Parametric Study of Factors affecting the Composition of Producer Gas

Biomass is recognized to be the major potential source for energy production. Gasification enables conversion of these materials into combustible gas, mechanical and electrical power, synthetic fuels, and chemicals. In the present study, a model developed by us in our earlier study is used for predicting the steady-state composition and rate of reaction profiles for the reduction zone of the downdraft biomass gasifier. The effects of pyrolysis fraction on the composition profiles and rate of reaction profiles are studied. Boudouard reaction rate along the bed length and its correlation with gas compositions for different pyrolysis fractions are analyzed. INTRODUCTION There has been an increasing interest for thermochemical conversion of biomass and urban wastes for upgrading the energy in terms of more easily handled fuels, namely gases, liquids, and charcoal in the past decade. Because, biomass is recognized to be one of the major potential sources for energy production. It is a renewable source of energy and has many advantages from an ecological point of view (Babu and Chaurasia, 2003a). Each of these products has commercial importance depending upon the type of application (Babu and Chaurasia, 2004a). The pyrolysis process consists of the thermal degradation of the biomass feedstock, in the absence of oxygen/air, leading to the formation of solid, liquid and gaseous products (Babu and Chaurasia, 2003b). Gasification is an important and efficient energy-conversion technology for a wide variety of biomass fuels. The large-scale deployment of efficient technology along with interventions to enhance the sustainable supply of biomass fuels can transform the energy supply situation in rural areas. It has the potential to become the growth engine for rural development in the country. The understanding of the interaction between chemical and physical mechanisms during gasification is of fundamental importance, for the optimal design of biomass gasifier (Babu and Chaurasia, 2004b). In view of the considerable interest in the gasification process worldwide, it is necessary to model and predict the performance of the gasifier in priori. Modeling of biomass gasification implies the representation of chemical and physical phenomena constituting pyrolysis, combustion, reduction, and drying in the mathematical form. Session : Modeling and Simulation IV Parametric Study of Factors affecting the Composition of Producer Gas Pratik N Sheth and B V Babu a Lecturer, Chemical Engineering Group, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – 333 031, India, Email: [email protected] b Assistant Dean-ESD & HeadChemical Engineering Department, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – 333 031, India, Email: [email protected]