# US 2014/0360192 A1 · Systems and Methods for Electric and Heat Generation from Biomass > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0360192 A1 - Document ID: US20140360192A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/247,571 - Filed: 2014-04-08 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-15 - Inventors: D. Stubby Warmbold - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360192A1 ## CPC - F23G 5/0276: {using direct heating} - F01K 13/02: Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting - F01K 25/08: using special vapours - F23G 5/46: Recuperation of heat - F23G 5/50: Control or safety arrangements - F23G 7/10: of field or garden waste {or biomasses} - F23G 2201/303: Burning pyrogases - F23G 2201/40: Gasification - F23G 2205/121: Screw conveyor - F23G 2206/203: with a power/heat generating installation - F23G 2207/101: for temperature - F23G 2207/20: Waste supply - F23G 2208/00: Safety aspects - F23N 2225/20: entrant temperature - F23N 2225/21: outlet temperature - F23N 2229/00: Flame sensors - F23N 2233/04: with variable speed - Y02E 20/12: Heat utilisation in combustion or incineration of waste - F23G: CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F23N: REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION (control devices specially adapted for combustion apparatus in which combustion takes place in a fluidised bed of fuel or other particles F23C10/28; condition responsive controls for regulating combustion in domestic stoves with open fires for solid fuel F24B1/187) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A system for producing energy and heat from biomass is disclosed. The system includes a feed system, a gasifier, a thermal fluid oil heater, and a generator based on the organic Rankine cycle (ORC). The system may also include a controller that takes input from a number of sensors and controls, among other things, the rate at which fuel is fed into the system and the speed of fans and pumps that draw the products from one apparatus into the next. In this system, the biomass is fed into the gasifier, the resulting producer gas is flared and used to heat an oil in the thermal fluid oil heater, and the hot oil is used to provide input heat for the ORC generator. Methods for controlling such a system are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for producing energy from biomass, comprising: a feed system; a gasifier in communication with the feed system to receive feed, the gasifier converting the feed into producer gas without combusting the feed; a thermal fluid oil heater coupled to the gasifier and receiving the producer gas, the thermal fluid oil heater combusting the producer gas and routing hot products of combustion into a heat exchanger with an oil working fluid to heat the oil working fluid; and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generator receiving the hot oil working fluid and using the heat of the oil working fluid to generate electricity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the feed system further comprises: a feed hopper; and a variable-speed feed screw. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising a variable-speed fan in fluid communication with an exhaust of the gasifier and the thermal fluid oil heater to draw producer gas out of the thermal fluid oil heater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising: a hot oil working fluid supply pipe or pipes supplying the oil working fluid from the thermal fluid oil heater to the ORC generator; a cool oil working fluid return pipe or pipes returning the oil working fluid from the ORC generator to the thermal fluid oil heater; and a variable-speed oil pump coupled to the hot oil working fluid supply pipe or the cool oil working fluid return pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, further comprising: one or more temperature sensors in one or both of the cool oil working fluid return pipe or pipes or the hot oil working fluid supply pipe or pipes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, further comprising a flame sensor within or coupled to the gasifier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, further comprising a load sensor coupled to the ORC generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a controller in electronic communication with the variable-speed feed screw, the flame sensor, the variable-speed fan, the variable-speed oil pump, and the load sensor, the controller being operable to effect changes in the speed of the feed screw and the fan in order to increase or decrease power production. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more waste heat ports in communication with the thermal fluid oil heater or the ORC generator, the waste heat ports allowing waste heat to be withdrawn. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the feed system and the gasifier are adapted to accept biomass as fuel.