Unique ID Number: 188 Biomass Gasifier For Thermal Applications

Pavitra S. Upadhya, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Shahabaz S. Afraj, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Deepti R. Mullur, Dept of Computer Science Engineering Faculty Guide: Ramachandra L., Dept of Mechanical Engineering B. V. Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology

ABSTRACT
The present scenario of depleting fossil fuel reserves and the increasing demand of the same, has led the civilization to think about the alternate sources of energy. One of the alternate sources is the biomass including wood waste, forest-waste, agricultural waste, etc. This paper presents about the promising technology of biomass gasification, a thermo-chemical process, which can be utilized to obtain the thermal energy. This can be a major market drive to replace fossil fuel in automotive industry. This paper also uncovers the employment opportunities to the rural community by the implementation of biomass gasifier technology. Keywords: biomass gasifier, employment opportunities. thermal applications,

viable system provided the suitable biomass feedstock is easily available. Producer gas can be used as an alternative fuel in internal combustion engines, can replace furnace oil in direct heat applications and it can be used to produce methanol. Since any biomass material can undergo gasification, this process is much more attractive than ethanol production or biogas where only selected biomass materials can produce the fuel.

THEORY OF GASIFICATION
The producer gas is generated from the solid fuel, in a reactor called gasifier, at a temperature of about 1000C. The products of complete combustion include carbon dioxide, water vapor and surplus of oxygen. But in case of gasification, which is an incomplete combustion process, the products of combustion include combustible gases like carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and traces of methane and non-useful products like tar and ash. These gases are produced when oxygen of air reacts with the carbon dioxide when air is passed over a thick bed of red hot coal or coke. Thus the gasifier design requires the following condition: a) reduction of biomass to charcoal and, b) conversion of charcoal to CO and H2 at suitable temperature. Figure 1 shows the block diagram of process of gasification.

INTRODUCTION
Growth of science and technology has two-fold effect on human societies. On one hand it has opened new horizons in order to convert resources into newer products and services that improve the quality of life on the other hand conventional energy resources are fast depleting with increased cost and increased impact on environmental pollution. Energy being one of the primary needs for human existence, future development crucially depends on its long-term availability in increasing quantities from sources that are dependable, safe and environmentally sound unlike the present energy sources. One such energy source is biomass gasification. Biomass gasification is a thermo-chemical process where the biomass is converted to a clean burning combustible gas (producer gas) by supplying a quantity of air less than theoretical quantity of air required for complete combustion. The products of biomass gasification include carbon-monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and traces of methane (CH4) which is collectively called producer gas. Under present conditions, economic factors seem to provide the strongest argument of considering gasification. In many situations where the price of petroleum fuels is high or where supplies are unreliable the biomass gasification can provide an economically

Figure 1 TYPES OF GASIFIERS The biomass gasifier is classified according to the way air or oxygen enters the gasifier namely: 1) Updraft gasifier 2) Downdraft gasifier

Updraft gasifier -

Figure 2 Figure 4 Here the biomass moves down from the top of the gasifier and the resultant gas also moves downwarda co-current process. The gas quality is good though it generates less heat on burning. The gas released from such gasifiers is used mainly for electricity generation.

PROCESS ZONE Four distinct processes take place in a gasifier as the fuel makes its way to gasification. They are 1) Drying of fuel 2) Pyrolysis 3) Combustion 4) Reduction

REACTION CHEMISTRY Combustion - The combustible substance of a solid fuel is usually composed of elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. In complete combustion carbon dioxide is obtained from carbon in fuel and water is obtained from the hydrogen, usually as steam. The combustion reaction is exothermic and yields a theoretical oxidation temperature of 1450C. The main reactions, therefore, are: Figure 3 Here, the biomass moves down from the top of the gasifier while the gases released being light move up, resulting in a counter-current. The quality of producer gas obtained from the up-draft gasifier is fair since it has impurities like tar. However, this resultant producer gas has a higher capacity to generate heat on burning (due to the impurities) and can be used well for heat generation activities. Downdraft gasifier C + O2 = CO2 (+ 393 MJ/kg mole) (1) 2H2 + O2 = 2H2 O (- 242 MJ/kg mole) (2) Reaction - The products of partial combustion (water, carbon dioxide and uncombusted partially cracked pyrolysis products) now pass through a red-hot charcoal bed where the following reduction reactions take place. C + CO2 = 2CO (- 164.9 MJ/kg mole) C + H2O = CO + H2 (- 122.6 MJ/kg mole) CO + H2O = CO + H2 (+ 42 MJ/kg mole) C + 2H2 = CH4 (+ 75 MJ/kg mole) (3) (4) (5) (6)

CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O (- 42.3 MJ/kg mole)

(7)

Table 1 Composition of producer gas from various fuels

Fuels Gasification process Downdraft Downdraft Volume percentage CO 2831 1722 H2 510 1620 CH4 1-2 2-3 CO2 1-2 1015 N2 5560 5055 Calorific value 3 MJ/m 4.605.65 5.005.86

Reactions (3) and (4) are main reduction reactions and being endothermic have the capability of reducing gas temperature. Consequently the temperatures in the reduction zone are normally 800-1000C. Lower the reduction zone temperature (~ 700-800C), lower is the calorific value of gas. Pyrolysis - Wood pyrolysis is an intricate process that is still not completely understood. The products depend upon temperature, pressure, residence time and heat losses. However following general remarks can be made about them. Up to the temperature of 200C only water is driven off. Between 200 to 280C carbon dioxide, acetic acid and water are given off. The real pyrolysis, which takes place between 280 to 500C, produces large quantities of tar and gases containing carbon dioxide. Besides light tars, some methyl alcohol is also formed. Between 500 to 700C the gas production is small and contains hydrogen. Thus it is easy to see that updraft gasifier will produce much more tar than downdraft one. In downdraft gasifier the tars have to go through combustion and reduction zone and are partially broken down. Since majority of fuels like wood and biomass residue do have large quantities of tar, downdraft gasifier is preferred over others. Indeed majority of gasifiers, both in World War II and presently are of downdraft type. Finally in the drying zone the main process is of drying of wood. Wood entering the gasifier has moisture content of 10-30%. Various experiments on different gasifiers in different conditions have shown that on an average the condensate formed is 6-10% of the weight of gasified wood. Some organic acids also come out during the drying process. These acids give rise to corrosion of gasifiers. PROPERTIES OF PRODUCER GAS Producer gas typically consists of: Carbon monoxide 18%20% Hydrogen 15%20% Methane 1%5% Carbon dioxide 9%12% Nitrogen 45%55% Calorific value 10001200 kCal/m3 Some organic acids also come out during the drying process. These acids give rise to corrosion of gasifiers. The following table shows approximate value of gas from different fuels:

Charcoal Wood with 12-20% moisture content Wheat straw pellets Coconut husks Coconut shells Pressed sugarcane Charcoal Corn cobs Rice hulls pelleted Cotton stalks cubed

Downdraft

1417 1620 1924 1518 30 18.6 16.1 15.7

1719 1719.5 1015 1518 19.7 16.5 9.6 11.7

1114 1015 1115 1214 3.6 -

4.50

Downdraft Downdraft Downdraft Updraft Downdraft Downdraft Downdraft

6.4 0.95 3.4

46 -

5.80 7.20 5.30 5.98 6.29 3.25 4.32

PRE-TREATMENT OF THE PRODUCER GAS

Figure 5 Pre-treatments of gas can be used to avoid environmental pollution and dangerous components, such as tar and particulate, for the energy recovery system or to increase heating value and hydrogen contents. The design of pre-treatment systems principally depends on the energy recovery technologies in use. EFFICIENCIES The performance of a gasifier system is quantified in terms of gasifier efficiency. For thermal applications, efficiency is given by: gasifier =Vg * Cg + Hsensible mb * Cb where, Vg = gas volume, Cg= calorific value of the gas, Cb= calorific value of the biomass, mb= rate of biomass consumed,

Hsensible= ( Cp )vol. * Vg * ( tg - ta) ( Cp )vol.= specific heat of producer gas, tg= temperature of the gas at burner entry, ta= ambient temperature Value of gasifier for thermal applications is about 75%. Gasifier system efficiency has to take into account the auxiliary power requirements for operation of gasifier. For thermal applications, there is always a blower for drawing the gas from the gasifier and supplying it to the burners. Example: 1 kg of wood produces 1.5 m3 of gas with average calorific value of 5.4 MJ/m3. Average calorific value of wood (dry) is 19.8 MJ/kg. Hence 2.5 (m3) x 5.4 (MJ/m3) gasifier = ---------------------------- = 68% 19.80 (MJ/kg) x 1 (kg) FUEL CAHARACTERISTICS Several fuel types have been developed which have found considerable acceptance for gasification. They include woody stems of plants, lump charcoal, dry (less than 20 percent moisture content) wood blocks, dry coconut shells, and rice husks, coir pith (in briquette form), bagasse etc. Physical and chemical properties of biomass are obviously the most influential parameters which decide the consistent and efficient operation of the gasifier. Some of the most important properties are: 1) Energy density of the biomass 2) Proximate analysis of the biomass 3) Moisture content of the biomass 4) Volatile content of biomass a) Temperature in oxidation zone b) Size and geometry of oxidation zone 5) Fixed carbon content 6) Ash content of biomass 7) Size and shape of biomass Table 2 Typical size and density of biomass fuels Fuel Length (m) Bulk density (kg/m3) Sawdust 0.0003-0.002 300 Choppedstraw 0.005-0.025 60 Green wood chips 0.025-0.075 500 Wood pellets 0.006-0.008 600 Biomass 0,025-0,010 600 briquettes Cordwood 0.3-0.5 400

Few of the devices to which gasifier could be retrofitted are: a) Dryers: Drying is the most essential process in beverage and spices industry like tea and cardamom. This calls for hot gases in the temperature range of 120 130C, in the existing designs. Typically the heat energy required is equivalent to 1 kg of biomass for 1 kg made tea. Gasifier is an ideal solution for the above situation, where hot gas after combustion can be mixed with the right quantity of secondary air, so as to lower its temperature to the desired level for use in the existing dryers. Baking of tiles, potteries require hot b) Kilns: environment in the temperature range of 800-950C. This is presently being done by combusting large quantities of biomass in an inefficient manner. Gasifiers could be suitable for such applications, which provide a better option of regulating the thermal environment. There will also be an added advantage of smokeless and soot less operation, whereby enhancing the product value. c) Furnaces: In non-ferrous metallurgical and foundry industries high temperatures (~650-1000C) are required for melting metals and alloys. This is commonly done by using expensive fuel oils or electrical heaters. Gasifiers are well suited for such applications. d) Boilers: Process industries which require steam or hot water use either biomass or coal as fuel in the boilers. Biomass is used inefficiently with higher pollutants like NOx and with little control with respect to power regulation. Therefore these devices are appropriate to be retrofitted with gasifiers for efficient energy usage. POWER APLLICATION Spark Ignition Engine - When a spark ignition engine is converted to operation on producer gas it is derated to about 40-50%. The deration is primarily because of low energy density of producer gas. This accounts for about 30% loss of power. The rest is accounted for by the pressure drop in the intake valves and piping. A spark ignition engine on the whole requires very little modification to run on producer gas. Generally depending upon the design of engine (compression ratio and rpm), the ignition timing has to be advanced by about 30-40 degrees. This is done because of low flame speed of producer gas as compared to gasoline. It should be noted that in general the overall efficiency of the IC engine itself does not change though the power derating takes place. However, detailed comparison of the engine efficiencies with and without producer gas has not been done till now because of insufficient data. Compression Ignition Engine - Diesel engines can be converted to full gas operation by lowering the compression ratio and by installing a spark ignition system. Because of the low lower heating value (LHV), engines converted to gas are less efficient than those not converted; nevertheless a modern engine correctly modified can reach over 25% of net electricity output.

APPLICATIONS OF BIOMASS GASIFIER

THERMAL APPLICATIONS Thermal energy of the order of 5 MJ is released, by flaring 1 m3 of producer gas in the burner. Flame temperatures as high as 1550 K can be obtained by optimal pre-mixing of air with gas. For applications which require thermal energy, gasifiers can be a good option as a gas generator, and retrofitted with existing devices.

Another interesting application for direct heat (external combustion) application is running of Stirling engine. These engines have higher efficiencies and may prove to be a better alternative for IC engines running on producer gas.

Conclusion
The gasification process offers considerable energy recovery and reduces the emission of potential pollutants. It is considered an interesting alternative to the conventional technology for the thermal treatment of solid wastes. However a very limited experience has been gained in gasification of biomass residues. The air distribution seems to affect the air excess ratio. Biggest challenge in gasification system lies in developing reliable and economically cheap cooling and clean trains. Future application like methanol production, using producer gas in fuel cells offer greatest potential for developing countries like India.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We hereby would like to acknowledge the people who extended their support to bring out this paper successfully. We are thankful to Prof. Ramachandra L., Dept of Mechanical Engg.,BVBCET and Lect. Rajiv, Biotechnology dept., P.C. Jabin College of Science.

REFERENCES
Figure 6 1. Akshay Urja A bi-monthly newsletter of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India Volume 2, Issue 5, April 2009, page 15 2. http://nariphaltan.virtualave.net/Gasifier.pdf 3. http://www.teri.org

Employment Opportunity
Biomass resource is available in abundance, fuels such as forest residues, agricultural wastes like stalks and roots of various crops, maize cobs, energy crops, bagasse from sugarcane process, olive husks, live stock residues (cattle, pigs and poultry) and food processing residues can all be used for energy generation. These materials need to be collected/gathered, processed. This creates opening for the employment opportunities, especially to the rural people, who can access these materials easily. As the gasifier is not a standard product, it does not have sales outlet as that available for other products. Manufacturer himself has to supply it to the industries, which provides the employment opportunity. Rural people can start the small scale industry for preparation of briquettes which will serve as input to the biomass gasifier. This even reduces the migration of rural community to urban areas in search of employment.

CONTACT
1. Pavitra S. Upadhya Vth sem, Mechanical Engg, B. V. Bhoomaraddi College of Engg. & Tech., Hubli Email: upadhya.pavitra@gmail.com Contact no.: 9591229693 2. Shahabaz S. Afraj Vth sem, Mechanical Engg, B. V. Bhoomaraddi College of Engg. & Tech., Hubli Email: shabaz.afraj@gmail.com Contact no.: 7411277970 3. Deepti R. Mullur Vth sem, Computer Science Engg., B. V. Bhoomaraddi College of Engg. & Tech., Hubli Email: deepti.mullur@gmail.com Contact no.: 9035113717

DEFINITIONS:
Briquettes: densification of loose biomass material. Figure 7

APPENDIX
Figure 1- Block diagram of process of gasification. Figure 2- Updraft type of gasifier. Figure 3- Updraft type of gasifier installed in Energy Conversion Dept. of BVBCET. Figure 4- Downdraft type of gasifier. Figure 5- Block diagram of heat treatment process. Figure 6- Block diagram showing applications of gasifier in India.

Figure 7- Collection of biomass fuel by rural community. Table 1- Composition of producer gas from various fuels. Table 2- Typical size and density of biomass fuels.