Chapter-8

Bio-Mass
Energy
Energy Engineering 1
 Introduction
Bio-mass is an organic matter
from plants, animals and micro-
organism grown on land and water
and their derivatives. The energy
obtained from biomass is called
biomass energy.

Energy Engineering 2
 Bio-Mass - Introduction
Bio-mass covers all kinds of organic matters
from fuel wood to marine vegetation. There exists a
wide range of options for conversion into more
convenient and useful forms of energy e.g. heat
energy and electrical energy. It is well-known that
coal, oil and natural gas, which constitutes the three
principal sources of conventional energy, takes
million of years to form. On the other hand, the
principal organic matter in all plants (terrestrial and
aquatic/marine) constituting the major forms of Bio-
mass renews naturally and adds to itself in a very
short span of time. (A year or even less).
Energy Engineering 3
 Bio-Mass - Introduction

This is the significant factor which has classified

Bio-mass as a ‘renewable source of energy’. It is
renewable so long as it is grown or cultivated at a rate
equal to the rate of its consumption. It will have to be
classified as a depleting resource (like fuel wood
burning in developing countries today) if the rate of
consumption exceeds the rate of cultivation. It can
also be considered as an ‘useful derivative of solar
energy’ as SUN’s energy is utilized indirectly in
growing plants by PHOTOSYNTHESIS. This is
evident from the simple energy flow diagram
presented below :

Energy Engineering 4
 Energy Conversion

Energy
Solar Energy Photosynthesis Bio-Mass
Generation

Energy Engineering 5
 Bio-mass conversion technologies

A wide variety of conversion techniques are in use for

manufacturing bio-fuels from bio-mass. Techniques like
digestion and fermentation are simple and well understood.
Gasification techniques have been thoroughly demonstrated
through a number of pilot plants and have already reached
the stage of commercialization. Each of the bio-mass
resources like wood, dung, vegetable waste can be treated in
various ways to provide a series of useful bio-fuels. Bio-mass
conversion can be of any one of these forms :
1) Direct combustion such as wood waste
2) Thermochemical conversion and
3) Bio-chemical conversion.

Energy Engineering 6
 Bio-mass conversion technologies

Energy from bio-mass is obtained in following three ways

1) Bio-mass in its traditional solid mass (wood and
agricultural residue).
Bio-mass is burnt directly to obtain the energy.
2) Bio-mass in non-traditional form (converted into
liquid fuels).
In this case the biomass is converted into ethanol
and methanol to be used as liquid fuels in engines.
3) To ferment the bio-mass anerobically to obtain a
gaseous fuel called bio-gas.
Energy Engineering 7
 DIRECT COMBUSTION
Direct combustion of wood to generate heat and
then to generate steam happens to be the primitive energy
producing methods for cooking, space heating (comfort in
winter) and several small scale industrial processes. In
developing countries like India, poor households are
compelled to depend on fuel wood as many of them
cannot afford conventional fuels like kerosene, LPG and
soft coke. Next, cellulosic wastes and residues are similarly
used in agro based industries. Application of bagasse for
firing boilers is a world-wide practice in sugar industry.
Another important option is the co-firing of fossil fuels
with cellulosic and wood related bio-mass.

Energy Engineering 8
A view of traditional Chulla along with two
improved Chullas

Energy Engineering 9
 Conventional burning

However, continued dependence on fuel wood has the

adverse impact of forest cover, which is certainly not a
welcome trend. One way to cope up with this problem is to
keep the efficiency of fuel wood stores high. In this context,
the National Programme on Improved Chullas (NPIC) has been
introduced by the MNES in December, 1983. This has helped to
conserve fuel wood by lower income groups. Non-government
organizations (NGO) has installed Improved Chullas (IC) in
community kitchen of hotels, hospitals and army camps. An
efficient cook store is expected to :
1) consume less fuel
2) minimize smoke and drudgery and
3) ensure quick ignition and facilitate slow, sustained and
controlled fire.
Energy Engineering 10
 Thermo chemical conversion
This involves two forms-gasification and liquefaction. In the
former step, the bio-mass is heated with limited oxygen to
produce low BTU gas (LBG), medium BTU gas (MBG), substitute
natural gas (SNG) and some light fuel oils. MBG’s have two to
five times the energy density of low BTU gases, making
transportation of these feasible over short distances through
pipeline. Alternatively, it is reacted with steam and oxygen at
high pressure and temperature to produce medium heating
values gas. The later may be consumed as fuel directly or used
in liquefaction by converting it to methanol (Methyl Alcohol
CH3OH) or Ethanol (ethyl Alcohol CH3CH2OH). Alternatively,
these can be converted to high heating value gases.

Energy Engineering 11
 Biochemical conversion

The two well-known forms being the Anaerobic Digestion

and Fermentation.
a) Anaerobic Digestion :
This is the microbial digestion of bio-mass, which has been
exercised principally with animal manure. But it is applicable
to other sources of bio-mass also. This process requires a low
temperature upto 65℃ and a high moisture content of at least
80%. It generates a gas consisting of CO2 and methane (CH4)
with impurities such as hydrogen sulphide. This combination
can be ignited directly or upgraded to SNG by removing the
CO2 and the impurities. The residue is usually a protein rich
sludge that can be used as animal feed and liquid effluents that
are biologically treated by standard techniques and returned to
the soil.
Energy Engineering 12
 Biochemical conversion
b) Fermentation :
This is a process of breakdown of complex
molecules in an organic compound under the influence
of a ferment such as yeast, bacteria, enzymes, etc.
Fermentation is a well established and widely used
technology for the conversion of grains and sugar crops
into Ethanol. This can then be combined with gasoline
to produce Gasohol (90% gasoline + 10% ethanol).
This is normally capital intensive technology,
which demands high input energy. A substitute
carbohydrate polymer called lingo cellulose is being
considered as a cheaper alternative to bio-mass source.
Energy Engineering 13
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
The most important and inevitable chemical reaction on earth starts
with Sun’s radiation being intercepted and absorbed by the green pigment
chlorophyll in the plant. Here, solar energy is stored in the plant in the form
of chemical bond energy. This is photosynthesis, a phenomenon which
illustrates biological conversion of solar energy into energy rich compounds
(sugars and starches). These compounds can be burnt to produce steam
required to drive turbines in thermal power stations. Thus, selective energy
plantations can theoretically be a source of renewable energy depending on
the photosynthesis efficiency and overall efficiency of conversion of sunlight
to electricity.
Since the aforesaid conversion efficiencies are very low (of the order of
1% and even less) as compared to usual photovoltaic efficiencies, this
process of photosynthesis has lacked serious consideration towards
commercial utilization. Further the reaction is complex and yet not fully
digested by scientists. Here, water and carbon dioxide molecule breaks
down to form a carbohydrate with the release of pure oxygen. Written in the
language of chemistry.
Energy Engineering 14
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
𝐶𝑂2 + 𝐻2𝑂+ 𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 + 𝐶ℎ𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑙
→ ሺ 𝐻2𝐶𝑂ሻ 6 + 𝑂2 ሺ 𝑆𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑟ሻ + 𝐶ℎ𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑙

6𝐶𝑂2 + 12𝐻2𝑂 → 𝐶6𝐻12 𝑂6 + 6𝐻2𝑂+ 6𝑂2

Visible light (wavelength range of 400 to 700) is absorbed by the green

chlorophyll which becomes activated and passes its energy to the water
molecules. This range of light is called photo-synthetically active radiation
(PAR) which constitutes about 40 to 45% of incident solar radiation. A

to produce 𝐻2𝐶𝑂 and oxygen. It may be recollected that 𝐻2𝐶𝑂 is the basic
hydrogen atom is then released and reacts with the carbon dioxide molecule

molecule forming carbohydrate. It is stable at low temperature and breaks at

high temperature through the following endothermic reaction.

𝐻2𝐶𝑂+ 𝑂2 → 𝐶𝑂2 + 𝐻2𝑂+ 112 𝐾𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒

Energy Engineering 15
 BIO-GAS GENERATION
This is essentially a mixture of the following gases :

Carbon dioxide 30 to 40% Methane 55 to 65% 𝐻2,𝐻2𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁2 < 10%

slowly burning gas having calorific value between 5000 to 5500 Kcal/𝑚3. Significantly enough, the
It can be produced from the decomposition of animal, plant and human waste. It is a clean but

ingredients constituting the bio-gas can retain their value as a fertilizer when they are returned to the
soil. This is the reason why this fuel is a valuable renewable energy resource. It has assumed the
popular name ‘GOBAR GAS’ in the Indian scenario due to its origin linked with the cow-dung or
cattle waste. But, a host of other biomass sources like crop residues, garbage kitchen wastes, paper and
sugarcane wastes, sea wood and water hyacinth can also be effective for its generation. Any cellulose
organic material of animal or plant origin which is easily bio-degradable has the potential to generate
bio-gas.
Bio-gas is produced by digestion, pyrolysis or hydrogasification. Digestion is a biological process
that occurs in absence of oxygen and in presence of anaerobic organisms at ambient pressure and
temperatures of 35℃to 70℃. The container in which this process takes place is a digester.

Energy Engineering 16
 Anaerobic Digestion
Concerning the science of micro-organisms, there are living creatures
which are microscopic in size and invisible to the naked eye. These are the
different micro-organisms called bacteria, fungi, virus, etc.
Once again bacteria fall into two different groups, depending on their
oxygen requirement. Those which grow in the presence oxygen are called

produces 𝐶𝑂2,𝑁𝐻3 and small amounts of other gases along with a

aerobic while anaerobic ones grow in absence of oxygen. The former

produces 𝐶𝑂2,𝐶𝐻4,𝐻2, traces of other gases along with decomposed mass.

decomposed mass and evolution of heat, while the latter

produces methane ሺ 𝑪𝑯𝟒ሻ . In the wet process of producing bio-gas, this

In a bio-gas plant, the option is to use anaerobic digestion as it

technique is speeded up by using a thermally insulated air tight tank with a

stirrer unit and heating system. Bio-gas accumulates in the digester tank above
the slurry and can be piped off continuously.

Energy Engineering 17
 Anaerobic Digestion
It will be worthwhile to highlight the advantages of the aforesaid
process, which are as follows :
o Calorific Value of Gas : One of the by products has a calorific value which
provides the necessary energy to produce steam or hot water.
o New Sludge Yield : The conversion process of organic mass to methane
and results in a small quantity of excess sludge.
o Low Running Cost : As there is no provision for oxygen/air in an
anaerobic system, its running cost is hardly 25 to 30% of the
corresponding aerobic system.
o Nitrogen content : The resultant sludge has often a nitrogen content
rendering it as a very useful fertilizer.
o Environment Friendly Nature : If bio-gas can be a substitute for coal in
certain boilers, it will definitely minimize air pollution. Further, the
chemical compounds which are responsible for odour are broken down
(the only slight odour resulting from). Since the system is enclosed, the
odours are largely contained.
Energy Engineering 18
 Factors affecting bio-gas generation

The following factors are responsible for controlling the quantity and quality of bio-
gas.

1) pH/Hydrogen Ion Concentration : Along with a constant supply of bio-gas, the pH

range has to be monitored at regular time intervals. A few ideal pH values are the
following :

Sl. No. Type of waste/bio-mass Optimum pH range

I Digestion of sewage solids 7 to 7.5
II Digestion of animal/plant wastes 8 to 8.5

Besides, in case I, the digester is expected to be fully active with micro-organisms so

that bio-digestion will be very effective. The pH ranges between 4 to 6 and 9 to 10 are
regarded as acidic and alkaline respectively. These ranges are avoided as these pH values
are detrimental to methane production organisms.

Energy Engineering 19
 Factors affecting bio-gas generation
2) Temperature : For satisfactory amount of
methane generation from fixed volume of slurry
(say cattle dung), it has been experimentally
observed that the optimum temperature range is
35℃ to 38℃ with fall in bio-gas production as
temperature decreases below 20℃ . This can be
evidenced by casting a glimpse at the temperature
dependence of the period of digestion (graph) for
a 90% anaerobic digestion of sewage sludges. It
can be seen that there are two different micro
organisms – Mesophilic and Thermophilic that are
predominant in the two temperature ranges. The
optimum mesophilic and thermophilic
temperatures are 35℃ and 55℃ respectively. In
Indian climates the time required for digestion may be lowered following the
mesophilic bacteria activity. The other organism is seldom used as it calls for heating of
storage tanks to high temperatures.
Besides ambient temperature control, other weather conditions influencing the
generation of bio-gas are wind velocity (chill factor), directly available sunlight
corresponding to optimum temperature and type of food given to cattle (Gobar gas
generation)
Energy Engineering 20
 Factors affecting bio-gas generation
3) Loading Rate : This is the amount or raw material (usually kg
of volatile solids) fed into the digester per day per unit
volume. As an example, most municipal sewage treatment
plants operate at a loading rate between 0.5 to 1.6 kg/m3/day.
Higher rates are possible, but care has to be exercised to
ensure that pH value goes low enough (accumulation of acids)
leading to cessation of fermentation.
4) Total Solid Content (TSC) : The raw cow-dung fed into a Gobar
Gas Plant usually contains moisture in the range of 80 to 82%.
The balance of 18 to 20% is termed as total solids. The
optimization of total solid content is also necessary for
digesting the feed stock at a faster residues, wood, plants, etc.
Energy Engineering 21
 Factors affecting bio-gas generation
5) Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio in the input wastes :
It is important to understand here that the bacterial elements
present in the wastes uses up carbon 30 times faster than they use up
nitrogen. This is why the fixation of carbon to nitrogen ratio in the right
proportion is essential along with monitoring of temperature, pH, etc.
Favoured by optimum values of pH, temperature, etc. a carbon
to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 30:1 will permit digestion to proceed at an
optimum rate. If there is too much carbon in the raw wastes, nitrogen
will be used up first and carbon left over, making the digester slow
down quickly. On the other hand, if nitrogen is present in excess, the
carbon is exhausted soon leading to total ceasation of fermentation.
Further, the formation of undesired NH3 by the excess nitrogen can kill
the growth of bacteria, essential for generating methane.

Energy Engineering 22
 Factors affecting bio-gas generation

6) Retention Time/Rate of Feeding :

The time period during which feedstocks are retained inside the digester
is the retention period. This naturally depends on the type of feeddstocks
used and the optimum temperature range. Table given below shows the
retention periods for different sources of bio-mass.

Retention
Materials
period
Cow & Buffalo dung 50
Pig dung 20 Assuming an average
Poultry droppings 20 ambient of 30℃
Night soil 30

Energy Engineering 23
 TYPES OF BIO-GAS PLANTS

There exists numerous models of bio-gas

plants like :
1) The continuous and batch types.
2) The Dome and the Drum types.
3) Different Drum types.

Energy Engineering 24
 TYPES OF BIO-GAS PLANTS

In the type (a), there is a single digester in which raw

materials are charged regularly and the process goes on
without interruption except during maintenance
schedules. Advantage of such plants lies with respect to
continuous gas production, smaller digestion chambers
and lesser period of digestion and lesser problems
compared to batch type.
In batch type plants, there is a need of fermented slurry to
start the digester. There is a possibility of a direct change
to the acid phase in absence of a fermented slurry, which
is likely to affect the formation of CH4. Also, the plant is
expensive due to its initial investment compared to
continuous ones.
Energy Engineering 25
 TYPES OF BIO-GAS PLANTS

In type (b), the two models that are commonly employed are called :
a) Floating gas holder plant (KVIC) and
b) Fixed dome digester plant (Janata Model)

The holder is separate from the digester in a floating gas holder plant while the two
are combined in case of fixed dome digester plant. The Khadi Village Industries
Commission Model (KVIC) follows the floating gas holder design. Here the plant shown
in figure contains steel drum where the digestion takes place in a masonary well.
Here, other features of the KVIC model is that the drum is the costliest component
with comparatively low lifetime (10 years) and the gas holder is made of MS plates.
The dome roof of the Janata model requires specialized design and skilled masonary
care. Leakage from the top and junction of the roof with the digester wall, causes a
drop in the yield of bio-gas. The Janata model or the fixed dome digester (Chinese
Plant) is drum less plant similar in construction to the KVIC model and shown in figure.
Here the steel drum is replaced by a fixed dome roof of masonary construction.
The overall cost of both plants varies from Rs.5000/- to Rs.15000/- depending on the
capacity of the plant and sub-soil conditions.

Energy Engineering 26
Principle of working of Bio-gas plant (KVIC Model)
Figure shows schematic arrangement of a double-chamber bio-gas plant,
which allows the fermentation process – to proceed for a greater length of time
thereby leading to complete fermentation of organic material. Dung slurry (organic
matter mixed with enough water to bring down the solid concentration) is
introduced or fed through the inlet pipe (earthen or concrete) to the bottom of
one chamber, which is separated from the other by a wall. The first chamber acts
more or less as a single chamber digester, where the fermentation process begins.
As the temperature gets elevated, the slurry rises slowly through it and overflows
at the top., but not out of the plant. It now falls into the second chamber where
fermentation continues. The gases produced during digestion bubbles up through
the slurry and gets collected in the collecting tank, which is sealed by a ring of
water; the tank can move up or down depending on the pressure of gas produced
during fermentation. The collected gas can be drawn through a valve and pipe
located on the top of movable tank. In the second chamber, automatically the
separation of solids and liquids takes place and more concentrated slurry is thrown
out from the bottom through an outlet pipe. For any conditions cooler than sub-
tropical climate, some insulation (heat) system should be incorporated in the
construction Winter temperatures can lower gas production significantly. If
vegetable matter is to be digested, agitation of slurry may be essential, otherwise,
the leaves etc., will begin to float on top of the slurry, thereby blocking the escape
of gas to the tank, leading to reduced
Energyfermentation
Engineering rate. 27
Principle of working of Bio-gas plant (KVIC Model)

When a large volume of raw materials have

been digested, a two-stage plant may be set up. In
this design, the process of fermentation is divided
between two single-stage (single tank) bio-gas
plant, digestion being carried out in the first tank
until 60% of the total gas volume is evolved. The
second tank attached to first in series receives the
effluent of first tank, and allows the process to
continue until it is completed. The bio-gas has a
calorific value about 20 MJ/m3.
Energy Engineering 28
Principle of working of Bio-gas plant (KVIC Model)

Energy Engineering 29
 Advantages of bio-gas plant
1) The bio-gas which is used for cooking can also be used for
home lighting.
2) The process of lighting will be simple without much recurring
expenditure.
3) The villagers will be able to rectify the faults in case of its
failure.
4) The maintenance cost is considerably less.
5) The cattle dung and agricultural waste being available at the
place of plant, the question of availability of ingredients to run
the plant does not arise.
6) The plant is simple in working therefore the chances of its
failure are rare.
Energy Engineering 30
Deenabandhu Bio-gas plant

Energy Engineering 31
 Deenabandhu Bio-gas plant

This is essentially a fixed dome plant developed by Action for

Food Production, New Delhi. This low cost plant follows the
same principle of operation as the Janata Model described
earlier except for the configuration of the inlet entrance and
the digester.
As seen from the figure, a window opening (outlet portion) is
kept at the top of the foundation for the outward movement
of the digested slurry. One asbestos cement pipe of 15 cm
diameter is used for inlet instead of separate opening. The
pipe is embedded in the digester wall at a fixed position just
opposite to outlet opening in order to avoid short circuiting of
fresh material and digester slurry.
Energy Engineering 32
 CHINESE DIGESTERS
(Janata Bio-Gas Plants)

Energy Engineering 33
 Janata Bio-Gas Plants
This has resulted due to the demand of fertilizers by the
Chinese people where bio-gas is a by-product. The Chinese
design is different from that of KVIC by incorporating a fixed
dome for the collection of the gas, which is available at variable
pressures. The schematic has been presented in the figure,
where there is an ease of fabrication. Besides, 2 cu.m. plant of
this type costs around Rs.3000/- compared to a cost of Rs.6000/-
for a KVIC model of same capacity. Generally, the pressure of the
gas existing in Chinese models is approximately four to five times
that in KVIC plants. Planning, Research and Action division
(PRAD), Lucknow has designed lower cost and popular Janata
plants by modifying the design of Chinese plants.

Energy Engineering 34
 Maintenance Procedures for Bio-Gas Digesters
A few techniques for maintaining the bio-gas production from the aforesaid plants are :
 Insulation : Normally the external surface of the digester is insulated using different materials like
mineral wool, aluminium cladding, fiber glass, straw, etc. This is why Janata type plants are usually
fabricated below the ground level. In the floating dome design, 54% of the heat losses occur from the
top of the gas holder, which is prevented by using paddy straw mat and other agricultural residues.
 Handling of Effluent Slurry : This is a major problem if the operator is not having sufficient open space
of compost pits to get the slurry dry. For a typical domestic plant, 200 litres capacity oil drums can be
used to carry this effluent to the fields but this will involve additional human/animal labour or use of
diesel auto vehicles.
 Methanogenic Activity : During winter, as the temperature falls, there is a decrease in the activity of
methogenic bacteria and subsequently lowering of the gas production rate. Methods used to overcome
this temperature problems are circulation of hot water obtained either from solar water heater or IC
engine. Care has to exercised that the temperature does not exceed 60, so as to permit the existence of
mesophilic bacteria other practices include addition of various nutrients for bacteria and covering the
bio-gas plant by straw bags during night hours.
 Addition of Urea fertilizers in large quantity is to be avoided as toxicity of ammonia may cause a
decrease in gas production.
 pH and volatile fatty acids play an important role in anaerobic digestion and should be controlled
within the appropriate ranges.
 Leakage of gas especially from Janata type bio-gas plants is a very common problem. Detection of
leakage points and repairing is of utmost necessity. During repairing there should be no gas inside the
gas holder and the stop cock remains open till repaired points are dried.

Energy Engineering 35
BIO-MASS
GASIFIERS
Energy Engineering 36
 Introduction
Bio-mass gasification is used to produce a gas for
burning purposes. Gasification is a process which converts a
solid or liquid into a gaseous fuel without leaving a
carbonaceous residue. It is an equipment which can gasify a
variety of bio-mass such as wood waste, agricultural waste
like stalks, roots of various crops, maize cobs, etc. In fact, a
solid fuel in a gasifier is converted by a series of
thermochemical processes like drying, pyrolysis, oxidation
and reduction to producer gas. When atmospheric air is the
gasification agent, typical composition of the gas obtained
from wood gasification on volumetric basis is given in table.

Energy Engineering 37
Typical results of Wood Gasification
Carbon monoxide 18 to 22 %
Hydrogen 13 to 19 %
Methane 1 to 5%
Heavier Hydrocarbons 0.2 to 0.4 %
Carbon Dioxide 9 to 12 %
Nitrogen 45 to 55%
Water vapour 4%

Energy Engineering 38
 Gasifiers-Introduction
Producer gas consists mainly of carbon monoxide,
hydrogen and oxygen and can be used for generation of motive
power in either duel-fuel engines or modified diesel engines.
Engines operating on spark ignition systems can be fully run by
this producer gas while those using compression ignition systems
can replace 60 to 80% of diesel oil. In several industrial oil fired
boilers, the gas can be burnt directly.
Composition of the dry producer gas having net heating
values for various types of bio-mass are presented in Table. In
addition to the components depicted in the table, the product gas
contains light hydro-carbons and tar which increases net heating
values by 0.05 to 0.4 MJ/Nm3. Typically wood gas contains about
50-100 gm/Nm3 tar and that for straw is about 10 to 40 gm/Nm 3.

Energy Engineering 39
 Classification of Gasifiers

Normally the gasification of solid fuels containing

carbon is accomplished in an air sealed closed column
under slight vacuum relative to ambient pressure. The
fuel column is ignited at one point and exposed to air
blast. The gas is drawn off at a different location.
Depending on the aforesaid positions of air inlet and
gas withdrawal with reference to the fuel bed
movement.
a) Up Draft Gasifiers
b) Down Draft Gasifiers
c) Cross Draft Gasifiers
Energy Engineering 40
Updraft Gasifiers

Energy Engineering 41
 Applications
1) Providing shaft line power to agriculture pumps and
processing machines like thrashers, straw choppers.
2) Providing shaft line power of rural industries like
saw mills, carpentry and fabrication shops and
small rice mills. Decentralised source of electrical
energy in rural health centres, Milk chilling centres.
3) Shaft power requirements to various industries like
dairy, oil mill, ceramics and poultry industries.
Mining operations as wood processing units and
well drilling. Electrification small village.

Energy Engineering 42
 Advantages

1) Use of different feedstock/mixture (wood, wood

waste, bagasse, straws, husks, etc.)
2) Different particle size varying from few mm upto
100 mm can be used.
3) Produces gas having calorific value in the range 4
to 7 MJ/m3.
4) Higher thermal conversion efficiencies.
5) Low ash carryover.
6) Gasification process can be completely automated
due to easy control over the parameters of
interest.
Energy Engineering 43
Down Draft Gasifier

Energy Engineering 44
 Down Draft Gasifier

A schematic labeled diagram is presented in figure,

where air enters through radial tyers near the top of the fire
box. The partial combustion occurs in the zone in front of
one tyer openings. The heat of combustion pyrolyzes the fuel
immediately above and the hot gases exit through the grate
after proceeding downward through the fire box constriction.
As the raw gases pass through a high temperature zone,
most of the unburnt pyrolysis product can be cracked into
gaseous hydrocarbon thus yielding a relatively clean gas. This
ability of the downdraft gasifier renders it highly compatible
with engine applications. Modifications to this category
through R & D work have led to throatless gasifiers (as throat
poses problem of fuel movement) and also fluidized bed
gasifers.
Energy Engineering 45
Cross Draft Gasifiers

Energy Engineering 46
 Cross Draft Gasifiers

In this type of gasifier, the gas produced passes

upqard in the annular space around the gasifier that is
filled with charcoal, which acts simultaneously as an
insulator and a dust filler. As shown in figure, air enters
the gasifier through a water cooled nozzle mounted on
one side of the firebox. The gas is produced in the
horizontal zone in front of the nozzle and passes
through a vertical grate into the hot gas port on the
opposite side. Due to the short path length for the
gasification reactions, this type of gas producer
responds most rapidly for changes in gas production.
However, this is seldom used in actual practice.

Energy Engineering 47
 Fluidised Bed Gasifier
At this stage it is easy to appreciate that the
performance, of a fixed bed gasifer will depend on fuel
properties such as chemical analysis, volatile contents,
calorific value, size distribution and ash contents. On
the other hand, a fluidized bed gasifier is most
versatile as it is able to handle bio-mass sources like
sewage sludge, pulping effluents and rice husk (high
ash content). At the heart of a fluidized bed combuster
is a hot bed of inert particles which are held in
suspension – fluidized by an upward current of air.
These reactors generally contain either inert material
(sand) or reactive material (limestone or catalyst).
Energy Engineering 48
Fluidised Bed Gasifier

Energy Engineering 49
 Fluidised Bed Gasifier

The bed material is kept in fluid state by the rising column of gas. Principal advantages of
these gasifiers are :

a) Fuels with calorific value from 800 to 8000 Kcal/𝑚3 can be used.
b) Bio-mass with high moisture and ash content do not pose problems.
c) Normal operating temperature of fluidized bed is in between 750℃ to 950℃, so that ash
zones do not get heated to its initial deformation temperature, thus preventing clinkering or
slagging.
d) High combustion efficiency.
e) Reduced emission of SO2 and N2O with reasonable expenses.
f) Simplicity of operation comapared to that of an oil fired boiler.

Energy Engineering 50
 Fluidised Bed Gasifier
Here, the main components of the system are Reactor, Gravity
dust separator, Cyclone separator, Wet scrubber, Moisture separator,
Blower, Rice husk feeder, Burner, 5 KVA DG set. The reactor (made of SS-
310) is 150 mm in diameter and 1000 mm in height. A perforated plate
is used at the bottom for uniform air distribution. Provision is made for
fuel feeding at two locations namely 300 mm and 600 mm height from
the distributor plate. The reactor as well as the pipe lines are well
insulated to contain heat loss and also to avoid tar condensation. Ash
drain holes are provided above the distributor plates.
To start the operation, the gasifier was filled with sand bed to a
required height and heated using the ignition electric coil. On
attainment of requisite temperature, the rice husk was fed from the top
and fluidizing air was sent from the bottom through a blower. It took 45
minutes to reach the steady state i.e., the attachment of consistent gas
quality. The gas composition should be investigated as a function of
reactor temperature.

Energy Engineering 51
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Energy Engineering 52