"Integrated pyrolisis regenerated plant rotary kiln pyrolyzer and microturbine energy conversion from biomass a 70 kW demonstration unit in central Italy"

Turning biomass into energy is addressed as one of the key issues for reaching sustainability and to meet the ambitious goals of the kyoto protocol. Microscale biomass conversion shows different benefits, when compared to centralised production, nevertheless there are no available technologies for biomass conversion on the microscale. This paper presents an innovative technology that utilises a regenerated microturbine coupled to rotary-kiln pyrolyzer for energy conversion of biomass on the microscale (below 500 kW). The project was funded in the framework of Umbria Region actions to meet the Kyoto Protocol, in early 2003, and a 70 kWel IPRP demonstration unit will be built at the Terni facility of the University of Perugia. The IPRP demonstrative unit will pyrolyze ligneous biomass to produce a medium LHV gas that fuels the microturbine. Waste heat from the micro turbine is returned to the pyrolyzer to provide part of the energy required for thermal degradation of the biomass. The eventual residual energy is provided by char or tar combustion, which are by-products of the pyrolysis process with an interesting LHV. The plant will produce 400 MWh/year with an efficiency around 16% and will avoid the production of around 280 tons/year of CO2.