For more detailed information about feedstocks, download the Full Feedstock Section of the Technical Handbook.
For your gasifier to operate properly, you must use the correct biomass fuels which have been properly prepared and sifted.
Feedstock fuel must be dry, of the correct shape and size to flow through the reactor, and free of dust, sand and contaminants:
- Particle size: 1 cm – 4 cm (0.5 in. – 1.5 in.)
- Moisture content (% by dry weight): 5% – 30%
- Ash content <5%
The following Table of Feedstocks shows the most common ones that have been tested and are known to work, which ones are known to be unusable, and which ones need more testing. For more information on fuel preparation, contact APL For more information on fuel preparation, contact APL.
Download printable version of this chart
| Green | Known to work with standard operations and maintenance effort |
| Yellow | Known to work with increased operations and maintenance effort |
| Gray | Not enough testing to approve at this time. Use voids warranty |
| Red | Known to not work. Use voids warranty |
| Feedstock | Notes |
| Wood Chips e.g: Oak, Rubber, Pine | Use only chips; chunks or long shards can bind auger or bridge in the reactor |
| Nut Shells e.g: Coconut, Walnut, Hazelnut | Not all shells will work, please contact us to discuss your particular feedstock |
| Corn Cobs | Must be broken to size and must not include husks. Increased chance of slagging |
| Palm Kernel Shells | Risk of high temperatures. May need to be blended or other steps taken to lower temperatures |
| Macadamia Nut Shells | Excellent shape, not enough testing |
| Cashew Nut Shells | Known toxicity, not enough testing |
| Wood Pellets | May work depending on size & makeup, pellets prone to decompose |
| Coffee Grounds | Too fine, not physically compatible, pelletization may allow use |
| Saw Dust | Too fine, not physically compatible, pelletization may allow use |
| Corn stover | High ash content; silica content leads to slag |
| Rice Husk | High silica content leads to slagging |
| Bamboo | Difficult to prepare to correct size and shape |
| Grasses: Switchgrass, Miscanthus, etc. | High silica and low bulk density. |
| Paper, Sugarcane Bagasse, Coconut Husk | Shapes not physically compatible |
| Municipal Solid Waste / Trash | Slag risk; heavy metals; plastic content not suitable |
| Coal | Burns too hot, releases sulfur and heavy metals |
| Plastics | Melts and fouls auger/reactor |
| Manure - Cow, Pig, Chicken, etc | High slag, low energy density |
| Tires | Not chemically compatible |
Feedstock Processing and Handling
The PP30 requires its pieces of feedstock be larger than ½ inch (1cm), but smaller than 1 ½ inches (4cm), with a moisture content between 10% and 30%. Feedstock that is too big can jam the internal feed system. A max of 10% of the feedstock may be smaller than ½ inch because these small pieces can clog the reactor and prevent the syngas from flowing, as well as causing bridging jams in the hopper.
The ideal feedstock has smooth-surfaced chips, such as found on many nut shells, which make the most ideal feedstock. However, most Power Pallet operators use wood chips, even though chips that are very rough can cause fuel jams when the pieces lock together to form bridges rather than flowing.
Chipping
If you intend to use wood chips with the PP30, you will probably want to chip your own with a wood chipper. The two main options are auger chippers and disc chippers. Auger chippers (such as the Laimet brand from Finland) chip to a very regular size depending on the size of the screw auger installed.
While these make very consistent chips, they are much more expensive than the more common disc chippers. While less expensive to purchase, chips from disc chippers need to be sifted to select the right-sized chips, which results in the loss of the feedstock that is either too big or too small. For efficient sifting of large amounts of feedstock, we recommend using a mechanized sifter.
Drying Feedstock
The 5%-30% moisture is measured on a dry-weight basis. Wetter fuel works best at high power levels, because there is more waste heat to dry the feedstock. Moisture levels under 10% can cause too-high temperatures in the reactor, which can fuse the ash and cause clinkers that can clog the reactor.
During start up it’s best to use dryer feedstock (<15% moisture) in the bottom of the hopper and top of the reactor.
The best drying method is to chip green wood and then dry the chips by spreading them out on a tarp or screen and leaving them exposed to the sun and wind. This is because dried wood tends to splinter and form rough pieces which tends to cause bridging and jams. We can supply simple plans to build drying racks that use the radiator exhaust to help speed drying.
