Researches on biofuels gasification using the Lurgi process with homogeneous air inlet over the combustion space

¹ Power Engineering Faculty, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest (Romania)
² Mechanics and Mechatronics Faculty, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest (Romania)

^* Contact person: julia.simion@gmail.com

Abstract

The experimental investigations carried out within the present research focus on a simple gasification technology dedicated to biofuels conversion according to the Lurgi procedure. Specifically, an installation with a fixed grill and a homogeneous distribution of the air inlet over the combustion space are considered. In order to provide a thorough background for the experimental research, this paper presents first the challenges related to the air distribution. If for coal gasification the difficulty of the homogeneous penetration of the air inlet within the whole combustion volume is balanced by the possibility of the direct emission of CO valorization, for biomass gasification this factor becomes fundamental. The original contribution of the technology introduced in this paper assumes an improved combustion process for Lurgi-type gas generators. The experimental installation employed has a particular design, enabling a homogeneous distribution of the air inlet over the entire combustion zone, up to the top of the embers layer. This allows achieving a maximum CO₂ content in the flue gas flux, effectively reducing it inside the embers bed. The high calorific value of biofuels used favors developing an efficient combustion process, occurring at high temperatures. Thus, the reduction process of the CO₂ is self-controlled. The experimental installation operates at a slow fuel rate, with discontinued supply and precise airflow control. The quality of the gas obtained is evaluated based on the resulting open flame, analyzing its composition.