Investigation of non-isothermal and isothermal gasification process of coal char using different kinetic model

Abstract

Isothermal and non-isothermal gasification kinetics of coal char were investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in CO2 atmosphere, and the experimental data were interpreted with the aids of random pore model (RPM), unreacted shrinking core model (URCM) and volume model (VM). With the increase of heating rate, gasification curve moves into high temperature zone and peak rate of gasification increases; with the increase of gasification temperature, gasification rate increases and the total time of gasification is shortened. The increase of both heating rate and gasification temperature could improve gasification process of coal char. Kinetics analysis indicates that experimental data agree better with the RPM than with the other two models. The apparent activation energy of non-isothermal and isothermal gasification of coal char using RPM is 193.9kJ/mol and 212.6kJ/mol respectively, which are in accordance with reported data. Gasification process of coal char under different heating rates and different temperatures are predicted by the RPM derived in this study, and it is found that the RPM predicts the reaction process satisfactorily.