On the Possibility of Cleaning Producer Gas Laden with Large Quantities of Tars through Using a Simple Fixed-Bed Activated Carbon Adsorption Process

Mateusz Kochel (), Mateusz Szul, Tomasz Iluk and Jan Najser
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Mateusz Kochel: Institute for Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Mateusz Szul: Institute for Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Tomasz Iluk: Institute for Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Jan Najser: ENET Centre, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: The study presents the results of research on using fixed-bed, activated carbon (AC) adsorbers in the cleaning of heavily tar-laden producer gas from the gasification of biomass. The efficiency of removal of organic compounds as well as the remaining adsorption capacity of the bed were determined using a spectrum of commonly applied diagnostic methods, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of the adsorbed compounds and changes in the pore volume of the bed material (IN, MN). The authors compare these lab quantifications with a simple technique which is based on the analysis of the changes in the position of temperature front in the bed. The main benefit of the latter is the possibility of performing the diagnostics of the bed “online” and using low-cost temperature measurements. The test was performed using a commercially available AC Desotec AIRPEL 10-3 and real producer gas obtained through the gasification of alder chips. For tar, VOC and C 2 –C 5 compounds, the removal efficiencies reached respectively 74.5%-wt., 52.8%-wt., and 85.5%-wt. Obtained results indicate that depending on the final application of the gas, the use of dry adsorption systems is an interesting alternative to the well-established but complicated, cumbersome, and costly wet scrubbers. Moreover, a concept for in situ regeneration of the adsorbent, coupled with direct reforming of the tars, is presented and discussed.

Keywords: activated carbon; adsorber; producer gas; gasification; biomass (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: 2022
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