Jose, Klyde Jasper F.

/ 2015101476 January 31, 2018

HW#2 – Article Review

Experimental Investigation of Small-Scale Gasification of Woody Biomass

This experimental investigation focused on woody biomass gasification. A small-scale

stratified downdraft gasifier has been built and operated under stable conditions using wood pellets
as fuel and air as gasification agent. The problems observed during the preliminary experiments
have been described and explained; they are mainly related to the stability of the process. The
stable operation of the gasifier has been characterized by the gas composition and the product gas
tar and particle content. Usage of renewable energy source has become abundantly significant in
order to acquire the changes needed to address the effects of global warming. Biomass is currently
used by most third world countries, and less by the Western. Lately, identifying suitable biomass
species, which gives high-energy outputs, have been focused on in order to succeed the
conventional fossil fuel energy sources.
The main objectives have been to build and operate a small-scale downdraft gasifier using
wood pellets as fuel. Test and evaluate the more recent stratified downdraft gasifier (also known
as “open core”) as an alternative design to the more traditional downdraft gasifier known as the
Imbert gasifier. Study the char gasification process, both inside the gasifier but also using other
experimental techniques as Thermogravimetric Analysis. The study comprises the chemical
kinetics of the gasification reactions and the influence of other gases present in the gas mixture
surrounding the chart.
When biomass is harvested, its moisture content is most likely very high. Thus, its physical
phase is heterogeneous. This reduces the energy content for hardwood and agricultural residues.
Moreover, it is complicated to handle solid form biomass so some modifications such as
comminution, drying, storage and feeding systems are usually needed. Biomass, when densified
using processing and compactation, has a bulk volume closer to the coal one. Experiments have
been conducted with a gas engine using mixtures of CH4, CO, H2, CO2 and N2 as a fuel. NOx
and CO emissions are analysed. The results show that NOx emissions are low for LCV gases but
increase as the content of methane in the mixture increases. On the other hand, the CO emissions
for the LCV gas are very high and decrease as CH4 is added to the fuel mixture.
In conclusion, a stratified downdraft gasifier has been built as part of a small scale
combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Its design is very flexible allowing for air injection at
several locations. The gasifier has a thermal input of about 30 kWth (4-6 kg/h pellets) and produces
product gas with a low heating value of 5,3-5,7 MJ/Nm3 . The energy balance shows cold gas
efficiencies between 52 and 64%. The heat losses account for 20 to 30% of the thermal input.
Although high, these heat losses are not unexpected, given the small size of the reactor.
Reference:
Barrio, Maria. “Experimental Investigation of Small-Scale Gasification of Woody Biomass”
(Doctorate Thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2002).