Synthesis of syngas from municipal solid waste in a fluidized bed gasifier

Abstract

In this study, three representative materials, wood, paper, and cloth from municipal solid waste, were studied separately in an atmospheric fluidized bed gasifier. The effects of different feedstock, equivalence ratio, gasification temperature, and calcium carbonate presence on syngas composition, the lower heating value, and carbon conversion efficiency were investigated at different operating temperatures (800-950?C), and the equivalence ratio range from 0.2 and 0.5. As the equivalence ratio increased, the yields of syngas and its lower heating value decreased, whereas the CO2 yield and carbon conversion efficiency increased generally from wood gasification. Higher gasification temperature favored enhancing the CO and H2 yield and lowering the CO2 yield while the lower heating value and carbon conversion efficiency of syngas increased. Different variations of CO2 yield and the lower heating value of syngas were observed in different feedstock gasification. CaCO3 was more supportive for enhancing the yields of syngas components (H2, CO, and CH4) and lowering the CO2 yield, while a lower heating value of syngas was also increased from different feedstock gasification. However, an optimum temperature of 900?C was the highest lower heating value of syngas, reaching 8000 kJ/Nm3 from wood gasification.