Design ond Simulation of Fluidized Bed Gasifier to Improve the Quality of Synthesis Gas
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Date
2011-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Biomass has emerged as one of the promising candidates for the future, in the renewable energy
area. Biomass has been a major source of fuel for human from the existence of mankind. Rapid
urbanization and widespread use of fossil fuels in the industrial world has related it to the status
of a minor source of energy. The innovation, however, started with increasing concerns over
reducing carbon footprints and also due to strong causative connections between non-renewable
fossil fuels and “global warming”.
Alternative energy production through biomass gasification (a thermo-chemical process of
converting biomass into the producer gas or syngas) produces combustible gases, such as
carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. These gases can be used for generation of direct heat,
electricity, or liquid fuels through the Fischer Tropsch process. However, a major limitation of
the overall process is the purity of the generated synthesis gas. The tars and particulates
generated in the gasification process constitute a major impediment to the commercial use of this
technology because they may condense on valves, fittings, and therefore, hinder the smooth
running of an engine. This research was aimed at developing a gas characterization and better
understanding of the effect of various parameters on the syngas composition, and the removal of
tars and particulates in the synthesis gas generated from a bubbling fluidized bed biomass
gasifier. The study is primarily design of the different components of the gasifier and
supplemented by the mathematical modeling that explains various steps in terms of existing
scientific principles.
The study compares the experimental results sited from different literatures with the equilibrium
model results and also identifies the optimum operating parameters and design criteria for better
quality syngas production. Using the proposed model, the optimum compositions of carbon
monoxide, methane and hydrogen with the respective values of the operating temperature,
moisture content and equivalence ratio was obtained.
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Mechanical Engineering