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The Effect of Biomass Physical Properties on Top-Lit Updraft Gasification of Woodchips

Author

Listed:
  • Arthur M. James R.

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Apartado 0819-07289, El Dorado, Panamá City, Panama)

  • Wenqiao Yuan

    (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7625, Raleigh 27695, NC, USA)

  • Michael D. Boyette

    (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7625, Raleigh 27695, NC, USA)

Abstract

The performance of a top-lit updraft gasifier affected by biomass (pine wood) particle size, moisture content and compactness was studied in terms of the biochar yield, biomass burning rate, syngas composition and tar content. The highest biochar yield increase (from 12.2% to 21.8%) was achieved by varying the particle size from 7 to 30 mm, however, larger particles triggered tar generation that reached its maximum of 93.5 g/m 3 syngas at 30-mm biomass particles; in contrast, the hydrogen content in syngas was at its minimum of 2.89% at this condition. The increase in moisture content from 10% to 22% reduced biochar yield from 12% to 9.9%. It also reduced the tar content from 12.9 to 6.2 g/m 3 which was found to be the lowest range of tar content in this work. Similarly, the carbon monoxide composition in syngas decreased to its minimum of 11.16% at moisture content of 22%. Finally, the biomass compactness increased biochar yield up to 17% when the packing mass was 3 kg. However, the addition of compactness also increased the tar content in syngas, but little effect was noticed in syngas composition.

Suggested Citation

  • Arthur M. James R. & Wenqiao Yuan & Michael D. Boyette, 2016. "The Effect of Biomass Physical Properties on Top-Lit Updraft Gasification of Woodchips," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:4:p:283-:d:68024
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kezhen Qian & Ajay Kumar & Krushna Patil & Danielle Bellmer & Donghai Wang & Wenqiao Yuan & Raymond L. Huhnke, 2013. "Effects of Biomass Feedstocks and Gasification Conditions on the Physiochemical Properties of Char," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Kirubakaran, V. & Sivaramakrishnan, V. & Nalini, R. & Sekar, T. & Premalatha, M. & Subramanian, P., 2009. "A review on gasification of biomass," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 179-186, January.
    3. Wang, Duo & Yuan, Wenqiao & Ji, Wei, 2011. "Char and char-supported nickel catalysts for secondary syngas cleanup and conditioning," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(5), pages 1656-1663, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yogesh Mehta & Cecilia Richards, 2017. "Gasification Performance of a Top-Lit Updraft Cook Stove," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-11, October.
    2. Domenico Borello & Antonio M. Pantaleo & Michele Caucci & Benedetta De Caprariis & Paolo De Filippis & Nilay Shah, 2017. "Modeling and Experimental Study of a Small Scale Olive Pomace Gasifier for Cogeneration: Energy and Profitability Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Yin Pang & Leo Bahr & Peter Fendt & Lars Zigan & Stefan Will & Thomas Hammer & Manfred Baldauf & Robert Fleck & Dominik Müller & Jürgen Karl, 2018. "Plasma-Assisted Biomass Gasification with Focus on Carbon Conversion and Reaction Kinetics Compared to Thermal Gasification," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-24, May.
    4. Francesco Gallucci & Raffaele Liberatore & Luca Sapegno & Edoardo Volponi & Paolo Venturini & Franco Rispoli & Enrico Paris & Monica Carnevale & Andrea Colantoni, 2019. "Influence of Oxidant Agent on Syngas Composition: Gasification of Hazelnut Shells through an Updraft Reactor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Shurooq Badri Al-Badri & Ying Jiang & Stuart Thomas Wagland, 2018. "Possible Interactions and Interferences of Copper, Chromium, and Arsenic during the Gasification of Contaminated Waste Wood," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Ramin Khezri & Wan Azlina Wan Ab Karim Ghani & Dayang Radiah Awang Biak & Robiah Yunus & Kiman Silas, 2019. "Experimental Evaluation of Napier Grass Gasification in an Autothermal Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Rukshan Jayathilake & Souman Rudra, 2017. "Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Equivalence Ratio (ER) and Feedstock Particle Size on Birchwood Gasification," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    8. Nadia Cerone & Francesco Zimbardi, 2018. "Gasification of Agroresidues for Syngas Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, May.
    9. Kirch, Thomas & Medwell, Paul R. & Birzer, Cristian H. & van Eyk, Philip J., 2020. "Small-scale autothermal thermochemical conversion of multiple solid biomass feedstock," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 1261-1270.
    10. Živilė Černiauskienė & Algirdas Jonas Raila & Egidijus Zvicevičius & Vita Tilvikienė & Zofija Jankauskienė, 2021. "Comparative Research of Thermochemical Conversion Properties of Coarse-Energy Crops," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Quintero-Coronel, D.A. & Lenis-Rodas, Y.A. & Corredor, L.A. & Perreault, P. & Gonzalez-Quiroga, A., 2021. "Thermochemical conversion of coal and biomass blends in a top-lit updraft fixed bed reactor: Experimental assessment of the ignition front propagation velocity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).

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