Experimental investigation of a “throatless” downdraft gasifier with palm kernel shell

Abstract

In the present study, a downdraft biomass gasifier is used to carry out the gasification experiments with palm kernel shells (PKS). The effect of air flow rate on biomass consumption rate and quality of the producer gas generated are studied by performing experiments. The performance of the biomass gasifier system is evaluated in terms of equivalence ratio, producer gas composition, lower heating value (LHV), and cold gas efficiency. At an airflow rate of 0.0009 m3/s−1, the producer gas has a combustible fraction of 46.58% v/v. and LHV of 6.32 MJ m−3. From the results obtained, in view of ease of operation, a small-scale throatless downdraft gasifier can make an important contribution to the economy of rural areas where PKS are abundant. It is also suggested that gasification of PKS is a clean alternative to fuel wood and the producer gas can be used for local process heat in the Agro-processing sector.