Effect of particle size on syngas production using sawdust of Cameroonian Triplochiton scleroxylon

Abstract

Improving living comfort is inevitably accompanied by a significant increase in energy requirements. These constant rises in energy demand, coupled with environmental issues of fossil energies, have led researches toward renewable energies. Biomass is then one of the renewable sources of energy which must be valorized in sub-Saharan Africa in order to satisfy the future energy needs. In the present work, sawdust of Triplochiton scleroxylon commonly named Ayous is used as feedstock to produce syngas using a batch reactor for gasification process. Based on the proximate and chemical analysis of these wooden residues, results revealed the cellulose content of 46.5 ± 3.54 wt%, hemicellulose content of 16.2 ± 1.56 wt%, lignin content of 16.2 ± 1.56 wt%, moisture content of 18.67 ± 0.58 wt% and the fixed carbon content of 10.90 ± 0.38 wt%. These contents prove that Ayous is a good substrate for syngas production. That sawdust has then been screened into three samples with different particles sizes (d < 500 µm, 500 µm < d < 1 mm and 1 mm < d < 1.9 mm) and three various masses (9 g, 7 g and 5 g) of each sample have been used for gasification experiment. From these experiments, it has been noted that the less the particle size is the more is the gasification rate. The gasification rates obtained from these different particles sizes were 0.430 g/min, 0.359 g/min and 0.228 g/min, respectively. Owing to these experimental data, a kinetic modelling of gasification process has been performed using a one stage global single reaction.