ABSTRACT

The use of renewable energy sources is becoming necessary to reduce greenhouse effect gases emissions and economic dependence on fossil fuels. Although the biomass is largely widespread in Europe, quantities are still limited compared to the energy demand. The main objective of the presented studies is to develop a specific industrial process able to reach a high yield of conversion in order to improve, as well as possible, the valorisation of available biomass stock. This process is based on a gasification whose the necessary level of temperature is ensured by electric power since the conversion is globally endothermic. The required temperature level is reached thanks to the addition of external electric power, since the conversion is globally endothermic. Biomass is converted into syngas at temperature levels close to 1400°C, to reach gas characteristics compatible with a downstream Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Technologic tools able to heat an industrial gasifier with an external source are electric arc or plasma torch. With regard to the gases conversion/treatment, non-transferred plasma torches seem a mature technology with several industrial applications even if an optimisation is necessary to adapt the torch to a special plasmagen gas (that means gas which are ionised by the arc). The main technological objectives of the collaboration between CEA and EUROPLASMA are to adapt existing technologies to a new application, and more precisely to put together the plasma torch system and the high temperature reactor in an optimised way. The present paper deals with the first part of the program on going (ie. the theoretical approach) and presents first results.