Biomass Gasification Comes of Age
The first professionally packaged small scale biomass CHP unit in the UKGenerate heat and electricity from woody biomass
Better returns than heat-only biomass technologies
Easy integration into existing heating systems
Deployment flexibility with indoor and outdoor models
More kWh per square metre than any comparable system on the market
The Arbor 45kWe unit generates 45kW of electricity and 100kW of heat and is designed to be installed either in an indoor location or can also be specified as a weatherproof acoustically attenuated outdoor plantroom . The quality and robustness of the engineering of the Arbor 45 unit is unparalleled within the small scale biogas CHP market, meaning that the system can operate longer, with less user interventions.
The system operates on dry (15% MC – dry basis) wood chips. The fuel feed mechanism is a reliable and proven system of chain conveyors and augers. The Gasifier unit is a proprietary downdraft design and has been proven in some of the harshest environments on earth.
I have done gasification research and development at VTT since 1981, Volter´s gasifier is the first ideal working downdraft gasifier that I have come across. Congratulations!”
The lean burn nature of the air inlet means that fuel consumption is reduced and that the energy content of the gas is high. Before the gas is allowed into the engine, it is cooled and Particles within the syngas are filtered out using a dry filter with an automated cleaning function. The engine is a robust and reliable 6 cylinder naturally aspirated inline unit which is designed for long service life. There is no requirement for any other form of cleaning as the gas is tar free. The engine has been specifically designed by the manufacturer and Volter for operation on Wood Gas. It is an 8.4L naturally aspirated 6 cylinder in-line unit specifically designed for CHP duty.
Heat Output – Where does the heat come from?
The unit derives heat from 5 seperate sources. 4 of these sources being the engine cooling water, engine exhaust, syngas pre-cooling, syngas post filter cooling which are combined into a single hot water supply before connecting to the customers heating system. The system automatically mixes these heat sources to maintain the heat output. Finally, the radiant heat (up to 20kw) from the Gasifier cabinet is captured independently. The arborElectroGen systems come complete with all the required RHI metering pre-installed as standard. These systems qualify for the ‘Biogas Combustion’ tariff, a flat rate (non-tiered) tariff that is drawn down on all of the heat produced by Biogas combustion (82kW) all year long. See the incentives section for more details.
Power – How does the Plant Produce Power?
The plant produces power via a generator which is located within the housing of the engine. The rotating mechanical power of the engine is converted into electricity using an induction motor. The motor is controlled and managed by a grid feeding unit which makes the power suitable for use by the customer and enables export and parallel operation on the National Grid. This grid feeding unit can also be specified to manage battery storage options making “off-grid” installations available in pre-packaged options. The arborElectroGen systems also come complete with all the required ROC metering pre-installed as standard. Due to the quality and energy content of the syngas produced, these systems qualify for the highest ROC banding available under the ‘Advanced Gasification’ tariff. This payment is claimed on all electricity generated regardless of weather it is used on-site or exported to the grid. See the incentives section for more details.
Available as a tailored package for indoor or outdoor locations.
The Arbor Electrogen 45 can be specified either as an indoor module, making the system incredibly compact for positioning within an existing building, or as a fully attenuated outdoor module where an existing building is not available. The basic engineering and underlying product is the same in both systems.
Arbor 45 Indoor unit
Arbor 45 Outdoor unit
Fuel and consumption |
|
| Fuel | Wood chips (tested species: birch, spruce, pine, aspen) |
| Fuel moisture | <18%, optimum <15% |
| Fuel particle size | >80% between 16-50mm, >60% between 30-50mm, ≤9% 50-63mm, all below 63mm. ≤ 1% below 3.2mm |
| Fuel consumption | approx. 4.5 cubic metres /24h at full power level, 38kg per hour. May vary depending on the fuel quality and moisture |
| Electrical consumption: | approx. 1.5-2 kW |
| Ash produced: | approx 1-2% of input fuel |
| Ash removal: | Automatic ash removal |
Model: |
Arbor 45 Indoor |
| Output: | Output 45kW electrical. 82kW heat from engine jacket & exhaust, up to 18 kW from Gas cooling, up to 20kW radiant heat from housing. Electrical output can be adjusted between 30-100%. |
| Dimensions of the unit: | Length 4820mm, Width 1270mm, Height 2500mm |
| Free space for maintenance (minimum): | 1200mm on both sides or 1200mm in between each unit if installed side by side, 1000mm in control panel end ,1000mm in ash conveyor end |
| Weight of the unit: | approx. 4500kg |
| Dimensions of grid feeding unit (separate installation by the unit): | Length 500mm, width 600mm, height 1800mm |
| Weight of G59 grid feeding unit (separate): | approx. 200kg |
Key Product Features
Zero Tar Solution
A common problem with other gasification systems is their propensity to generate a sticky tar residue downstream of the Gasifier. The Arbor Electrogen 45 produces extremely low levels of tar. Consequently the messy removal and handling of tar is not required with the system thanks to the automation system if any conditions are sensed that would impact the operation (e.g. fuel too wet) then the system will automatically lock down the gas lines with pneumatic valves preventing any poor quality gas ingress into the system.
Lowest Fuel Consumption
The Arbor Electrogen 45 uses less fuel to create a kWh of power compared to other systems by generating 45kW every hour with just 38kg of wood chips. This is 0.84g per kW of electricity (at 15% Moisture content)
Sophisticated Automation
Our automation system takes the hassle out of day to day operation, and means that the plant can be completely remotely monitored and controlled from any location with a data connection. Off grid solutions are also available.
Robust Engine
Volter, together with Agco, the engine manufacturer, have developed this engine specifically to run wood gas. Consequently, there has never been a requirement for a single engine replacement from all the installations worldwide. The lead unit has been running trouble free for over 6 years.
Quality Engineering
Many of our customers undertook extensive research into our competitors before making the decisions to purchase the ArborElectrogen 45 system. In every case they stated they had made their selection on the basis of the quality of materials used, the extensive in house development and the outstanding engineering with a world leading supply base which cumulatively helps ensure the ability to operate for years to come – we are not prepared to compromise quality for cost.