Gasification of potato shoots: An experimental and theoretical investigation

A thermodynamic equilibrium model was developed to predict the gasification process in a bench-scale fluidized bed gasifier. Potato shoot (leaves and stems) was used as the feedstock of the gasifier. The experiments were done in five different gasification zone temperatures (650, 700, 750, 800 and 850°C), with a feeding rate of 0.166 kg/hour, and two equivalence ratios (ER: 0.2 and 0.25). The produced gas was analyzed and the portion of each component was calculated from a thermodynamic equilibrium model. The data from the experiments were compared with those of the modeling in order to validate the model. For 650°C, the closest results of the model to experiment data were observed for CO2 at ER = 0.2, followed by CO at ER = 0.25 with errors of 7% and 21%, respectively. The least difference between the model data and the experimental data at 700°C was observed for N2 with the error of 26% and 22% for ER= 0.2 and 0.25, respectively. At 750°C, the predicted values conformed reasonably well to the experimental data for CO with error less than 7%. Regarding the least error, the most admissible results were seen at 800°C for N2 with ER= 0.25 with an error of 7%. In this case, the most acceptable results of the model were obtained for 850°C, in which the error in predicting the amount of CH4 at ER= 0.25 was 0. Owing to the applicability of potato shoot in the gasification process, it can play a great role in energy production.