• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.385-412
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• 2010

This article provides a time-resolved characterisation of the wind field in a recently-commissioned, downdraft outflow simulator at The University of Western Ontario. A large slot jet approach to physical simulation was used. The simulator performance was assessed against field observations from a 2002 downdraft outflow near Lubbock, Texas. Outflow wind speed records were decomposed according to classical time series analysis. Length scales, characterising the coarse and fine flow structure, were determined from the time-varying mean and residual components, respectively. The simulated downdraft outflow was approximately 1200 times smaller in spatial extent than the 2002 Lubbock event.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.115-128
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• 2018

Appropriate modeling of a tornado-like vortex is a prerequisite when studying the near-ground wind characteristics of a tornado and tornado-induced wind loads on structures. Both Ward- and ISU-type tornado simulators employ guide vanes to induce angular momentum to converge flow in order to generate tornado-like vortices. But in the Ward-type simulator, the guide vanes are mounted near the ground while in the ISU-type they are located at a high position to allow vertical circulation of flow that creates a rotating downdraft to generate a tornado-like vortex. In this study, numerical simulations were performed to reproduce tornado-like vortices using both Ward-type and ISU-type tornado simulators, from which the effects of rotating downdraft on the vortex characteristics were clarified. Particular attention was devoted to the wander of tornado-like vortices, and their dependences on swirl ratio and fetch length were investigated. The present study showed that the dynamic vortex structure depends significantly on the vortex-generating mechanism, although the time-averaged structure remains similar. This feature should be taken into consideration when tornado-like-vortex simulators are utilized to investigate tornado-induced wind forces on structures.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.137-152
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• 2008

This paper discusses engineering aspects of the rear-flank downdraft that was recorded near Lubbock, Texas on 4 June 2002, and produced a gust wind speed nearly equal to the design value (50-year return period) for the region. The general characteristics of the storm, and the decomposition of the time histories into deterministic 'running mean' and random turbulence components are discussed. The fluctuating wind speeds generated by the event can be represented as a dominant low-frequency 'running mean' with superimposed random turbulence of higher frequencies. Spectral and correlation characteristics of the residual turbulence are found to be similar to those of high-frequency turbulence in boundary-layer winds. However, the low-frequency components in the running-mean wind speeds are spatially homogeneous, in contrast to the low-frequency turbulence found in synoptic boundary-layer winds. With respect to transmission line design, this results in significantly higher 'span reduction factors'.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.89-97
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• 2008

A downdraft gasifier was manufactured for biomass gasification. The gasifier was designed based on the principles of gasification presented in previous studies. The pipes of 25mm diameter were used for both supplying air and discharging producer gas. Wood charcoals were mostly used for fuels. The concentration of CO ranged from 25 to 35%, comparable to the values presented in other studies. The temperature outside wall of the gasifier was measured up to $400^{\circ}C$, indicating a great heat loss. When glass wool was cover over the wall, some parts of wire mesh located in the bottom of the reactor were molten down. There were several modifications that should be made in order to improve its efficiency and obtain more stable continuous gasification, including insulation, reduction in pressure loss, durable bottom meshes, the optimum length of reaction part, and safety.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.17-22
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• 2011

Biomass gasification provides synthesis gas or syngas that can be used for internal combustion engines as fuel or chemical synthesis as feedstock. Among different types of gasifiers, downdraft gasifier can produce relatively clean syngas with lower tar contents. In this study, a downdraft gasifier was fabricated with 150 mm of hearth diameter to gasify woodchip that is commercially available in this country. After drying woodchip to about 20 %, gasification experiments were conducted measuring temperature, pressure, air and gas flow rates. The volumetric concentrations of CO, $H_2$, $CO_2$, $CH_4$ were 10.7~14.5, 16.5~21.4, 12.5~16.6, and 2.3~2.9, respectively. They were overall within the ranges of the results that the previous studies showed. However, CO concentration was relatively lower and H2 was slightly higher than those from other studies. It seemed that water gas shift reaction was occurred due to the moisture in the fuel woodchip. Additional drying process coupled with syngas cooling would be required to improve the overall efficiency and syngas quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.80-85
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• 2021

The gasification of coffee leaves, which are a type of biomass waste, was conducted on a pilot of a downdraft fixed gasification system to investigate the gasification characteristics. The experiment was performed using a coffee leaf pellet size and a batch-type gasification system consisting of a gasifier, cooling cyclone, scrubber, and bag filter. It was found that the air-to-fuel ratio was 2.32 Nm³/kg·h and the reaction temperature was 700 ℃-900 ℃. However, the air flow rate changed to 0.45 Nm³/min, which was lower than the initial starting value depending on the temperature change during the gasification process. It was concluded that coffee leaves can be converted from biomass waste into useful synthetic gas as an alternative energy source.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3429-3434
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• 2007

An experimental study was carried out to investigate gasification process of wood sawdust in the I-dimensional downdraft fixed bed gasifier. The preheated air was used oxidizer and steam were used as a gasifying agent. The operating parameters, the supplied air temperature and steam were used. The oxidizer temperature was varied from 500K to 620K and vapor was added. The gasification process was monitored by measuring temperature at three position near the biomass using R-type thermocouples and the syngas composition was analyzed by gas chromatograph. The change of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane was observed. Overall, the volume fraction of hydrogen and methane were increased widely as increasing the oxidizer temperature and adding steam.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.606-609
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• 2007

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the heat value change by various conditions of wood sawdust gasification in the 1-dimensional downdraft flow fixed bed gasifier. The preheated air and steam were used as a gasifying agent. The components of syngas were influenced increasing residence time of supplied agent. The operating parameters, the supplied agent temperature and steam addition were used. The oxidizer temperature was varied from 500K to 620K. The gasification process was monitored by measuring temperature at three points near the biomass using R-type thermocouples and the syngas composition was analyzed by gas chromatograph. We get the sample gas at the end of gasifier. Finally, the amount of hydrogen and methane were increased widely as increasing the oxidizer temperature and adding steam.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.594-597
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• 2007

바이오매스를 이용한 분산형 발전 및 에너지화의 경우 기존의 연소법은 단순 열에너지의 이용과 스팀터빈을 이용하는 대규모 시설이 요구된다. 반면 가스화의 경우 가연성 합성가스 생성을 통하여 소규모 분산형 발전이 가능하며, 생성가스를 이용하여 다양한 응용이 가능하다. 기존 상향류식 가스화의 경우의 바이오매스 가스화시 목질계 내 리그닌 성분으로 인하여 다량의 타르가 발생하여 후단 처리 설비에 어려움이 있다. 본 연구에서는 하향류식 가스화 방법을 통하여 목질계 바이오매스의 가스화 특성을 알아보았다. 가스화기 하부로 배출되는 합성가스의 온도는 대략 1000$^{\cdot}C$까지 유지할 수 있었으며, 생성되는 합성가스의 발열량은 약 $1300kcal/Nm^3$의 수준으로 얻을 수 있었다. 또한 발생되는 타르는 $5{\sim}15ppm$ 정도로 기존 상향류식에 비해 매우 적은양의 타르가 발생함을 확인할 수 있었다.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.63-68
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• 2007

An experimental study was carried out to investigate gasification process of wood sawdust in the 1-dimensional downdraft fixed bed gasifier. The preheated air which was used oxidizer and steam were used as a gasifying agent. The downdraft fixed bed gasifier obtains more amount of hydrogen and methane by increasing residence time of supplied air. The operating parameters, the supplied air temperature and steam were used. The oxidizer temperature was varied from 500K to 620K and vapor was added. The gasification process was monitored by measuring temperature at three position near the biomass using R-type thermocouples and the syngas composition was analyzed by gas chromatograph. We get the sample gas at the end of gasifier and it was eonugh time to finishing the chemical reaction. Finally, the amount of hydrogen and methane were increased widely as increasing the oxidizer temperature and adding steam.