West Biofuels

Our Woodland Development Center is one of North Americas leading thermochemical biomass technology development facilities. Home to a 6 ton per day pre-commercial pilot-scale Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Bed (FICFB) gasification system, and a 12 ton per day commercial-scale CircleDraft gasification system, the WBRC offers a unique ability for research team to utilize real-world syngas to advance innovative technologies through bench and lab-scale systems with real biomass-derived syngas. The WBRC maintains an onsite laboratory including equipment and facilities for feedstock and syngas testing. West Biofuels invites research teams to collaborate at their facilities to continue to advance the state of biomass gasification technology and the conversion of organics to higher value fuels and chemicals.

Bio Syngas from the Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Bed (FICFB)

West Biofuels has refined the Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Bed (FICFB) gasifier based on the original FICFB design developed by the Vienna University of Technology. West Biofuels has developed a gasification system that produces a versatile high-hydrogen syngas ideal for catalytic conversion to renewable natural gas, fuel ethanol, synthetic diesel, or other high-value chemical products.

System Components

• Dual Fluidized Bed (Gasifier and Combustion)
• Bed Material Separation and Return
• Flue Gas Treatment and Heat Recovery
• Gas Conditioning and Contaminant Reintroduction
• Customizable Syngas Conversion (e.g. Engine-Generator, Catalysts, Fischer-Tropsch)

How it works

The FICFB gasifier is a dual fluidized bed gasification system using a synthetic bed material to transfer heat from the combustion zone to the gasification zone. Biomass is fed into the gasification zone via a screw auger where it is thermochemically converted to producer gas through contact with the hot fluidized bed material and steam. The bed material and the remaining char are transported to the combustion side by gravity where air is injected and the char is combusted to heat the bed material. The hot bed material is lifted up the riser with the combustion flue gases into a cyclone where the bed material and flue gases are separated. The re-heated bed material is reintroduced into the fluidized bed gasification chamber while the flue gases continue through the flue gas treatment system. The producer gas, extracted on the gasification side, is conditioned to remove impurities before becoming available to an engine or catalyst system.