Concentrated solar thermochemical gasification of biomass: Principles, applications, and development

Bioenergy production is one of the most reliable strategies for replacing fossil fuels and reducing CO₂ emissions. Gasification-based bioenergy generation has been extensively studied; however, it is still facing the challenges of limited energy efficiencies, especially upon small-scale development. Concentrated solar thermochemical gasification of biomass (CSTGB) where the endothermic reactions of gasification are driven by concentrated solar thermal energy serves as a promising solution to improve the efficiency of gasification. This review summarized recent development in modeling concentrated solar thermochemical gasification of biomass, the method of concentrated solar thermal for gasification, and applications and development of concentrated solar thermal biomass gasification. The influences of operating parameters toward the performance of the technology were studied, which determine the optimum parameters for maximizing the energy conversion efficiency of the technology. CSTGB could improve the utilization of biomass feedstocks and the total energy efficiency by 30% and 40%, respectively by effectively storing solar energy in the producer gas as compared to conventional gasification.