European Bio-Energy Projects

T AR-PROTOCOL
Objectives
The main objective of the project was
to develop a Guideline describing
the necessary equipment and procedures
for the sampling and analysis of tars
in biomass producer gases. The Guideline
should be suitable for measurement
of tars at all relevant conditions
(0-900 °C, 0.9-60 bars) and concentrations
(1 mg/Nm3 – 100 g/Nm3), and it should
allow for simultaneous measurement
of particles and soot. Furthermore,
the Guideline should be promoted so
that it is accepted and applied as
the standard tar measurement method
in the field of biomass gasification.
Measurement of tar
and particles in biomass
producer gases
Challenges
Gasification technologies are expected to play a
key role in expanding the use of biomass. The
gas can be used, for example, for co-firing in coalfired
power plants, electricity generation in standalone
conversion devices (gas engines, gas
turbines, fuel cells), and the production of
gaseous/liquid fuels or chemicals.
Proper measurement of contaminant levels in
biomass gasification-based systems is crucial to
their optimisation and implementation. The
measurement of organic contaminants or “tars”
in syngas still causes much confusion.
Measurement methods, as well as definitions for
tars in biomass gasification-based systems, are
numerous and non-consistent. As a result, the
comparison of data and the definition of clear
maximum allowable concentrations for tars are
problematic. Since tars are considered as the
major problem causing contaminants, this
generates a large obstacle for the market
introduction of these systems.
The objective of the project was to remove this
obstacle by developing a standard measurement
method (Guideline) which is accepted and used
by parties working on biomass gasification and
can form the basis for a subsequent
standardisation procedure at CEN.
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Project structure
The work consisted of three main activities: (a)
development, optimisation and testing of the
Guideline, (b) dissemination and internalisation
of the Guideline and (c) the initiation of the
standardisation of the Guideline on a European
level.
In the first activity, a draft version of the Guideline
was prepared. The Guideline was then optimised
and tested by means of a reviewing round and
through R&D activities performed outside, but coordinated
from inside this project. In the second
activity the Guideline was disseminated by means
of an Internet site (www.tarweb.net), by using
Internet mailing lists/discussion groups and by
means of papers and presentations at three
European Biomass conferences in Tirol, Sevilla
and Amsterdam. In the third activity a task force
was installed at CEN to start the standardisation
procedure of the Guideline.
The project team was co-ordinated by the Energy
Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and
consisted of 15 European and 2 North-American
parties, which were involved because the
internalisation of the Guideline should not be
limited to Europe.