First American Scientific Corp. (fka FASC)

[TRCPA]

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Completes Performance Tests on Compact Gasifier

Published: Monday, 20 Jun 2011 | 8:30 AM ET

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43462819/Pratt_Whitney_Rocketdyne_Completes_Performance_Tests_on_Compact_Gasifier

PARIS, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- PARIS AIR SHOW -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed the last in a series of performance tests on its compact gasifier, making the technology ready for implementation in a demonstration plant. The compact gasifier is designed to reduce the cost of coal gasification, provide a clean alternative fuel source and strengthen U.S.energy security. With some modifications it could also gasify biomass. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

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Compact gasification is a higher-efficiency and lower-cost alternative to current gasification systems. The capital cost to build a commercial-scale compact gasification plant using Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's technology is estimated to be 10 to 20 percent less than conventional gasification plants.


http://www.sumobrain.com/patents/wipo/Biomass-torrefaction-mill/WO2011031580.html

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to high efficiency gasification system to support petrochemical and electrical power generation industries and more particularly to a pulverization mill therefor.

[0003] A pulverization mill is commonly utilized to dry and grind fibrous materials such as biomass and municipal solid wastes such as switch grass, corn stovers, and waste wood chips. Although the mill can size reduce fibrous feedstocks, the mill may be unable to upgrade the specific energy content of the predominantly cellulosic material to values above 8,000 Btu/lbm.

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[0021] Referring to Figure 2, typical solids failure lines for grinding fibrous and non- fibrous bulk materials are graphically illustrated. For fibrous materials, the shear loads, t, required to cause solids break-up and particulate formation are significant under high compressive loads when compared to non-fibrous materials such as coal. The attempt to grind fibrous biomass in conventional hammer, roller or attrition mills typically results in plugging of the mill since such conventional mills do not develop the required shear loads, t, at normal operating compression, s, conditions. This plugging may result in the subsequent shut-down of the mill for cleaning. Kinetic Disintegration System (KDS) mills such as that manufactured by First American Scientific Corporation (FASC) of British Columbia, Canada provides a pulverization mill that will dry and grind fibrous materials such as biomass. The KDS mill overcomes the breaking up of the fibrous materials with shear loads under very low compression so that the fibrous materials are not squeezed (i.e., compressed) between two metal surfaces but provides the biomass with a free surface where t and s are both zero. Although the KDS mill size reduces the fibrous materials, the KDS mill operates at ambient to 175 F (79 C) operating temperatures and does not upgrade the specific energy content of the predominantly cellulosic material to values above 8,000 Btu/lbm