Plant description

The 3i Energy System is a biomass conversion unit and, when combined with its several ancillary components, becomes a biomass conversion system. The output of the system may be used as fuel for an engine, furnace, boiler, turbine or any combination of those or of other numerous applications. At that point, the biomass conversion system and all of the components may be properly referred to as a power plant. A 3i Energy System power plant!

The components of a 3i Energy System:

  • Airtight Feedstock Delivery System
  • 3i Energy System conversion unit
  • Gas Cleaner/Cooler module
  • Gas Polisher
  • 3i Energy System Manager
  • Control Booth
  • Engine Alternator

Airtight Feedstock Delivery System The feedstock delivery system is airtight and may be a drag chain or auger. It is programmed to continually deliver the designated feedstock to the conversion unit at a predetermined rate of flow. The system manager stores data for various feedstock varieties, received from the customer and is able to adjust the speed of delivery automatically. Though fully automated, the delivery system may be placed in a manual mode of operation at any time.

Front view of gasifier

The 3i Energy System The 3i Energy System, a biomass conversion unit, is simplicity itself! It has no moving parts and, through a carefully managed air flow, is easily capable of reaching operating temperatures of 1,200 to 1,250 C within a few minutes, producing a clean, dry, high octane gas, ready for any application.

The level of efficiency of the 3i Energy System and its conversion process may be found in the ash quantity. The industry standard for ash content hovers around two percent; some manufacturers are quite proud to produce one percent of ash.

The 3i Energy System consistently produces one quarter to one half of one percent ash by volume of consumed fuel feedstock. That results in an ash content of five kilograms or less per metric ton of fuel feedstock consumption.

For all that it is capable of producing, the 3i Energy System is quite small. As an example, a one megawatt (1 MWe) 3i Energy System has a footprint of about one meter square.

The level of efficiency can also be measured in the fuel feedstock ratio of conversion to gas. As an example, a fuel feedstock weighing between one and one and a half kilograms will produce an amount of gas sufficient to generate at least one kilowatt of electricity, depending upon the type and quality of your feedstock.

Gas cleaner/Cooler module  This module employs scientific principles to clean and cool the hot gas to a predetermined temperature acceptable to the engine manufacturer’s specifications, thus guaranteeing the highest performance and efficiency of the designated engine alternator(s). Without any moving parts, the gas, as it is cooled, passes through specially engineered chambers that, utilizing the speed of the gas flow, clean the gas to a “polished” state.

The 3i Energy System Manager   The 3i Energy System Manager provides system automation for the power plant. The Manager enables one to monitor every phase of the gasification process and the entire power plant from the control booth, a cellular phone or the internet.
At any time a single component or the entire system can be overridden and operated manually. The system is equipped with onboard gauges and a vast sensor array, facilitating either mode of operation.


Control panel    The 3i Energy System Manager is best observed from the control panel, where everything comes together. From a seat in front of the control panel, one can observe all of the displays that indicate the full plant operation. The panel utilizes touch screen features and is interactive. The entire automation system may be viewed in the operator’s language or dialect.


Engine Alternator   Though the gas created by the 3i Energy System can run any engine, we prefer to fuel engines especially manufactured for our gas.