Production Of Producer Gas Research Articles

We Should Use Jatropha as the Feedstock for Producer Gas Production Rather than Biodiesel Production

We Should Use Jatropha as the Feedstock for Producer Gas Production Rather than Biodiesel Production

Small-scale autothermal thermochemical conversion of multiple solid biomass feedstock

The thermochemical conversion of four types of biomass in a batch-fed reverse downdraft process for heat generation in cookstoves is investigated. Fuel switching is widely considered inefficient because many combustion devices do not respond well to changes in fuel. Here, the use of agricultural by-products, represented by wheat straw, sheep manure, cow manure, and wood pellets is addressed. Two air supply rates within the oxygen-limited regime, where the fuel consumption is linearly dependent on the air supply, are investigated. At higher air supply rates, in the reaction-limited regime, low carbon yields lead to the exposure of the ash fraction to high temperatures, such that the resultant ash melting has detrimental effects on the process. Generally, no detrimental impact of the ash content on the conversion process within the oxygen-limited regime could be identified. The release of gaseous products, evaluated through cold gas efficiency, increases linearly from 24 to 54% with higher air flow, corresponding to increasing process temperatures from 690 to 980 °C, and is largely fuel type independent. The char produced from all feedstocks fall within the highest classification for biochars, based on its elemental composition and determined by international protocols. This emphasises the potential of the investigated process for a combined production of producer gas and biochar from a variety of low-value biomass feedstocks.

Lab-scale and pilot-scale two-stage gasification of biomass using active carbon for production of hydrogen-rich and low-tar producer gas

Laboratory- and pilot-scale two-stage air gasification of various types of biomass was performed to produce hydrogen-rich and low-tar gas. Typical tar removal apparatuses, such as scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators, were not employed and the only tar removal agent used was coal-based active carbon. The hydrogen content of all producer gases was remarkably high, whereas the tar content was low (maximum H2: 29 vol%; minimum tar: 0 mg/Nm3). The producer gases from the pilot-scale experiment also exhibited an exceedingly high hydrogen content and low tar content (maximum H2: 27 vol%; minimum tar: 3.3 mg/Nm3). The pilot-scale operation continued without any external heat supply via autothermal operation. A gas engine was connected to the pilot-scale gasification plant to generate electricity. The generated power ranged from 20 to 35 kWe depending on the type of biomass used. This indicated that the two-stage gasification process could be applied to decentralized power generation. To summarize, the present study provided positive experimental results of the two-stage gasification process in terms of tar reduction, hydrogen production, and power generation. Furthermore, studies on long-term operation are needed to obtain more reliable results.

Performance investigation of a gasifier and gas engine system operated on municipal solid waste briquettes

Municipal solid waste (MSW) and charcoal can be used as a substitute fuel in a gas engine. In this work, performance of a downdraft gasifier and gas engine system operated on MSW briquette fuel was investigated. Experimental test was carried out on a 62 kW, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine coupled to a 20 kW dynamometer. The downdraft gasifier was used to generate producer gas from MSW briquettes and charcoal. The engine load was varied between 1.5-9.0 kW. Biomass consumption, producer gas production, cold gas efficiency, thermal efficiency of the gas engine, carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) emissions and exhaust temperature were evaluated. The MSW briquette fuelled operation was compared against that with charcoal. It was found that, the use of MSW briquette led to lowering performance of the downdraft gasifier and gas engine system, in comparison with the use of charcoal. Maximum cold gas and thermal efficiencies obtained were 64.6% and 16% at 4.5 kW and 9 kW loading, respectively. The CO and HC emissions of the gas engine operated on MSW briquettes were higher than that on charcoal, while the exhaust temperatures were similar. ©2019. CBIORE-IJRED. All rights reserved

Effect of equivalence ratio on the CO selectivity of Fe/Ca-based oxygen carriers in biomass char chemical looping gasification

Equivalence ratio is one of the important operating parameters for biomass gasification. The oxygen carrier possesses high producer gas production in a wide range of equivalence ratio (oxygen carrier/biomass ratio), which is exceedingly desirable for biomass chemical looping gasification (CLG). In this study, the effect of different equivalence ratios on the CO selectivity (the evolved gas composition) of Fe2O3, Fe2O3/CaO and CaFe2O4 oxygen carriers in biomass char CLG was investigated in a fixed bed reactor. The results showed that the CO selectivity of CaFe2O4 had little changes and decreased from 70.39% to 59.79% and 73.40% to 63.98% with increasing equivalence ratio from 0.5 to 3.0 at 900 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. In sharp contrast, the CO selectivity of Fe2O3 changed markedly, which declined respectively from 65.86% to 31.13% (900 °C) and 69.68% to 47.27% (1000 °C). Fe2O3/CaO illustrated the similar tendency as Fe2O3 at 900 °C but as CaFe2O4 at 1000 ℃. The three oxygen carries exhibited a high CO production at lower equivalence ratio, and CaFe2O4 displayed the best performance of CO selectivity in the given equivalence ratio range. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrums showed that the oxygen carriers were transformed to different iron phases with difference equivalent ratios. The Fe (III) in the three oxygen carries was reduced completely to Fe (0) at the equivalence ratios of 0.5 and 1.0, while FeO and Ca2Fe2O5 were the dominant species in the spent oxygen carriers as equivalence ratio was further increased. The trends of CO selectivity obtained by thermodynamic analysis for three oxygen carries were consistent with the experimental results.

A Comprehensive Literature Review of Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass for Syngas Production and Associated Challenge

The interest in the thermochemical conversion of biomass for producer gas production since last decade has increased because of the growing attention to the application of sustainable energy resources. Application of biomass resources is a valid alternative to fossil fuels as it is a renewable energy source. The valuable gaseous product obtained through thermochemical conversion of organic material is syngas, whereas the solid product obtained is char. This review deals with the state of the art of biomass gasification technologies and the quality of syngas gathered through the application of different gasifiers along with the effect of different operating parameters on the quality of producer gas. Main steps in gasification process including drying, oxidation, pyrolysis and reduction effects on syngas production and quality are presented in this review. An overview of various types of gasifiers used in lignocellulosic biomass gasification processes, fixed bed and fluidized bed and entrained flow gasifiers are discussed. The effects of various process parameters such as particle size, steam and biomass ratio, equivalence ratio, effects of temperature, pressure and gasifying agents are discussed. Depending on the priorities of several researchers, the optimum value of different anticipated productivities in the gasification process comprising better quality syngas production improved lower heating value, higher syngas production, improved cold gas efficiency, carbon conversion efficiency, production of char and tar have been reviewed.

Evaluation of Sugar Beet Waste in the Production of Hydrogen-Rich Gas

Among renewable energy sources, biomass is increasingly gaining tremendous attention due to its feedstock diversity and the way for management. The objective of this work is to explore the potential of the pulp, which is the waste of the sugar factory, as an alternative energy for conventional energy sources through gasification technologies. Dry air was used as an oxidizing agent for the production of producer gas. Gasification experiments were carried out using different operating parameters including various temperatures (650 °C, 750 °C and 850 °C), without catalyst and with alkali catalysts (K 2 CO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 ). The producer gas generated from the gasification process was identified through Micro Gas Chromatography (I¼-GC) system. From the results obtained, the highest hydrogen yield is found to be 5.730 mol H 2 /kg biomass in the absence of a catalyst, at 850 °C with 2 L/h dry air flow rate and 15 min. reaction time. Besides, it also revealed that K 2 CO 3 is more effective than Na 2 CO 3 ,and the maximum hydrogen yield (5.199 mol H 2 /kg biomass) was achieved when K 2 CO 3 used at 650 °C with 2 L/h dry air flow rate and 15 min. reaction time.

Modelling and experimental analysis of a small-scale olive pomace gasifier for cogeneration applications: A techno-economic assessment

A 2-D numerical simulation approach was implemented to describe the gasification process of olive pomace in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The numerical model was validated under experimental gasification runs performed in a 250 kWth quasi-industrial biomass gasifier. The producer gas composition, H2/CO ratio, CH4/H2 ratio, cold gas efficiency and tar content were evaluated. The most suitable applications for the potential use of olive pomace as an energy source in Portugal were assessed based on the results. A techno-economic study and a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the feasibility and foresee the main investment risks in conducting olive pomace gasification in small facilities. Results indicated that olive pomace gasification is more suitable for domestic purposes. The low cold gas efficiency of the process (around 20%) turns the process more appropriate for producer gas production in small cogeneration facilities. Olive pomace gasification solutions showed viable economic performance in small cogeneration solutions for agriculture waste-to-energy recovery in olive oil agriculture cooperatives. However, the slender profitability may turn the project unattractive for most investors from a financial standpoint.

High-temperature separation of H2S from producer gas produced of biomass gasification by artificially prepared sorbents

Commercial technologies are available to clean gasification hydrocarbon gases to the stringent levels of contaminants. However, new cheaper technologies are needed for stringent gas cleaning duty for producer gas production from biomass at high temperatures for use in fuel cells. This article describes the thermodynamics calculations aimed to estimate the suitability of various prepared sorbents on the basis of metal oxides (CaO, MnO, FeO, Fe2O3, ZnO and ZnFe2O4) to clean hydrogen sulphide from the producer gas at elevated gas temperatures and experimental verification of the function of prepared sorbents during specific conditions such as temperature and raw gas composition. Our prepared sorbents on the basis of zinc and copper oxides prove high sorption capacities for selective sorption of H2S. These sorbents can be with big advantage used in the industry for removal of H2S from biogas at high temperature. Output gas contains only low concentrations of H2S and can be then used for high-temperature fuel cells to produce electricity.

A statistical analysis on tar reduction in producer gas for IC engine application

ABSTRACT The automobile sector attained a boom in the last decade; this made the necessity for more fuel consumption. To meet the demand, many alternate fuel systems are introduced. Among that, producer gas blend carbonated fuels are highly recommended. Since, it is adaptive to the current internal combustion engines with modified carburetor. This paper aims to investigate the production of producer gas from wood and the methods to filter the tar content in it. The chemical-catalytic method is the cost- and eco-effective way to reduce the tar in producer gas. Therefore, a new Ni-based TiO2-supported catalysts are synthesised to improve the efficiency of the tar cracking. The catalytic system is affected by other factors such as bed temperature, catalyst weight, gas feed rate and gas residence time (GRT). The design of experiments is framed with L27 design table and the response is optimised using the Taguchi methodology. The derived regression equation attained 98.4% of adequacy in response prediction and the identified optimaltar cracking efficiency is 99.46% for Ni-Pr/TiO2 catalyst.

A Study on Leaching Potential of Bio-gasification Tar in Water

Non-conventional energy sources based on biomass gasification for production of producer gas is a promising technique. However, the presence of unacceptable levels of biogasification tar waste puts the limit of its use. Although investigations are being carried out to study avenues for controlling the amount of tar produced during biomass gasification, the complete removal of this waste still remains a big challenge. Problems are severe when the waste comes to contact with water body leading to the leaching of components (pollutants) from tar into the environment. In this paper, we are reporting the study that has been carried out to investigate and evaluate the leaching properties of bio-gasification tar in water as a function of concentration levels, temperature and pH levels of the solvents.

Qualitative and Cost Effective Producer gas production system

Qualitative and Cost Effective Producer gas production system

Producer gas production of Indonesian biomass in fixed-bed downdraft gasifier as an alternative fuels for internal combustion engines

downdraft biomass gasification reactors, coupled with reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICE) are a viable technology for small scale heat and power generation. The direct use of producer gas as fuel subtitution in an ICE could be of great interest since Indonesia has significant land area in different forest types that could be used to produce bioenergy and convert forest materials to bioenergy for use in energy production and the versatility of this engine. This paper will look into the aspect of biomass energie as a contributor to energy mix in Indonesia. This work also contains information gathered from numerous previews study on the downdraft gasifier based on experimental or simulation study on the ability of producer gas as fuels for internal combustion engines aplication. All data will be used to complement the preliminary work on biomass gasification using downdraft to produce producer gas and its application to engines.

Hydrogen-Enriched Producer Gas Production and Chemical Conversion to Usable Gas Product Through Biomass Gasification Using NiO Nanoparticles Dispersed on SBA-15

Hydrogen-Enriched Producer Gas Production and Chemical Conversion to Usable Gas Product Through Biomass Gasification Using NiO Nanoparticles Dispersed on SBA-15

Downdraft gasifier structure and process improvement for high quality and quantity producer gas production

The current study reveals several efficient amenities that can affect the gasification process to improve syngas quality and yield. A comprehensive study was carried out using a 24 kW downdraft gasifier to evaluate the effect of uniform air distribution in the oxidation zone, additional throat on the reactor temperature distribution and the overall gasification process. The effect of fuel moisture, equivalence ratio, gasifying agent type and pre-treatment of the gasifying agent on producer gas yield and composition were also evaluated. The biomass feeding rate was 30–40 kg/h, and the maximum gas flow rate was 90 m3/h. When corn cobs and waste wood (carpenter waste) with moisture content from 5 to 30% were used as feed stock, with 70 °C air as the gasifying/oxidizing agent, the energy value of the producer/syngas obtained was 6.31 and 6.66 MJ/m3, respectively. The heating value was improved to 6.72 and 8.43 MJ/m3 when using 150 °C air-steam mixture as the gasifying agent, with the optimum equivalence ratio of 0.30. The methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide concentration (on volume basis) were 6.20, 19.32 and 21.00. The average amount of syngas produced from 1 kg of corn cobs and waste wood were 2.94 and 2.62 m3, while the average amount of tar produced was 2.2 and 1.8 g/Nm3 respectively. The investigation revealed that uniform air distribution in the oxidation zone, fuel moisture content, gasifying agent type and the pre-treatment of gasifying agent played a significant role in enhancing the quantity and quality of the producer gas.

Comparative Study of Temperature Impact on Air Gasification of Various Types of Biomass in a Research-Scale Down-draft Reactor

A parametric study of the gasification of six biomass feedstocks (switchgrass, hardwood, softwood, fiber, cardboard and chicken manure), as representative of different types of biomass, has been performed on an experimental, pilot-scale 10 kWth down-draft gasification facility. A comparison was made of the performance of the gasifier as a function of feedstock, in terms of the producer gas production and composition. The variation of producer gas composition was analyzed in the range 600–1000 °C. The results indicated that switchgrass, as representative of energy crops, has greater potential to yield the main components of the producer gas (i.e., hydrogen and carbon monoxide) in comparison with the other feedstocks. However, this did not guarantee the greatest suitability of the switchgrass for downstream applications due to low molar ratios of the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO), which measured at 1.01. To enhance the utility efficiency of producer gas, the downstream engines such as combust...

Production of producer gas from sugarcane bagasse and carpentry waste and its sustainable use in a dual fuel CI engine: A performance, emission, and noise investigation

Due to ever increasing use of conventional fuels and improper utilization of renewables, air pollution and GHG (Green House Gas) emissions are the primary areas of concern. Due to this, the world is now shifting interest towards the synthesis and use of alternate fuels; that can replace the conventional fuels. Present work focuses on an experimental investigation, which is carried out on two different biomass materials – sugarcane bagasse and carpentry waste in 1:1 ratio. Biomass samples were used to synthesize producer gas in a downdraft gasifier with a gas flow rate of 5.07 Nm3/h. Producer gas was blended with diesel and fired in a dual fuel CI engine. Engine performance was smooth while it was tested for six load variations for noise characteristics and various performance and emission parameters. A maximum reduction in diesel consumption by 45.7% and NOx emissions by 69.5% was reported with a slight increase (∼3.4 dB) in the noise.

기포유동층에서 수증기 및 소성된 백운석 첨가에 의한 바이오매스 가스화의 영향

바이오매스 가스화 공정을 위하여 내경이 0.1 m이고 높이가 1.2 m인 유동층 반응기에서 수증기 및 촉매의 첨가가 프로듀서가스(Producer gas)에 미치는 영향을 파악하였다. 가스화 장치는 유동층 반응기, 연료공급 장치, 사이클론, 2개의 냉각기, 수증기 발생장치 및 가스분석기로 구성하였다. 층물질 및 촉매물질로 평균입자크기 <TEX>$380{\mu}m$</TEX>의 비구형 silica sand 와 평균입자 <TEX>$356{\mu}m$</TEX> 크기의 소성된 백운석을 사용하였다. 사용된 바이오매스는 국산 우드펠릿(Korea woody pellet) 및 동남아 팜 부산물인 EFB(empty fruit bunch)를 펠릿 형태로 가공하여 사용하였다. 실험 고정 변수로는 연료공급량 50 g/min(EFB), 38 g/min(KWP) 반응 온도 <TEX>$800^{\circ}C$</TEX>, ER(equivalence ratio) 0.25로 설정하였다. 조업 변수로 촉매인 소성된 백운석을 층물질 0~100 wt%의 혼합비로 사용하였다. 가스화매체로 공기 또는 Air-Steam을 사용하였다. 이때 수증기 첨가량은 SBR(steam to biomass ratio) 기준 0.3으로 하였다. 생성된 가스의 조성, 타르(Tar) 및 저위발열량을 측정하였다. 실험의 결과로 소성된 백운석은 모든 실험조건에서 프로듀서가스 타르의 함량을 감소시키며 최대 67.3 wt%의 감소율을 보였다. 저위발열량은 공기가스화에서 소성된 백운석 첨가량이 증가할수록 감소하였다. 하지만 Air-steam 가스화에서 저위발열량은 변화가 적거나 오히려 소폭 증가한 경향을 보였다. A fluidized-bed reactor with an inside diameter of 0.1 m and a height of 1.2 m was used to study the effect of steam and catalyst additions to air-blown biomass gasification on the production of producer gas. The equipment consisted of a fluidized bed reactor, a fuel supply system, a cyclone, a condenser, two receivers, steam generator and gas analyzer. Silica sand with a mean particle diameter of <TEX>$380{\mu}m$</TEX> was used as a bed material and calcined dolomite (<TEX>$356{\mu}m$</TEX>), which is effective in tar reduction and producer gas purification, was used as the catalyst. Both of Korea wood pellet (KWP) and a pellet form of EFB (empty fruit bunch) which is the byproduct of Southeast Asia palm oil extraction were examined as biomass feeds. In all the experiments, the feeding rates were 50 g/min for EFB and 38 g/min for KWP, respectively at the reaction temperature of <TEX>$800^{\circ}C$</TEX> and an ER (equivalence ratio) of 0.25. The mixing ratio (0~100 wt%) of catalyst was applied to the bed material. Air or an air-steam mixture was used as the injection gas. The SBR (steam to biomass ratio) was 0.3. The composition, tar content, and lower heating value of the generated producer gas were measured. The addition of calcined dolomite decreased tar content in the producer gas with maximum reduction of 67.3 wt%. The addition of calcined dolomite in the air gasification reduced lower heating value of the producer gas. However The addition of calcined dolomite in the air-steam gasification slightly increased its lower heating value.

Biomass gasification for combined heat and power generation in the Cuban context: Energetic and economic analysis

In the present work is performed a technical and economic analysis of a combined heat and power generation system (CHP), designed to operate coupled to an internal combustion engine (ICE) fueled with biomass producer gas, in order to generate electricity and hot water for isolated communities of power distribution network. In the proposed system configuration, the energy of the engine's hot exhaust gases is recovered (cogeneration), making this system more attractive in relation to conventional configurations, which are normally used to produce solely mechanical and electrical energy. The proposed system is composed of a modified downdraft gasifier, Imbert technology; coupled to an internal combustion engine, model ZIL−130. The system is designed and built in the laboratory of fluid mechanics at the University of Camagüey. The feedstock studied for the gasifier was Dichrostachys Cinerea, collected in neighboring areas to the proposed place of installation. The main energy flows and the costs associated with the production of producer gas were determinate. From the mass and energy balances, the thermal and electric efficiencies of the cogeneration systems resulted in ηhw = 32.4% and ηge = 23.4% respectively, whereas the overall efficiency led to ηglobal = 33.3%. In the economic analysis were studied the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), the Net Present Value (NPV) and time of return on investment (TRI) or payback, considering a project lifespan of 15 years. For the annual interest rate of 12%, the electricity should be sold at 0.3 USD/kWh in order to the project be feasible. The IRR resulted in 12%, the NPV was 20,571 USD and payback period resulted in 5.3 years. In the proposed configuration, the system consumes 1.46 kg of biomass per kWe produced, with a maximum cost of generated electricity of 0.022 USD/kWh.

Air gasification of PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-containing plastic waste in a two-stage gasifier using Ca-based additives and Ni-loaded activated carbon for the production of clean and hydrogen-rich producer gas

A plastic waste containing polyvinyl chloride was gasified in a two-stage gasifier consisting of a fluidized bed reactor and tar-cracking zone to produce a hydrogen-rich producer gas with low tar and HCl contents. In particular, this study investigated the effects of calcined Ca-based additives, especially oyster shells, and a Ni-loaded activated carbon on the chlorine and tar removal. Additionally, a ∼3 h gasification of the plastic waste was performed using a distributor with a large hole size to confirm the gasification stability. In the experiments, where 900 g activated carbon was applied, all the producer gases were free of tar. The maximum H2 content (30 vol.%) in the producer gas was obtained with 900 g of Ni-loaded activated carbon. Chlorine in the feed material was mainly distributed in char and condensate liquid. The HCl contents in the producer gases obtained with the calcined Ca-based additives including oyster shells were under 1 ppm. The ∼3 h gasification revealed that the gasification was stable in terms of tar content in producer gas and producer gas composition.