 | Biomass Gasification - Technology and Utilisation (Individual Authors) |
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Gasification History and Development
The history of gasification dates back to seventeenth century. Since the conception of idea, gasification has passed through several phases of development. Yearwise development of the technology is given below.
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1969 |
Thomas Shirley conducted crude experiments with carborated
hydrogen |
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1699 |
Dean Clayton obtained coal gas from pyrolitic
experiment |
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1788 |
Robert Gardner obtained the first patent with regard to
gasification |
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1792 |
First confirmed use of producer gas reported, Murdoc used the gas
generated from coal to light a room in his house. Since then, for many years
coal gas was used for cooking and heating |
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1801 |
Lampodium proved the possibility of using waste gases escaping
from charring of wood |
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1804 |
Fourcroy found the water gas by reaction of water with a hot
carbon |
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1812 |
developed first gas producer which uses oil as fuel
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1840 |
First commercially used gasifier was built in France
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1861 |
Real breakthrough in technology with introduction of Siemens
gasifier. This gasifier is considered to be first successful unit
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1878 |
Gasifiers were successfully used with engines for power generation
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1900 |
First 600 hp gasifier was exhibited in Paris. Thereafter, larger
engines upto 5400 hp were put into service |
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1901 |
J.W. Parker run a passenger vehicle with producer gas
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after 1901 |
 Image In the period 1901-1920, many gasifier-engine systems were sold and used for power and electricity generation |
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1930 |
 Image Nazi Germany accelerated effort to convert existing vehicles to producer gas drive as part of plan for national security and independence from imported oil |
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1030 |
Began development for small automotive and portable gas producer.
British and French Government felt that automotive charcoal gas producer is more
suitable for their colonies where supply of gasoline was scarce and wood that
could charred to charcoal was readily available |
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1939 |
 Image About 2,50,000 vehicles were registered in the Sweden. Out of them, 90 % were converted to producer gas drive. Almost all of the 20,000 tractors were operated on producer gas. 40 % of the fuel used was wood and remainder charcoal |
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After 1945 |
After end of second world war, with plentiful gasoline and diesel
available at cheap cost, gasificaton technology lost glory and importance
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1950- 1970 |
During this decades, gasification was " Forgotten Technology ".
Many goverments in europe to felt that consumption of wood at the prevailing
rate will reduce the forest, creating several environmental problems
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After 1970 |
The year 1970´s brought a renewed interest in the technology
for power generation at small scale. Since then work is also concentrated to use
fuels other than wood and charcoal.
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