AENG- 221 : 2 (1+1)

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GREEN TECHNOLOGY

BIOMASS GASIFICATION

Dr. J.P. Singh

Professor, FMPE & I/c Head PFE
 Gasification
• Thermo chemical process
• Converts carbon based raw material into producer gas or syngas
• Carbonaceous material = CO, H2 and CH4
Definition: Gasification is a thermo-chemical process which converts
biomass, into a combustible gas (mainly CO, H2, CH4 and other inert gases),
through incomplete combustion or It is the process of partial combustion in
which solid biomass is converted into a combustible gas mixture termed as
producer gas (CO, H2, CH4).

Producer gas:-
-Generated at low temperature (< 1000 0c)
- Mixture consisting (CO, H2 ) gases.

Syn gas:-
 Generated at higher temperature (> 1200 0c)
 Mixture of combustible (CO, H2 and CH4) and non-
combustible gas (N2 and CO2) gases.
 This gas produce from producer gas by thermal craking and
catalytic reforming.
 BIOMASS GASIFICATION
(Thermochemical gasification)
• Biomass gasification is conversion of solid biomass (for eg.
wood, wood waste, agriculture crop residue etc.) into a
combustible gas mixture known as producer gas.
• Composition of Producer Gas:
18– 22% CO
10 – 20% H2
05 – 15% CO2
02 – 04% CH4
45 –60% N2
06 – 08% H2O
The energy contents of the producer gas is 3-5 MJ/m3
COMPOSITION
 Thermo Chemical Process
(GASIFICATION)
 Gasification involves 4 steps:
1.Drying
2.Pyrolysis
3.Oxidation/combustion
4.Reduction
1. Drying:
It is the process of removal of moisture from biomass. In the drying
process moisture in the feedstock is evaporated by the heat at a
temperature of 100-200 degrees C.

2. Pyrolysis:
• It is the process of heating of biomass in closed vessel in absence
of oxygen/air to produce Pyrolysis gas (CO, H2, CH4, CO2, light
HC) Synthetic oil (Tars) obtained after cooling of condensable
vapors including water, methanol, heavy HC, etc. Char
(carbonaceous solid and other inert materials.
• During pyrolysis, the complex structure of biomass (cellulose,
polycellulose and lignin) are broken down into medium-chain
hydrocarbons and carbon (charcoal).
3. Oxidation/ Combustion:
 In this process a partial combustion of pyrolised material take place.
This process take place at about 1200 0c (exothermic combustion).
 These reactions release large amounts of heat (401.9KJ/mol and
241.1 KJ/mol) that increase the temperature inside the closed vessel
to 900 - 1200 degrees C.
4. Reduction:
The Producer gas (CO, H2, CH4 ) is formed in the reduction process. In
this process the thermal energy generated in the Oxidation process is
converted into chemical energy (producer gas) in the following
reactions:

• C + CO2<=> 2CO
• CO + H2<=> CO + H2 O
• C + 2H2<=> CH4
• CO + 3H2<=> CH4 + H2 O
• These reactions are endothermic and reduce the temperature of gas
exiting in the Oxidation process. Producer gas in its final chemical
composition is formed in this process.
 GASIFICATION SYSTEM
The main component of the gasification system is the reactor. The
reactor contains feeding port, which the biomass is fed. The
required air can be drawn upwards or down wards depending on
the design of the system. The producer gas is collected as shown
and ash is collected from the grate at the bottom. The main trunk
of the reactor can be classified based on thermo chemical
reactions taking place at different levels as :
1.Biomass drying zone
2.Pyrolytic zone /distillation zone
3.Reduction zone
4.Combustion zone or hearth zone
•The different reactions takes place in these zones of the reactor and create
conditions such that
1. Biomass is reduced to charcoal
2. Charcoal is converted at suitable temperature to produce producer gas.
 CHEMISTRY OF GASIFICATION
• The gasification involves four steps during the process :
1. Biomass Drying Zone (120 0C ):
This zone accomplishes further drying of biomass

2. Pyrolysis or Distillation Zone (250 to 500 0C) @ 400 0C:

The pyrolysis process occurs mostly between 300 and 400 oC
yielding: Pyrolysis gas (CO, CO2, H2, CH4, light HC) Synthetic
oil (Tars) obtained after cooling of condensable vapors including
water, methanol, heavy HC, etc. Char (carbonaceous solid and
other inert materials.
3. Combustion Zone or Hearth Zone or Oxidation Zone
(700-1300 0C):
In this zone, the remaining carbon and hydrogen of biomass is
gasified with atmospheric air due to combustion and forms the
CO2 and water vapour
• C+O2 → CO2 + Heat
• 2H2+O2 → 2H2O.
4. Reduction Zone 9000C:
In this zone, carbon further reacts with the available pyrolysed
biomass in the presence of H2O. This zone contributes to CO, H2
& CH4 in the producer gas. The reactions are as mentioned below:
• C+2H2 → CH4
• C+H2O → CO+H2
• C+CO2 → 2CO
• C+2H2O → CO2+2H2.
• CO2 and water vapour can reduce to CO, H2 and CH4. These are endothermic
reactions. (Heat is absorbed in the reaction)
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process

 The main parameters affecting the gasification are: equivalence ratio, biomass
characteristics, moisture content, Operating temperature, gasifying agent, pressure,
catalyst etc.

 Increasing ER decreases the heating value of the produced

 Higher ER helps in reducing tars and provides more O2 to react with
volatiles
 Typical values of ER ranges between 0.2 and 0.4.
 Increasing ER improves the reaction temperature and carbon conversion,
and reduces the tar yield
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process
Biomass Characteristic
 Biomass characteristic is a major factor affecting produced
gases during gasification
 The physical properties that may have major effect are:
absolute and bulk density, and particulate size
 The chemical composition parameters that are of major
importance to define the quality including volatile matter,
moisture content, fixed carbon, ash content, and gross calorific
 The ultimate analysis comprises the carbon, oxygen, nitrogen,
and sulfur of the dry biomass on a weight% are also highly
significant
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process
• Moisture Content
 The moisture content can be determined by complete drying of
biomass sample.
 Maximum allowable moisture content in downdraft gasifier is
40% on dry weight basis .
 Updraft gasifier can handle biomass with higher moisture
content.
 The higher moisture content in biomass will increase the
consumed energy for drying, and will reduce the pyrolysis of
biomass .
 As a general rule, increasing moisture content decreases the
conversion.
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process

• Operating Temperature
 Operating temperature affects conversion, tar content, gas
composition, gas heating value, and char conversion
 Low temperature is associated with low tar content, low H2 and
CO content in the produced biogas
 Increasing temperature will increase gas yield, hydrogen, heating
value, and ash agglomeration
 The ash agglomeration problem can be overcome by keeping the
temperature below 750°C
 Generally, temperature higher than 800°C should be used to
obtain high conversion and low tar content in the produced biogas
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process
Gasifying Agent
 Gasifying agents in use are air, steam, steam/oxygen mixture, and CO2
 They affect the heating value of the produced gas
 The heating value increases with increasing steam content of the gasifying
agent,
 Whereas heating value decreases as air increases in the gasifying agent

Pressure
Selection of the optimum pressure depends on the application of the produced
gaseous product
In gasification processes, either atmospheric or and higher pressures are commonly
used
High pressure applications are recommended for large scale gasification however,
atmospheric pressure is recommended for small-scale gasification
 Factors Affecting Gasification Process

Catalyst
• The type of the catalyst is an important factor affecting
gasification quality and the product
• Catalyst affects the composition of the syngas by manipulating
the percentage volume of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane,
and carbon monoxide
• Optimum quantity of catalyst plays a significant role in
minimizing the gas content of carbon dioxide and maximizing
the useful gases .
 TYPES OF GASIFERS
Gasifiers are classified as:
• (i) The direction of the gas flow
(a) Down draught
(b) Up draught
(c) Cross draught
• (ii) Output or capacity of the gasifiers
(a) Small size gasifiers (upto 10 kw)
(b) Medium size gasifiers (10-50 kw)
(c) Large size gasifiers (50-300 kw)
(d) Very large gasifiers (300 kw & above)
• (iii) Type of the bed
(a) Fixed bed
(b) Fluidized bed
Up-Draft Gasifiers (Counter Current Gasifiers)
In this design the biomass moves
down wards as the gasification
process goes on.
The air is taken from the bottom of
the gasifier and the producer gas
leaves the gasifier from the top
portion.
This means the producer gas moves
counter to the direction of flow of
biomass.
It has well defined drying,
pyrolysis, reduction and oxidation
zones.
Up-Draft Gasifiers (Counter Current Gasifiers)
Advantages:
1.This type of gasifier is easy to build and operate
2.Wide variety of biomass feedstock is used in this, even with relatively higher
moisture contents.
3.Since hot gases passes through biomass, the moisture is driven off.
4.The gas produced has practically no ash but contains tar and water vapour
because of passing of gas through the un burnt fuel.
5.Up draft gasifiers are suitable for tar free fuels like charcoal
6.It has high thermal efficiency

Disadvantages:
1. High content of tar in the syngas
2. Energy content of tar> 20%
3. Low production of CO and H2.
4. Requires a subsequent treatment of the tar cracking
5. High capital cost
 Downdraft Gasifier (Co current gasifiers)
In this design, biomass is fed from the
top and air intake is from the top or from
the sides also.
The producer gas is collected from the
bottom of the reactor, moving in the same
direction to biomass feeding and air.
Since the producer gas moves through
the hearth zone, the chances of proper
combustion of tar and char is expected.
This design requires biomass with
minimum moisture content (+15%) and
uniformity in size for proper pyrolysis.
 Downdraft Gasifier (Co current gasifiers)
Advantages:
1.This gassifire prefered over the updraft gasifier for burning the gas in IC engine.
2.It produce the producer gas with low tar content
3.The gasifiers are suitable for fuels like wood and agricultural wastes.
4. They are cheap and easy to make.
5.They may be used to power generation upto above 150 kw.
Disadvantages :
1.The producer gas carries away high temperatures, lowering the overall efficiency.
2. High moisture and ash content in the biomass offer problem
3.Since the gas flows through oxidation zone chances of carrying higher amounts of
ash, particulate matter in the gas necessitating efficient gas cleaning mechanism
4.Limited possibility of scale-up (the dimensions of the reactor are limited by
problems of temperature control)
 Cross Draft Gasifier
The biomass is fed from the top and
move downward.
This design is used for char coal
gasification to operate 10-50 kW
systems for local applications.
The inlet of air and gas outlet are
opposite to each other i.e.
horizontal to the feeding of charcoal
from the top.
Short path length for the
gasification reactions, responds
most rapidly for changes in gas
production
 FLUIDISED BED GASIFIER
• A fluidized bed gasifier is most versatile and any biomass including sewage
sludge, effluents, etc. can be gasified using this type of gasifer.
• At the heart of a fluidized bed combustor is a hot bed of inert particles (Sand)
which are held in suspension fluidized by an upward current of air.
• The inert particles aid heat transfer resulting from rapid
mixing and turbulence with in the fluidized bed.
• Air is injected in the bottom of the reactor vessel through
a distributor comprising of a perforated plate and series of
nozzles such that the bed material is suspended in a fluid
like state.
•Gas bubbles form at the distributor, increasing in
size as they rise upward toward the bed surface due
to the decreasing hydrostatic presuure.
 Fluidised Bed Gasifier
• Advantages
1. Quick start up
2. High combustion efficiency
3. High output rate
4. Usage of fuel with high moisture content
5. Uniform temperature throughout the furnace volume
6. Reduced emission of harmful NOx, SOX
7. Operation is an simple as that of an oil for red boiler
•Type of Fluidised Bed Gasifier:
Two main types of FB gasifier are in use;
1. Bubbling bed
2. Circulating fluidized bed
 Bubbling Bed Gasification
• Bubbling bed FB gasifiers consist of a vessel
with a grate at the bottom through which air is
introduced.
• Above the grate is the moving bed of fine-
grained material into which the prepared
biomass feed is introduced. Regulation of the
bed temperature to 700-900oC is maintained
by controlling the air/biomass ratio.
• The biomass is pyrolysed in the hot bed to form a char with
gaseous compounds, the high molecular weight compounds being
cracked by contact with the hot bed material, giving a product gas
with a low tar content.
Bubbling Bed Gasification
 Bubbling Bed Gasification
ADVANTAGES:
• Uniform mixing with frequent particle-particle and particle-wall collisions
• High heat transfer between inert material, feedstock and gas
• Extremely high surface area contact between fluid and solid per unit bed
volume
• High relative velocities between the fluid and the dispersed solid phase
• Yield of a uniform product gas
• High conversion with low tar and unconverted carbon
• Efficient reactions
• Acceptance of a wide range of feedstock particle sizes including fines
• Suitable for generators with capacities greater than 10 MW
DISADVANTAGES :
• Large bubble size, which may result in gas by-pass through the bed
• Increased reactor vessel size due to expansion of bed material in the reactor
• Particle entrainment with fine particles becoming entrained in the fluid
• Erosion of internal components
Circulating Fluidized Bed Gasification
 Circulating Fluidized Bed Gasification
•The CFB has no distinct interface
between the fluidized bed and the
freeboard.
• CFB gasifiers operate at temperatures
below 900 °C to prevent ash from
melting and sticking and are generally
noted by their taller height, smaller
cross section, and higher fluid
velocities.
The bed material is circulated between the reaction vessel and a
cyclone separator, where the ash is removed and the bed material
and char returned to the reaction vessel.
•Gasifiers can be operated at elevated pressures, the advantage
being for those end use applications where the gas is required to be
compressed afterwards, as in a gas turbine.
 Circulating Fluidized Bed Gasification
Advantages:
• Lower tar production
• Has the capacity to process different feedstock with varying
compositions and moisture content
• High heat transport rates possible due to high heat capacity of bed
material
• High conversion rates and has good ability to scale-up
Disadvantages:
• Temperature gradients occurring in the direction of solid flow
• Size of fuel particles determining minimum transport velocity
• Heat exchange less efficient than BFB
• Erosion, corrosion, and attrition problems
• Poor operational control using biomass
 Entrained Flow Gasifiers
 Entrained flow reactors employ finely
pulverized biomass and oxygen-steam as
oxidizing agent in cocurrent flow.
 High temperatures are achieved 1200-
1500 oC
 The flow is extremely turbulent and the
residence time is short.
 Commonly used for coal because finer
particle sizes and higher temperatures can
be achieved.
 Tar and methane are not present in the
product gas. High content of H2.
 Ash is removed as slag because the
operating temperature is well above ash
fusion temperature.
 Application: synthesis gas for methanol
production or power generation.
 Application Of Producer Gas
 Direct heat applications
 Pumping of irrigation water
 Electricity generation/engines for power generation.
 In SI engines only gas is used. Gasoline carburetor replacement
is required with air fuel mixer, power recovery 40 to 60% & CI
Engine-Dual fuel mode 80-90% producer gas, 15-25% Diesel.
 The gas contain tar, solid char and ash particles which need to be
removed before using the gas as engine fuel and gas is cooled.
For thermal application not required.
 The complete system for gasificer engine system may be
comprising of gasifier, cyclone separator, water scrubber, filter
and engine.
Thanks…