Continuous and Precise Metering of Reactants and Solvents into Supercritical Water Gasification
Gasification of biomass involves thermal decomposi- tion of organic components in the absence of oxygen. Supercritical water (SCW) is an excellent reaction media to gasify biomass. Water above its critical point (tem- perature of 374°C and a pressure of 22.1 MPa) has thermo-physical properties that are intermediate between gas and liquid phases. This note illustrates a compilation of several studies conducted with the supercritical water gasification (SCWG) apparatus. Teledyne Isco 260D syringe pumps are essential parts of the apparatus, which is located in the Carbon Recycling Center in the Department of Biological Engineering at the University of Missouri. The pumps provide precise metering of a variety of high-pressure, ambient tempera- ture fluids into the SCW environment at flow rates sufficient to create turbulent flow of supercritical fluid mixtures at elevated temperatures in the reactors.
Doug Hendry¹, Malithi Wickramathilaka², Nikolas Wilkinson², Andrew Miller¹, and William Jacoby¹ ², Department of Biological Engineering¹, Department of Chemical Engineering², University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
