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Mediterranean Agricultural Wastes: Environmentally Sustainable Resource for an Innovative Renewable Energy Technology (ERANETMED2-72-251 MEDWASTE) View
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All content following this page was uploaded by Kamel Halouani on 09 May 2017.
Abstract – Gasification is a practical way to use the renewable biomass resources. It consists of
the conversion of carbonaceous materials into gas fuel useful in several applications. In this work,
biomass gasification is studied at the reactor scale. A detailed model is developed for the
gasification zone of an Imbert downdraft gasifier. It includes the heterogeneous reaction kinetics
as well as the diffusion and convection phenomena within the porous char bed written for 2-D
cylindrical coordinates by considering some simplifying assumptions. It was then used to simulate
fields inside the char bed and to study the effect of some operating parameters on the performance
of the gasifier.
- Species conservation:
∂c j ∂c j 1 ∂ ∂c j
εu + εw = (ε rD j ) (8)
Z ∂r ∂z r ∂r ∂r
∂ ∂c j
+ (εD j ) + Rj
product gas
∂z ∂z
Fig. 2: The physical model
Copyright © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved 1st Conference on Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
(CEAM)
M. A. Masmoudi, N. Grioui, M. Sahraoui, and K. Halouani
- Momentum equations (radial and z-direction several iterations, the code converges and the gases
respectively): fractions along and at the exit of the gasifier are
∂u ∂u ∂P μ evaluated.
ερu + ερw =− −ε u+
∂r ∂z ∂r K The numerical results of the model are compared
∂ 1 ∂ru ∂ 2u (9) with the published experimental data of Jayah et al. [7]
εμ ( ) + εμ 2 for validation. Fig. 3 shows that the mole fractions of
∂r r ∂r ∂z
∂w ∂w ∂P μ the species in the dry producer gas predicted by the
ερu + ερw =− −ε w + model agree well with the experimental results of
∂r ∂z ∂z K
(10) Jayah et al. [7] with an absolute average deviation of
μ ∂ ∂w ∂2w
ε (r ) + εμ 2 about 7.32% (except the methane fraction which is
r ∂r ∂r ∂z very low and does not have a great influence on the
final result). The predictions of the gasification model
III.5. Boundary conditions are therefore considered to be satisfactory to
investigate the parameters influencing the process and
At the inlet of the gasification zone, temperature and
evaluate the performance of the gasifier for different
gases concentrations have to be assigned properly from
working conditions.
the upper zones since they affect the final results.
These values are computed here using a single reaction TABLE I
which lumps the drying, pyrolysis and oxidation stages GASES FRACTIONS AT THE EXIT OF THE PYRO-OXIDATION ZONE
in the pyro-oxidation zone [8]. This global reaction is
given by:
Gas N2 CO2 CO H2O H2 CH4
CH1.54O0.622 + w H 2 O + t O2 + 3.76 t N 2 → xChar +
x1CO + x 2 CO2 + x 3 H 2 O + x 4 H 2 + x 5CH4 + 3.76 t N 2
(11)
Fraction 0.656 0.152 0.089 0.281 0.1 2.10-4
Where w is the moisture content per mol of wood
and t is calculated using the air fuel ratio. These values
as well as the wood properties (proximate and ultimate
analysis of rubber wood) are taken from [8]. The same
hypothesis adopted in [8] are used here to calculate the
char and the gases fractions x, x1, x2, x3, x4, and x5. The
initial velocity is taken equal to 1m/s [11], and at the
exit of the gasification zone, the fully developed state
is used for all fields.
Copyright © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved 1st Conference on Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
(CEAM)
M. A. Masmoudi, N. Grioui, M. Sahraoui, and K. Halouani
present at the top of the char bed. IV.4. Effect of steam addition on the hydrogen fraction
Yoshikawa et al. [12] demonstrated that the
injection of high temperature air/steam mixture in the
product gas outgoing from an updraft gasifier
effectively decomposes tar and soot. We suggest here
the injection of super heated steam (150°C) at the entry
of the gasification zone. Fig. 6 shows the influence of
steam addition on the hydrogen yield. Steam was
added in the range of 25 to 100% of the total steam
fraction used in the model validation. It is shown that
the hydrogen fraction increases continuously from
about 18.9 to 20.56% as the steam fraction increases.
This is due to the enhancement of the water gas
reaction as steam is a reactant in this reaction.
Consequently, the hydrogen yield would increase.
Fig. 4. Simulated temperature profile inside the gasification zone However, the optimal steam fraction added should be
determined which value corresponds to the minimum
IV.3. Gases concentrations along the reduction zone difference between the injected and the residue fraction
in the product gas.
The model is used also to predict the gases
concentrations along the reduction zone. Fig. 5 shows
the evolution of each of the gas species along the char
bed. It is shown that the fractions of hydrogen and
carbon monoxide increase continuously, while the
fractions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen decrease as
the conversion of char proceeds. The trend of the
evolution is similar to the temperature field. Indeed, the
rate of production or consumption of species is related
to the heterogeneous reactions which influence the
temperature field by heat consumption. So the
conversion proceeds intensively at the beginning of the
char bed and consequently the fractions of hydrogen
and carbon monoxide increase rapidly. As the flow
proceeds down and reaches the bottom of the bed, the
conversion becomes lower and the gases fractions Fig. 6. Effect of steam injection on the hydrogen fraction
undergo a little variation.
Copyright © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved 1st Conference on Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
(CEAM)
M. A. Masmoudi, N. Grioui, M. Sahraoui, and K. Halouani
V. Conclusion
Authors’ information
Char gasification in the downdraft gasifier was 1
studied in this work, and a numerical model was . CRTEn, Route Touristique de Soliman B.P.95, 2050 Hammam-Lif,
Borj Cedria – Tunisia
developed in order to predict the gases fractions at the 2
. METS – IPEIS, Route Menzel Chaker km 0,5 - B.P. 1172, 3018,
exit of the gasifier. The established parametric study Sfax – Tunisia
allowed the identification of the best operating 3
. LASMAP – EPT - IPEIT- Rue Jawaher El Nehru- 1008 Tunis –
conditions for the production of a high hydrogen Tunisia
fraction and high heating value product gas. These Mohamed Ali Masmoudi
results would help us in the construction of our pilot e-mail: mmedali1yahoo.fr
downdraft gasifier. Vitae: Energy Engineer, (2008)
Master degree, ENIM- Tunisia (2009)
Main research interest:
References Biomass energy (thermal processes, combustion
gasification, pyrolysis)
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precursor of second generation biofuels and sustainable e-mail: najla_grioui2001@yahoo.fr
agriculture, Bioresource Technology 100 (2009) 942–947. Vitae: Dr. Chemistry & Wood Sciences
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
[2] A. Demirbas, Biofuels sources, biofuel policy, biofuel economy Main research interests: Modeling of Biomass thermochemical
and global biofuel projections, Energy Conversion and conversion (Pyrolysis, Carbonization, gasification), Kinetics and heat
Management 49 (2008) 2106–2116 and mass transfer modeling.
[5] Z.A. Zainal, R. Ali, C.H. Lean, K.N. Seetharamu, Prediction of Kamel Halouani
performance of a downdraft gasifier using equilibrium Vitae: Eng., Dr., HdR., Energy Engineering
modeling for different biomass materials. Energy Conservation Professor of Industrial & Energy Engineering
and Management, 42 (2001) 1499-1515. Institute of Engineering Studies of Sfax
(IPEIS), University of Sfax, Tunisia
[6] Z.A. Zainal, A. Rifau, G.A. Quadir, K.N. Seetharamu, e-mail: kamel.halouani@ipeis.rnu.tn
Experimental investigation of a downdraft biomass gasifier, Main research interests: Biomass
Biomass and Bioenergy 23 (2002) 283–289. thermochemical conversion (Combustion,
Pyrolysis, Carbonization, gasification); Fuel cell modeling (PEMFC,
[7] T.H. Jayah, L. Aye, R.J. Fuller, D.F. Stewart, Computer SOFC and DCFC). Heat and mass transfer in reacting media and
simulation of a downdraft wood gasifier for tea drying. Biomass two-phase flows.
and Bioenergy, 25 (2003) 459 – 469.
Copyright © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved 1st Conference on Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
(CEAM)