BioMax® Overview

• The BioMax® System
• Biomass to Energy
• It's in the Box
• The BioMax® Advantage
• The BioMax® Energy Farm
• About CPC

The BioMax® System

The BioMax^®100 Gen2
Modular Biopower System

Community Power Corporation (CPC) has developed a number of modular BioMax® system technologies and products that convert a variety of biomass feedstocks into power, heat and/or cooling.

CPC’s automated, modular biopower products include the core BioMax^® Gas Production Module that converts a wide variety of woody biomass into clean, environmentally friendly and versatile nitrogen-diluted syngas. The syngas can displace various fossil fuels by powering spark or compression ignition engine generators, or the syngas can be combusted in conventional boilers, dryers or similar equipment.

The BioMax^® Gas Production Module is a highly versatile platform that can integrate with a number of gas-based energy application modules to provide electricity, heat and/or cooling. The BioMax^® is designed much like a battery pack tool that integrates with a drill, saw, sander, etc., providing the flexibility needed for end-use applications.  Similarly, the BioMax^® Gas Production Module can accept three different front-end feedstock conditioning modules:

1. Ready-to-use, such as nutshells, pellets, etc.
2. Wood chips
3. Processed feedstock such as briquettes, etc.

Biomass to Energy

The primary function of the BioMax^® system is to convert the photosynthetic energy stored in biomass materials (organic materials) into a clean synthetic fuel gas  (~17% hydrogen, 20% carbon monoxide, 8% carbon dioxide, 2% methane and the balance nitrogen) that can be converted by engines, generators and downstream chemical processors into electricity, heat and/or cooling.

The photosynthetic energy stored in the biomass feedstock is converted to other forms of energy by means of a thermochemical reaction in a proprietary computer-controlled downdraft gasifier. The gasifier is the heart of the BioMax^® System.

The gasification process is fully automated via a proprietary control algorithm and a highly sophisticated control system that has been developed and refined through thousands of hours of operations in the field.

The BioMax® system uses a shell and tube heat exchanger to cool the gas stream in the BioMax^® Gas Production Module. Waste heat from the gas cooling is used to dry feedstock. The BioMax^® system does not use any form of liquid cooling or scrubbing of the gas, eliminating the need for any water. The char/ash particles are removed by self-cleaning, passive bag-type filters and automatically stored in collection bags. Depending on the feedstock, the recovered char/ash can be used as a soil amendment.

To date, the BioMax^® has converted over 40 different feedstocks including: wood chips, wood pellets, nut shells (coconut, walnut, almond, nutmeg), orange skins, grape skins, Timothy hay, Army wet and dry packaging and feeding kitchen waste, cardboard, and plastic utensils among others. While this demonstrates the flexibility of the BioMax^®, the front-end processing module and control program are always selected to meet the end-user’s feedstock requirements.

It's in the Box

The standard 20‘ ISO containers (modules) for a BioMax® System typically include:

• Feedstock processing and feeding (optional, the feedstock may or may not require sorting & drying)
• Gas generation and cooling
• Gas filtering
• Power generation (optional)

The BioMax® Advantage

The advantages of the modular BioMax® System include:

• Stabilized future energy costs.
• Higher availability than solar and wind (sun and wind not needed; 80+% availability).
• The modules can be integrated into a larger kW to MW configurations.
• Standard 20’ ISO containers can be shipped to virtually any site and easily moved with a standard forklift truck or crane.
• Sub-systems and components are easily accessed in each module.
• The ISO containers protect the equipment from weather and other exposures.
• The BioMax^® generates minimal noise during operation.
• Factory assembly of modules reduces field installation time.
• Electronic control architecture includes remote operation.

The BioMax^® Systems’ stacked container arrangement is unique and makes for a smaller footprint with a high power density, easy installation, and fewer conveyances for the feedstock.

The BioMax® Energy Farm

The below illustration of a BioMax Energy Farm™ installed at Premier Mushrooms, Colusa, California shows how BioMax^® Systems can be grouped into larger energy plants of multi-kW to mulit-MW capacity.

The Premier Mushroom installation consists of three (3) BioMax^®100 Systems.  The three systems typically operate in tandem, but have been deliberately configured to function as independent individual systems that send electric and thermal energy to a central interconnection point at the customer's site.

The flexibility of the BioMax^® Systems' configuration makes it practical to site large energy farm installations on a foot print that is approximately 10% of a similar sized solar energy installation.

The advanced electronics of the BioMax^® System allow individual modules in the energy farm to be controlled by a centralized control system making it easy for an operator to coordinate the operation and to maximize energy production.

End-user designed and built custom feedstock delivery systems can be intregated into the BioMax Energy Farm™ further increasing flexibility of the installation and expanding the type of feedstocks that can be used for energy production.

Additional options available for the BioMax Energy Farm™ further increase value for the end user.  These include:

• Advanced Heat Capture System
• Backup Power Systems
• Future Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Systems
• Maintenance and Support Programs
• Onsite and at CPC Operator Training Programs

About CPC

CPC, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, is the world’s leading small modular biopower corporation.

CPC was founded in 1995 and started work in modular biopower in 1999. CPC’s was the first company world-wide to:

1. Deploy automated, modular biopower systems capable of operating unattended in Energy Services Company (ESCO) applications.
2. Manufacture complete, turn key modular biopower systems in standard ISO containers.
3. Develop on-site energy independence solutions that can produce power, heat and cooling.
4. Develop a modular syndiesel plant.