Title:
Fluid Dynamic Analysis of Syngas Flow and Residence Time Distribution in an Updraft Biomass Gasifier
Author(s):
Florio, C., Zito, G.D., Zimbardi, F., Cerone, N., Fabbiano, L., Contuzzi, L., Santilli, G., Carnevale, M.O., Valerio, V., Ragone, C., Villone, A.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The fluid dynamics inside a pilot-scale updraft gasifier was investigated by evaluating the Residence Time Distribution (RTD). The tests were conducted under both non-reactive and reactive conditions, namely, before and during the gasification of hazelnut shells (20–30 kg·h-1) using air and steam at 160 °C as gasifying agents. The fluid dynamics was analysed by injecting a stable flowrate of inert tracer from the bottom of the gasifier to reproduce a Heaviside step function. Gas and syngas samples were collected at the gasifier outlet and analysed via gas-chromatography (GC) to determine the tracer concentration over time. After normalization, the cumulative RTD function F(t) was obtained by interpolating the data using a logistic sigmoid. The RTD function, E(t) and its central moments were determined using Danckwerts’ theory. The RTD analysis resulted in a tall and narrow distribution in non-reactive test, whereas under operating conditions, the distribution was broader. The mean residence time under operating condition is almost equal the space time of the gasifier; however, the high variance suggests the presence of dead and recirculation zones.
Keywords:
gasification, fluid dynamic, residence time distribution
Topic:
Biomass Conversion for Bioenergy
Subtopic:
Gasification for power, CHP and polygeneration
Event:
33rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4AO.5.1
Pages:
640 - 644
ISBN:
978-88-89407-25-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/33rdEUBCE2025-4AO.5.1
Price:
FREE
