On a methodology for selecting biomass materials for gasification purposes

The purpose of this study is to provide a methodology for the selection of appropriate biomass feedstocks for gasification purposes based on the final syngas applications. To achieve this objective, a numerical algorithm is developed to simulate the gasification process of biomass materials. The model is first validated by a close agreement found between the numerical results and those of the experiments available in the literature for fixed-bed downdraft gasifiers. Subsequently, a list of 80 diverse biomass materials of distinctive families, together with their proximate and ultimate analysis is utilized to extract the extreme limits of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen contents. The gasification process is then simulated in numerous cases covering a comprehensive range of biomass oxygen content and carbon:hydrogen ratio, while operational conditions are kept constant. The obtained results, comprising syngas key characteristics are plotted at last in a generalized format. The approach novelty rests on providing a set of figures that can be used to select a type of biomass to achieve certain syngas specifications in a moving/fixed bed gasifier at the atmospheric pressure. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.