Comparisons of Cocoa Pod Husks and other Biomass Wastes for Syngas Production

Anthony Ademola Adeyanju

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202233600037

Abstract

In this study, the characteristics of sawdust, switch grass, cocoa pod husks, and bagasse were investigated and compared, as well as the effects of blended nickel and silicon dioxide catalysts on syngas production by gasification utilising a fluidised bed reactor. Because of their high volatile matter and cellulose content as well as low moisture content, sawdust, switch grass, cocoa pod husks, and bagasse were found to be appropriate for generating syngas. Experimental analysis was conducted on the sawdust, switch grass, cocoa pod husks and bagasse samples with and without catalyst. The grains in the samples were comparable in size, ranging from 2mm to 6mm. The catalysts were revealed to have a distinct influence on the gasification process. The efficiency of the processes improves with catalysts, while the generation of CO, CO2, HC, and NO decreases. Cocoa pod husks produced the highest HC value of 7928 ppm without catalysts while bagasse produced 1679 ppm that is the lowest HC value.

Highlights

Municipal solid waste and biomass feedstock are both plentiful and underutilised energy sources
While mass combustion has long been the preferred means of generating heat and power, thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification open up various options, such as fuels transportation, chemicals and synthetic natural gas [1]
It was discovered that cocoa pod husks were more suitable for biochemical conversion during the thermochemical characterisation of agricultural waste from West Africa [26]

Summary

Introduction

Municipal solid waste and biomass feedstock are both plentiful and underutilised energy sources. Using the energy content of these feedstock’s, which is renewable, has huge environmental, economic, and societal implications. While mass combustion has long been the preferred means of generating heat and power, thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification open up various options, such as fuels transportation, chemicals and synthetic natural gas [1]. Given the need to discover fossil fuels alternatives and decrease CO2 emissions, is becoming increasingly significant [2]. Thermochemical processes have been understood and applied. As early as the 19th century, pyrolysis and gasification of coal were used as examples [3], [4]. Coal pyrolysis yielded coke and coal gas, whereas coal gasification yielded a combustible gas known as synthetic gas (syngas) or producer gas

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