Effect of temperature and flow rate on agricultural waste gasification

Abstract

In the gasification method, biomass fuels with a low water content and a high heating value are generally preferred. These are usually fuels used in power generation, such as wood or coal. However, in recent years, wastes such as rice straw, olive oil pulp, PET, and tires have been used as feedstock in the gasification method. In this study, the objective is to evaluate the agricultural waste from the distillation facilities for the production of essential oils, which have increased their activities in recent years, especially in Isparta, Afyon, and Denizli regions in Turkey, by gasification method. For this purpose, thyme (Origanum), which is difficult to biodegrade because of its high cellulose-lignin content, was used as feedstock. These wastes are not consumed by animals and not biodegrade in nature for many years. In the experimental studies, a laboratory-scale upstream fixed-bed gasification reactor made of stainless steel heated with a ceramic heater resistant to temperatures up to 1200 degrees C was used. The studies were carried out at temperatures of 700, 800, and 900 degrees C and a dry air flow rate of 0.05-0.4 l/min. After the gasification, the CO, CO2, O2, CH4, and H-2 values of the gas formed were determined by volume. Solid residue and liquid residue amounts were determined. As a result of the study, the percentage of the H2 produced as a result of gasification of thyme waste at 900 degrees C at a dry air flow rate of 0.05 l/min was found to be 39%. In the study, it was concluded that increasing the temperature and decreasing the dry air flow increased the H-2 yield.