHP PPs to reduce wildfire risk, reflecting the CCHP PP market readiness.
The Issue
Markets that have considerable potential for combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) utilization are underserved due to technological and economic barriers to adoption associated with existing natural gas (NG) infrastructure. Many residential, commercial, and industrial buildings have easy access to a NG supply and use heating and cooling technologies that are designed for NG. An economical and bankable biomass CCHP can integrate its electrical, heating, and cooling outputs in industrial and commercial building applications, thereby reducing NG and electricity usage, especially in markets that often shut down during peak electricity hours to remain economically viable.
Project Innovation
This project developed a cost-effective micro-scale (less than 50 kW) combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system integrated with and powered by a biomass gasification waste-to-energy system known as the Power Pallet. This innovative Power Pallet CCHP system integrates its electrical, heating, and cooling outputs with light industrial, communities, and commercial building applications, avoiding a substantial amount of natural gas and electricity usage.
Project Benefits
This project developed a cost-effective, bankable, 25kWe packaged CCHP system with absorption cooling, powered by a biomass gasification waste-to-energy platform. The technology produces renewable energy; drives improved efficiency over current CHP technology, with a system efficiency greater than 80 percent and a power-to-heat ratio greater than 0.4:1; reduces the amount of waste going into landfills; and has the potential to create clean energy jobs.

Affordability
This biomass-fueled CCHP system reduces natural gas consumption both through the use of its CHP output and through the use of waste biomass as an alternative energy source. The cost of the alternative fuel is $6.3/MMBTU lower than the cost of natural gas fuel. This competitive technology has a benefit-cost ratio of 1.3, which implies potential economic benefits for the distributed energy sector. The reduction in natural gas demand also puts less of a strain on the capacity of the natural gas transportation, storage, and retail delivery infrastructure, with positive impacts on reliability and safety.

Environmental Sustainability
This innovative CCHP system meets current emissions standards for stationary generators, targeting 26.6 CO at 15% O2 [ppm] and 1.1 NOx at 15% O2 [ppm]. The end-of-pipe GHG emissions are 1,330 grams/kWh. Furthermore, the diversion of the biomass waste stream from landfills for use as feedstock to the Power Pallet avoids the methane emissions associated with the biomass decomposition. Additionally, one CCHP unit avoids approximately 81 tonnes of CO2e emissions in California. For the 180 MWh of electricity offset from the generation and avoided air conditioning load provided by the CCHP system, this equates to 43 tonnes of avoided CO2e per year per CCHP unit.
Key Project Members

Ariel Fisk-Vittori
Subrecipients

Humboldt State University Foundation, Schatz Energy Research Center

DNV KEMA Renewables, Inc.

Regreen International Solutions, Inc

TR Miles Technical Consultants Inc

Syn-GAS S.r.l.s.

Match Partners

Schatz Energy Research Center

All Power Labs, Inc.
