Chapter 1

Introduction
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is one of the conventional sources of fuel
for cook stoves in India. The use of LPG as source of fuel is common both in the
urban and in the rural areas, particularly in places where its supply is readily
accessible. The main reasons why LPG is widely adopted for household use are:
it is convenient to operate, easy to control, and clean to use because of the blue
flame emitted during cooking. However, because of the continued increase in the
price of oil in the world market, the price of LPG fuel had gone up tremendously
and is continuously increasing at a fast rate. The potential of biomass as
alternative fuel source to replace LPG is a promising option.
Biomass is considered as one of the important sources of renewable
energy. Biomass is an organic matter produced by plants (both terrestrial and
aquatic), there derivatives and from animal and human waste. Biomass is
considered as a renewable source of energy, because it is renewable in nature
unlike fossil fuel like coal, oil and natural gas. Biomass can be converted into
solid, liquid and gaseous fuel depending on their physical availability. Biomass
can be considered as a carbon-neutral fuel, because plants and trees extract
carbon-dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it while they grew up and
when this biomass is used in various application like home, industries for energy
production then they release CO2 to atmosphere and at the same time it is
balanced by capturing CO2 for the growth of plant and trees. Whereas fossil fuels
like gas, oil and coal can not be considered as carbon-neutral fuel because they
release CO2 which has been stored for millions of years. Biomass is also
considered as a form of solar energy as they absorb solar energy for growing up
by photosynthesis process. Solar energy thus stored in the form of chemical
energy is Biomass.
Solar Energy Photosynthesis Biomass Energy Generation
Biomass energy resources are available from botanical plants, vegetation, algae,

1
animals, animals and organisms living on land or in water. Biomass resources are
generally classified into two categories.
(1) Biomass from cultivated crops (Energy farms)
(2) Biomass from waste organic matter.
Both the sources are of renewable source of energy. Wide variety of
conversion technologies is available for the production of premium fuels from
biomass. Conversion process generally depends on the physical condition of
biomass and the economics of competing process. Biomass conversion technology
can be basically grouped into three categories.
(1) Direct combustion
(2) Thermo-chemical conversion
(3) Biochemical conversion
In direct combustion, oxygen supplied is generally higher than that of
stoichiometric limit. In the thermo-chemical conversion method the biomass is
raised to high temperature and depending on the quantity of oxygen supplied the
process such as pyrolysis or gasification takes place. The biochemical conversion
process is a low energy process and relies upon the action of bacteria which
degrade complex molecules of biomass into simpler ones. Production of biogas (a
mixture of CH4 and CO2) from animal dung by anaerobic digestion is a good
example of biochemical process.
Biomass Gasification is a chemical process that converts biomass into
useful convenient gaseous fuels or chemical feedstock. It is incomplete
combustion of biomass. Due to the incomplete combustion a combustible gas is
produced. This gas can be used for different purposes like diesel production or
power generation. It has emerged as a promising technology to fulfill the
increasing energy demands of the world as well as to reduce significantly the
volume of biomass waste generated in developing societies. Every biomass type
has carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as major chemical constitutive elements. The
production of generator gas or producer gas called gasification,is partial
combustion of solid fuel (biomass) and takes place at temperatures of about 10000
0
C. The reactor is called a gasifier. Since there is an interaction of air or oxygen
and biomass in the gasifier, they are classified according to the way air or oxygen
is introduced in it. There are three types of gasifiers Downdraft, Updraft and

2
and Cross-draft. And as the classification implies updraft gasifier has air passing
through the biomass from bottom and the combustible gases come out from the
top of the gasifier. Similarly in the downdraft gasifier the air is passed from the
tuyers in the downdraft direction. In our project we use updraft gasifier.

3
 Chapter 2
Literature survey
Review of number of research studies from literature are described in the
following section.
Yin et al. (2002) designed and installed a circulating fluidized bed (CFB)
biomass gasification and power generation system (BGPG) for rice husk to
provide power for a rice mill with a capacity of 150 td1. The system consists of a
CFB gasifier, a gas cleaner (including an inertial separator, a cyclone separator, a
venture and two water scrubbers), and power generation subsystem (containing
five parallel gas engines rated 200 kW each), as well as a wastewater treatment
system. It was found that the system can be operated stably within the temperature
range of 700oC to 850oC; its optimal condition was reached when the workload
was increased above 800 kW.
Groves et al. (1979) studied fluidized bed air partial oxidation of cotton
gin trash over the temperatures range of 922 and 1144 K in a 0.3 m I. D reactor.
The off-gas heating value and energy recovery increased from 3.4 to 4.3 MJ/m3
and from 27 to 53%, respectively.
Cao et al. (2005) demonstrated a fluidized bed air gasification system
using sawdust. They combined two individual regions of pyrolysis, gasification,
and combustion of biomass in one reactor. The primary air stream and the
biomass feedstock were introduced into the gasifier from the bottom and the top,
respectively. Secondary air was injected into the upper region of the reactor to
maintain elevated temperature. The study indicated that under optimum operating
conditions, a fuel gas could be produced at a rate of about 3.0 Nm3/kg biomass
and heating value of about 5.0 MJ/Nm3. The concentration of hydrogen, carbon
monoxide and methane in the fuel gas produced were 9.27%, 9.25% and 4.21%,
respectively.
Walwender et al. (1981) gasified alpha cellulose in a bench-scale fluidized
bed reactor using steam over a temperature range of 873-1073K. The major

4
components of the produced gas were H2, CO2, CO, and CH4 and the volumetric
gas yield was 0.5-1.4 m3/kg. The average gas higher heating value was 11.8
MJ/m3. The energy recovery as well as carbon conversion were ranged from 32-
90%.Walawender et al. (1982) gasified straw with steam in a 0.23 m diameter
fluidized bed reactor over a temperature range of 552-757oC. The fraction of feed
converted to gas ranged fsrom 32% at 552oC to 73 % at 757oC. The heating value
of the gas exhibited a parabolic temperature variation with a maximum value of
16.3 MJ/m3 obtained at 672oC. There was continuous external energy input to the
system, which resulted in higher than expected heating values.
The Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN) in Petten,
Netherlands, developed and built a pilot circulating fluidized bed (CFB)
gasification plant using the BIVKIN (BIomassa Vergassings Karakeriserings
INstallatie) process in cooperation with Novem, Afvalzorg, and Stork (Van den
Broek, et al., 1997). The plant was initially used at the ECN location in Petten for
the characterization of more than 15 different biomass species, including wood,
sludge, grass, and manure. ECN has been conducting tests to improve the gas
quality so that it can be used for electrical generation in a gas engine. The CFB
gasifier is integrated with a 500 kWe internal combustion (IC) engine at the pilot
plant. Operation of the pilot plant was initiated in 1996. It had operated for more
than 500 hours with various fuels as of August 2000. The operation of the gasifier
is very stable, and complete automation of the gasifier is possible.
Advanced gasification systems generally involve integration with higher
efficiencies and produce heat or combined heat/power generation. These systems
are necessary for the Western countries for controlling of greenhouse gas
emissions. Seven companies that have advanced gasification systems are
reviewed. Foster Wheeler owns several gasification patents and gasification
technologies. Some of these were developed by Ahlstrom Pyropower (API).
Foster Wheeler acquired API and has likewise acquired these gasification
technologies. The different gasifiers are the atmospheric updraft gasifiers
(Bioneer), atmospheric circulating fluidized-bed gasifiers (Pyroflow), and the
pressurized circulating fluidized-bed gasifiers (Bioflow).
The detailed study of the biomass gasification processes, types of gasifier,
factors effecting gasification, gasifier fuel characteristics, the main applications of

5
the gasifier, gasification systems and the current status of the gasification
technology are provided by the journal Biomass gasification by Anil K.
Rajvanshi. Current status states that the worlds largest gasification manufacturing
facility is Gasifier and Equipment Manufacturing Corporation (GEMCOR) in
Philippines. They produce about 3000 units/year ranging in size from 10-250 kW.
Besides they have recently started producing gasifiers for direct heat applications.
Their primary applications have been for irrigation pumps and power generating
sets. To date about 1000 units have been installed within Philippines running on
charcoal, wood chips and briquettes. Brazil is another country where large scale
gasification manufacturing program has been undertaken. About 650 units of
various sizes and applications have been installed.

6
 Chapter 3
Biomass gasification
Gasification is the conversion of solid, organic material to a mixture of
combustible gases by partial oxidation at elevated temperatures (500-1400C).
This conversion is caused by combusting the solid material with limited oxygen
to produce an exhaust gas known as producer gas, or synthesis gas. Producer gas
consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, traces of higher
hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene, water vapor, nitrogen (if air is the
oxidizing agent) and various contaminants such as small char particles, ash, tar
and oil. This producer gas must contain enough carbon monoxide, hydrogen,
acetylene and other hydrocarbons to be combustible.

3.1 History of Gasification

For the past two centuries, gasifiers have been used in some capacity.
During the Industrial Revolution, gasifiers produced town gas for lighting (Mayer,
1988). This combustible gas was produced as a byproduct of the large quantities
of coal that were coked prior to use in smelting operations. In 1839, Bischaf
patented a simple process for gasifying coke, which became the first commercial
updraft, fixed bed gasification system. Later, gasification producer gas was used
to fire internal combustion engines, the first attempt occurring in 1881 (Stassen
and Knoef, 1993). During World War II, the German military bolted gasifiers on
their motor vehicles to produce fuel when oil imports were blockaded. After the
War, accessibility of affordable fossil fuels caused decline in the producer gas
industry (Loewer et al, 1982). Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, gasification
has been examined as a means of converting biomass to conveniently-usable fuel
to offset petroleum usage (Stassen and Knoef,1993). The chemical energy stored
in organic materials can be converted to more usable forms through one of three
conversion schemes: biochemical, chemical or thermo-chemical. Biochemical
and chemical conversion methods are only biomass material, but most biomass

7
materials can be thermo-chemically converted, making it a favorable option
(Sims, 2003). Gasification is a thermo-chemical conversion technology which has
attracted significant interest because it offers highest efficiency, or most usable
energy, as compared to combustion (Sokhansanj et al, 2003; Zhou et al, 2003). In
addition to reducing dependence on petroleum, gasification has been studied
recently as a value-added process for handling some byproducts. Byproducts that
would typically be disposed of by land filling, incineration, or microbial
decomposition could be gasified as an alternative process to the traditional
disposal methods which are sometimes unavailable, expensive, or cumbersome
(Bowser et al, 2004). Gasification provides several possible advantages to direct
combustion of byproducts (Richey, 1984). Gasification produces minimal air
pollution (Richey, 1984). Direct-drying of the product is possible without using a
heat exchanger, which increases efficiency and reduces equipment expense as
compared to combustion (Richey, 1984). With 80-90% of heat recovered,
gasification provides a more efficient conversion of biomass to heat for thermo
applications. Combustion rate can be controlled by regulating primary air flow.
Perhaps the most significant advantage of gasification is that in addition to the
recoverable waste heat generated by direct combustion, gasfiers provide usable
process fuel (Richey, 1984).

3.2 Chemistry of gasification

A simplified sequence of events occurring in the updraft gasifier is
described as follows starting from the top of the fuel bed. Fig 3.1 shows
gasification processes.
a. Drying
During this event, the temperature of the biomass is increased and
the moisture in the biomass is evaporated by heat exchange between the
biomass and the hot gas stream that is coming from the combustion zone.
b. Devolatilization
The temperature of the dry biomass is increased further and volatile
products are released from the biomass thereby leaving char. For all
biomass, volatiles represent a significant portion of the fuel and in
gasifiers; devolatilization provides part of the produced gases. The release

8
of volatiles is driven by increase of temperature. As the biomass slowly
descend,the hot gases produced in the gasification and combustion zones
exchange energy with the colder solid. Three main fractions are
produced during pyrolysis of biomass:
Light gases, among them H2, CO, CO2, H2O, and CH4.
Tar, composed of relatively heavy organic and inorganic molecules that
escape the solid matrix as gases and liquid in the form of vapor.
Char, the remaining solid residue. This can be represented as
Biomass char + Volatiles (gases + tar)

Fig 3.1 Gasification

c. Gasification (reduction)
After drying and devolatilization, the char enters the gasification
zone where carbon reacts with steam, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.
Endothermic reactions in this section produce carbon monoxide and
hydrogen. The slightly exothermic reaction of hydrogen with carbon
produces methane. The carbon monoxide produced also reacts with water
to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the water gas shift reaction.
Differentiation between the gasification zone and combustion zone is

9
 based on the presence or absence of oxygen. The reactions that take place
in this region of the gasifier can be represented by:
CO + CO2 2CO
C + H2O H2+CO
C+2H2 CH4
CO+H2O CO2+H2
b. Combustion
The remaining char is burned, using the oxygen from air in the feed
gas and leaving the ash residue according to
2C+O22CO
2CO+O22CO2

3.3. Factors effecting gasification

1. Energy content of Fuel

Fuel with high energy content provides easier combustion to
sustain the endothermic gasification reactions because they can burn at
higher temperatures.
2. Fuel Moisture content
Since moisture is in effect water, a non-burnable component in the
biomass, it is important that the water content be kept to a minimum. All
water in the feed stock must be vaporized in the drying phase before
combustion otherwise there will be difficulty in sustaining combustion
because the heat released will be used to evaporate moisture.
3. Size Distribution of the Fuel
Fuel should be of a form that will not lead to bridging within the
reactor. Bridging occurs when unscreened fuels do not flow freely axially
downwards in the gasifier. Therefore particle size is an important
parameter in biomass gasification because it determines the bed porosity
and thus the fluid-dynamic characteristics of the bed.
4. Temperature of the Reactor
There is a need to properly insulate the reactor so that heat losses
are reduced. If heat losses are higher than the heat requirement of
the endothermic reactions, the gasification reactions will not occur.

10
3.4 Advantages of Gasification

The advantage of gasification is that using the syngas is potentially more

efficient than direct combustion of the original fuel because it can be combusted at
higher temperatures or even in fuel cells, so that the thermodynamic upper limit to
the efficiency defined by Carnot's rule is higher or not applicable. Syngas may be
burned directly in gas engines, used to produce methanol and hydrogen, or
converted via the Fischer-Tropsch process into synthetic fuel. Gasification can
also begin with material which would otherwise have been disposed of such as
biodegradable waste. In addition, the high-temperature process refines out
corrosive ash elements such as chloride and potassium, allowing clean gas
production from otherwise problematic fuels.

3.5 Applications of gasification

3.5.1 Electricity
Currently Industrial-scale gasication is primarily used to produce
electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, where the syngas is burned in a gas
turbine. Gasication is also used industrially in the production of electricity,
ammonia and liquid fuels (oil) using Integrated Gasication Combined
Cycles(IGCC), with the possibility of producing methane and hydrogen for fuel
cells. IGCC is also a more ecient method of CO2 capture as compared to
conventional technologies. IGCC demonstration plants have been operating since
the early 1970s and some of the plants constructed in the 1990s are now entering
commercial service.
3.5.2 Combined heat and power
In small business and building applications, where the wood source is
sustainable, 250-1000kWe and new zero carbon biomass gasication plants have
been installed in Europe that produce tar free syngas from wood and burn it in
reciprocating engines connected to a generator with heat recovery. This type of
plant is often referred to as a wood biomass CHP unit but is a plant with seven
dierent processes: biomass processing, fuel delivery, gasication, gas cleaning,
waste disposal, electricity generation and heat recovery.
3.5.3 Transport fuel
Diesel engines can be operated on dual fuel mode using producer gas.

11
Diesel substitution of over 80% at high loads and 70-80% under normal load
variations can easily be achieved. Spark ignition engines and SOFC fuel cells can
operate on 100% gasication gas. Mechanical energy from the engines may be
used for e.g. driving water pumps for irrigation or for coupling with an alternator
for electrical power generation. While small scale gasiers have existed for well
over 100 years, there have been few sources to obtain a ready to use machine.
Small scale devices are typically DIY projects. However, currently in the United
States, several companies oer gasiers to operate small engines.

12
 Chapter 4
Gasifier
Biomass gasification means incomplete combustion of biomass resulting
in production of combustible gases consisting of Carbon monoxide (CO),
Hydrogen (H2) and traces of Methane (CH4). This mixture is called producer gas.
Where the gasification process takes place is called gasifier. Gasifier is a chemical
reactor where various complex chemical and physical processes take place.
Gasifiers are classified as per the type of bed i.e.
1. Fixed bed
2. Fluidized bed

4.1. Fixed bed gasifier

In fixed bed gasifier the particles remain fixed in their positions and it is
also classified as per the direction of the gas flow. Gasifier is a vertical flow
packed bed reactor through which oxygen or air for combustion is passed through
it which may pass downward or upward or across the bed depending upon the type
of gasifier. Since there is an interaction of air or oxygen and biomass in the
gasifier, they are classified according to the way air or oxygen is introduced in it.
There are three types of gasifiers Downdraft, Updraft and Crossdraft.

4.2. Updraft gasifier

The fig 4.1 shows the schematic of updraft gasifier. When the air or
oxygen is passed upward and gases leave at the top of gasifier this is known as
updraft gasifier. Updraft gasifiers are also known as counter-current gasifiers, as
biomass feedstock flows in the opposite direction to the gasifying agent (Fig 4.1).
Feedstock enters from the top of the reaction chamber and moves slowly
downward through the drying, pyrolysis, gasification and combustion zones.
Finally ash exits downward through the grate and is removed. The gasifying agent
enters through the grate at the bottom of the chamber, undergoes thermo-chemical
reactions with feedstock as it moves upward through the zones, and producer gas

13
 Fig 4.1.Schematic of updraft gasification reaction chamber

exits through the top of the reaction chamber. The direct heat exchange from gas
to entering feedstock produces high thermal efficiency in updraft gasifiers .
Producer gas exits at a relatively low temperature and contains high amounts of
oils and tar (10-20%) because the products of the pyrolysis and drying zones exit
directly with producer gas rather than being decomposed. Dust content in
producer gas is generally low due to low gas velocities and the filtering effect of
the upper zones amounts of oils and tar (10-20%) because the products of the
pyrolysis and drying zones exit directly with producer gas rather than being
decomposed.

4.2.1. Components of updraft gasifier

The fig 4.2 shows the gasifier. The main components of the gasifier are
described below;
1. The gasifier drum
2. The ash chamber
3. Cyclone filter
4. The Burner
5. Blower

14
 Fig 4.2 Gasifier
1. The Gasifier drum
The figure 4.3 shows the gasifier stove reactor. The gasifier drum

Fig 4.3 Gasifier drum

15
 is the component of the stove where biomasses are placed and burned with
limited amount of air.
2. The Ash Chamber
The ash chamber serves as the storage for char produced after each
operation it is located beneath the reactor to easily catch the char that is falling
from the reactor. This chamber is provided with a door that opening for easy
disposal of char and it must be kept always closed when operating the gasifier.
The char chamber is tightly fitted in all sides to prevent the air given off by the
fan from escaping the chamber hence, minimizing excessive loss of draft in
the system in gasifying the fuel.

Fig 4.4 Ash Chamber

3. Cyclone filter
The fig 4.5 shows cyclone filter. It is used to remove particulates from air.

Fig 4.5 Cyclone filter

16
Rotational effects and gravity are used to separate mixtures of solid and fluids. A
high speed rotating air flow is established within a cylindrical or conical container
called a cyclone. Air flows in a helical pattern, beginning at the top of the cyclone
and ending at the bottom end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream
through the center of the cyclone and out of the top. Larger particles in the
rotating stream have too much inertia to follow the tight curve of the stream, and
strike the outside the wall, then fall to the bottom of the cyclone where they can be
removed. Cyclone filter is based on cyclone theory as the cyclone is essentially a
two phase particle fluid system, fluid mechanics and particle transport equations
can be used to describe behavior of a cyclone.
4. The Burner
The burner (Fig 4.4.) converts the gas coming out from the reactor to a
bluish flame.

Fig 4.6 Burner

5. Blower
Blower is the component that provides the air needed by the fuel during
gasification. Fig 4.6 shows the blower.

Fig 4.7 Blower

17
4.4. Downdraft Gasifier

When air passed downward and gases leave at bottom of gasifier this is
known as downdraft gasifier. Reaction zones in a downdraft gasifier are similar to
those in the updraft unit, except the locations of the oxidation and reduction zones
are interchanged. The most important difference is that the pyrolysis products in
the downdraft type (Fig 4.8) are allowed to pass through the high temperature
oxidation zone. Hence, they undergo further decomposition. Also, the moisture
vaporized from the biomass enters the gasification zone and serves as a gasifying
agent. The final product gases, which leave the gasifier from the bottom at a fairly
high temperature (700oC), contain substantially less tar than the updraft gasifiers.
In a downdraft gasifier, feedstock is introduced at the top and the gasifying agent
is introduced through a set of nozzles located on the sides of the reactor. The
benefit of the downdraft gasifier lies in its ability to produce gas with low oil and
tar contents, which means less cleaning before use in internal combustion engines.
The gas can, therefore, be used with minimal filtering as a fuel for spark ignition
and diesel engines. However, due to slag and clinker formation problems, this
type of gasifier has been found unsuitable for fuels with high ash content and low
ash fusion temperatures, such as crop residues. A major drawback is its inability
to handle fine and fluffy (low density) crop residues materials.

4.5. Cross-draft Gasifier

When air passed across the bed and gases leaves across the bed this is
known as crossdraft gasifier. Cross-draft gasifiers exhibit many operating
characteristics of the down draft units. Air or air/steam mixtures are introduced in
the side of the gasifier near the bottom while the product gas is drawn off on the
opposite side. Normally an inlet nozzle is used to bring the air into the center of
the combustion zone as shown in Fig 4.9. The velocity of the air as it enters the
combustion zone is considerably higher in this design, which creates a hot
combustion zone. The combustion (oxidation) and reduction zones are both
concentrated to a small volume around the sides of the unit. Cross-draft gasifiers
respond rapidly to load changes. They are normally simpler to construct and more
suitable for running engines than the other types of fixed bed gasifiers. However,
they are sensitive to changes in biomass composition and moisture content.

18
 Fig 4.8 Downdraft gasifier

Fig.4.9 Cross-draft gasifier

4.5. Fluidized Bed Gasifier

Fluidized bed gasification system is used for the fuel which has high ash
contents and the ash has low melting point. In fluidized bed gasifiers the air is
blown upwards through the biomass bed. The bed under such conditions behaves
like boiling fluid and has excellent temperature uniformity and provides efficient

19
contact between gaseous and solid phase. Generally the heat is transferred initially
by hot bed of sand. The major advantage of fluidized bed gasifier over fixed bed is
its flexibility with regard to feed rate and rate of consumption but it produces
more dust and tars as compared to fixed bed gasifier.

4.6.Applications of biomass gasifier

The main applications of biomass gasifier are:

a) Shaft power systems
In the shaft power systems the main agriculture applications are
driving of farm machinery like tractors, harvesters etc. There are quite a
number of manufacturers catering to the on farm machinery gasification
systems. Small scale electricity generation systems also provide an
attractive alternative to utilities. Another useful application of producer gas
units is in irrigation systems. This seems to be the most to be the most
important application in developing countries. There is no reason why
such systems cannot become popular in developed countries especially
when there have been quite a number of solar powered irrigation systems
installed.
b) Direct heat applications
Direct heat systems, because of their simplicity, may prove to have
biggest applications in agriculture. Among them are grain drying, green
house heating and running of absorption refrigeration and cooling systems.
Again these systems can be coupled to other renewable energy systems
like solar for thermal applications. Another interesting application for
direct heat (external combustion) application is running of Stirling engines.
These engines have very high efficiencies and may prove to be a better
alternative than internal combustion engine running on producer gas.
c) Chemical production
Production of chemicals like Methanol and Formic acid from the
producer gas is a recent phenomenon. However with fossil fuels getting
scarcer, production of these chemicals by producer gas may prove to be an
economically feasible proposition. Another interesting application may be
use of producer gas to run a fuel cell plant. The energy density of such a

20
 plant would be highly favorable as compared to IC engine systems.
4.7 Advantages of the gasifier
1. It is a good replacement for LPG stove, particularly in terms of fuel
savings and quality of flame (i.e., luminous blue flame) produced
during cooking.
2. It is convenient to o perate since the start-up of fuel can be done by
using pieces of paper, and gas is ignited using a match stick.
3. Almost no smoke can be observed during cooking
4. The degree of burning the fuel can be controlled using a rotary
switch. Hence, the amount of flame on the burner can be
regulated.

4.8 Disadvantages of the gasifier

1. Due to its high calorific value, it produces more heat.

2. It has lesser octane rating.
3. When burns, it emits poisonous gas called carbon monoxide.
4. Due to incombustible gases, the air is polluted.
5. Maintenance cost is more.

21
 Chapter 5
Analysis of biomass
Biomass fuels are characterized by what is called the Proximate and
Ultimate analyses. Proximate and ultimate analysis method are often used to
determine chemical composition of carbonaceous materials. Proximate analysis
method: In this method, contents of moisture, volatile material, ashes and fixed
carbon are determined. The ultimate analysis gives the biomass in wt.% of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen as well as sulpher and nitrogen (if any).
Need for Biomass characterization
1. Identifies the fuel value
2. Provides an estimate of ash handling requirement
3. Describes something of the burning characteristics
4. Indicative of problems arising during combustion

5.1. Proximate analysis

1. Ash content (inorganic mineral)

a. Ash content provides information on ash disposal
b. Ash elemental analysis and fusion temperatures predicting the problems
of slagging, fouling and clinker formation
c. Ash utilization can be planned
2. Moisture content
a. Depends on a combination of harvesting method, climatic conditions,
time of year when harvesting takes place and the length and method of
storage
b. Effect on combustion efficiency
c. Necessary fuel pretreatment will be prepared
3. Fixed carbon and Volatile content
a. Generally biomass fuels are highly volatile and need to have
specialized combustor designs to cope with rapid gas evolution when

22
 heated
b. Fuels with low volatiles need to be burnt on a grate as they take a long
time to burn out unless they are pulverized to a very small size
c. Help determine primary and secondary air supply for combustion

5.2. Ultimate analysis

1. Ultimate analysis gives the concentrations of the key fuel

components C, H, N, O and S and is normally reported on a dry basis
2. Ultimate analysis can be used to predict the heat content of fuel
instead of using calorimeter

5.3. CHN analyzer

A CHN analyzer is a scientific instrument which can determine the

elemental composition of a sample. The name derives from the three
primary elements measured by the device: carbon(C), hydrogen(H), and
nitrogen(N). Sulfur(S) and oxygen(O) can also be measured. Such
analyzer usually use very small quantities, many times around 1 to 3 mg of
the sample.

Fig 5.1.CHN analyzer

The analyzers are often constructed in modular form such that they can be
set up in a number of different configurations to determine, for example,
CHN, CHNS, CNS or N depending on the application. In its simplest

23
 form, simultaneous CHNS analysis requires high temperature combustion
in an oxygen-rich environment and is based on the classical Pregl-Dumas
method. This combustion can be carried out under both static conditions
i.e. introduction of a set volume of oxygen or dynamic conditions i.e. a
constant flow of oxygen for a set period of time. Often, catalysts are also
added to the combustion tube in order to aid conversion. The table 5.1
shows the CHN analyzer results.

Table 5.1: biomass analysis results

Sample No Sample Ns% C% H% O%

Name
1 Coconut
shell 0.28 47.22 6.87 35.8
2 Wood
powder 0.40 39.45 5.17 45.4

24
 Chapter 6
Design of gasifier
6.1 Design of gasifier
Design is based on the fuel capacity of the chamber
Capacity of the gasifier = 3kg
Volume of wood dust = 23075cc
From the stoichiometric calculations we determined that 1kg of fuel need
0.01186kg of air for the complete combustion. i.e. for 3kg of fuel 0.0273785 m3 of
air is required.
Volume of air = 27376.85cc
Total volume of the gasifier = volume of wood dust + volume of air
= 23075+27376.85
= 50451.8cc
From above calculations we determined the diameter and height of the
gasifier i.e.
Diameter of the gasifier = 35cm
Height of the gasifier = 50cm

25
 Chapter 7
Experimental Setup and materials used
7.1 Experiment in open fire

This experiment is done to find the heat produced by the biomass in order
heating up certain amount of water in open fire. The figure 6.1 shows the
experimental set up.

Fig.7.1. Experimental setup

In this experiment 1kg of water is taken in a pot and heat up by using 1kg of
biomass we selected. The initial (temperature before heating) and final (after
heating) temperature of the water is determined by thermometer.

7.2 Experiment using gasifier

The experiment is done to find the heat produced by the biomass in a gasifier.
The water in pot and heated by using biomass which is placed in a gasifier The
intial and final temperature of the water is determined by thermometer.

26
7.3 Materials used for the experiment

There are three biomasses we selected for the experiment. They are rice
husk, wood powder, coconut shell. Fig 7.2 shows the materials used.

a. Coconut shell

b. Wood powder
Fig 7.2: a. coconut shell, b. wood powder

27
 Chapter 8
Results and discussions
8.1 Results of open firing experiment
The amount of heat produced is calculated by the formula given below,
Q = mcT
Where;
m is the mass of water used = 1kg
c specific heat capacity of water = 4187 J/KgK
For wood powder;
Intial temperature of water = 300C
Final temperature of water = 500C
Temperature difference = 200C
Mass of water = 1Kg
Q = mcT
= 1418720
= 334.96 KJ/Kg

8.2 Results of experiment in gasifier

The amount of heat produced = mcT

Where;
m is the mass of water used = 6kg
c specific heat capacity of water = 4187 J/KgK
For wood powder
Intial temperature of water = 300c
Final temperature of water = 890c
Temperature difference = 590c
Q = mcT
= 6594187
= 1482.198 KJ/3Kg

28
8.3 Discussion

Gasifier produces more amount of heat than open fire experiment because
the heat dissipated to the surrounding is less. Final temperature attained by water
is larger than open fire experiment hence can be used for many other applications.
Applications are shown in the coming pages. Fuel used inside the gasifier can
further be used for various other purposes.

29
 Chapter 9

Conclusion
With the increasing industrialization and rapid population growth, non-
renewable fuels are rapidly getting consumed, which may lead to risk of energy
shortage in the future, but a definite solution to it is the use of renewable source.
Biomass has high potential to contribute to world energy needs. The fixed bed
gasifier is the most practical option for production of a low calorific value gas for
use in small-scale power generation schemes or thermal applications. The physical
and chemical characteristics of biomass, capacity of gasifier and its intended
application decides the choice of gasification system.
From the experimental calculations we observe that the gasifier is highly
efficient and feasible. It can be used for various other applications economically.
In the day to day polluted world the less polluting gasifier is an asset to the fuel
production. Gasifier can be used to reduce the bio waste to a certain extent hence
reducing pollution.

30
 Chapter 10
Future scope
The modified form of the gasifier can be used for the power generation
purpose i.e. converting biomass to green electricity. Power plant will not discharge
pollution due to adopt biomass as fuel materials. Biomass resource achieve high
efficiency utilization. In principle, gasication can proceed from just about any
organic material, including biomass and plastic waste. The resulting syngas can be
combusted. Alternatively, if the syngas is clean enough, it may be used for power
production in gas engines, gas turbines or even fuel cells, or converted eciently
to dimethyl ether (DME) by methanol dehydration, methane via the Sabatier
reaction, or diesel-like synthetic fuel via the FischerTropsch process.
Cost of gasifier can be reduced to an extent if it is made on a large scale
basis. Gas produced in gasifier can be used as an alternative for fossil fuels and
nonrenewable sources of energy.

31
 Reference
[1] M.P. Goorts Applying gas chromatography to analyze the
composition and tar content of the product gas of a biomass
gasifier 2008
[2] Er. Bhakta B. Ale, Ph.D., Er. Nawaraj Bhattarai, Jitendra Gautam,
Pradeep Chapagain, Pushpa K.C Institutional gasifier stove: a
sustainable prospect for institutional cooking
[3] Ulrik Henriksen, Jesper Ahrenfeldt, Torben Kvist Jensen, Benny
Gbel, ##Jens Dall Bentzen, Claus Hindsgaul, #Lasse Holst
Srensen The Design, Construction and Operation of a 75 kW
Two-Stage Gasifier.
[4] Anil K. Rajvanshi Biomass gasification PHALTAN-415523,
Maharashtra, India
[5] Dr. Suneerat Fukuda Biomass Characterization Franco-Thai
Summer School on Bio-Energy Technology and Assessment
(BETA) @JGSEE, KMUTT, 15 October 2012
[6] Michael Thompson CHNS Elemental Analysers Analytical
Methods Committee AMCTB No 29 April 2008
[7] Arjyadhara Pradhan1, S. M Ali2 & Ritesh Dash3 Biomass
Gasification by the use of Rice Husk Gasifier School of Electrical
Engineering , KIIT University 3Department of Electrical and
Electronics Engineering, ABIT, Cuttack

32
33