Study on the gasification of pine sawdust with dolomite catalyst in a pilot-scale fluidized bed gasifier

An experimental study on air-blown gasification of pine sawdust was conducted in a pilot-scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier. Pine sawdust was fed into lower-center of the gasifier continuously with 60 kg/h and air as the gasifying agent was introduced from the bottom into a distributor. A mixture of inert silica sand and calcined dolomite with different ratios was used as the bed material in order to maintain stable fluidization and to realize the catalytic cracking of in-situ tar. The whole test run was performed as a continuous operation without any interruptions or operational problems.