Biomass to Syngas: Modified Stoichiometric Thermodynamic Models for Downdraft Biomass Gasification

Hafiz Muhammad Uzair Ayub, Sang Jin Park and Michael Binns
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Hafiz Muhammad Uzair Ayub: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, 30, Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04623, Korea
Sang Jin Park: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, 30, Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04623, Korea
Michael Binns: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, 30, Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04623, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: To help meet the global demand for energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels, alternatives such as the production of syngas from renewable biomass can be considered. This conversion of biomass to syngas is possible through a thermochemical gasification process. To design such gasification systems, model equations can be formulated and solved to predict the quantity and quality of the syngas produced with different operating conditions (temperature, the flow rate of an oxidizing agent, etc.) and with different types of biomass (wood, grass, seeds, food waste, etc.). For the comparison of multiple different types of biomass and optimization to find optimal conditions, simpler models are preferred which can be solved very quickly using modern desktop computers. In this study, a number of different stoichiometric thermodynamic models are compared to determine which are the most appropriate. To correct some of the errors associated with thermodynamic models, correction factors are utilized to modify the equilibrium constants of the methanation and water gas shift reactions, which allows them to better predict the real output composition of the gasification reactors. A number of different models can be obtained using different correction factors, model parameters, and assumptions, and these models are compared and validated against experimental data and modelling studies from the literature.

Keywords: biomass gasification; stoichiometric; modelling; optimization; thermodynamics; methanation reaction; water gas shift reactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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