Low temperature gasification of olive kernels in a 5-kW fluidized bed reactor for H 2-rich producer gas

Abstract

Air gasification of olive kernels in a 5 kW bench scale, bubbling fluidized bed gasifier, aimed at H 2 enrichment of the producer gas, was the target of this study. The effects of reactor temperature ( T = 750–850 °C) and equivalence ratio (ER = 0.2–0.4), representing the under stoichiometric amount of air inserted into the reactor to that necessary for complete combustion, on producer gas quality were determined. The experimental results revealed that producer gas H 2 content increased at the temperature of T = 750 °C and ER = 0.2, resembling the high-temperature pyrolysis conditions that favour H 2 and CO production. Further increase in ER deteriorated producer gas quality, decreased H 2 content and favoured CO 2, thus lowering producer gas heating value. The data obtained from several experiments indicate that olive kernels produced a medium heating value gas (LHV = 6.54 MJ/Nm 3) at 750 °C and ER = 0.2, while H 2 and CO production were maximized at the same conditions (H 2: 24%vv, CO: 14.3%vv).