Journal: Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 293, pp. 130491, 2026.
Title: Development of a micro-CHP system combining a downdraft biomass gasifier and a Stirling engine
Authors: Yueh-Heng Li, Yu-Chi Chen, Yan-Ru Wang, Wen-Lih Chen*, You-Cheng Kuo, Cheng-Jun Li
Rank: 4.9% (9/182), SCI, ENGINEERING: MECHANICAL, 2024.
Impact Factor: 6.9
Abstract: A micro combined heat and power (CHP) system consisting of a batch-fed biomass gasifier and a Stirling engine was developed. The biomass fuel was wood pellets, which are inexpensive and abundant. The effects of two major operational parameters—wood-pellet feed mass and gasifier air flow rate—on syngas production and overall CHP performance were experimentally investigated. Results showed that wood-pellet feed mass had a more significant impact on system performance than air flow rate. Gasification proceeded through four distinct stages—pyrolysis, oxidation, reduction, and decay—with the syngas composition dynamically shifting from CO₂-rich to CO-rich as char–gas reactions became dominant. In general, increasing the wood-pellet feed mass improved both syngas yield and energy conversion efficiency. Under the conditions of a 3-kg wood-pellet feed mass and an air flow rate of 70 L·min−1, the system produced ∼210 W of electric power and 3.74 kW of heating power, demonstrating its potential to meet the energy demand of a household. In addition, the system burned cleaner syngas instead of solid biomass; thus, the Stirling engine's hot end was fouling free, alleviating frequent maintenance. In the future, this system could provide heating and electricity in remote areas or for off-grid living.
