Catalytic gasification of pinewood biomass in a fluidized bed reactor with dolomite, limestone, and activated carbon: An experimental study

The biomass residues from non-edible crop portions or agro-industrial are good fuel for hydrogen-rich syngas production since they reduce waste and promote sustainability. Dolomite was utilized as a natural catalyst for biomass gasification in a fluidized bed gasifier with air as a gasifying agent to increase syngas quality. The study examines the impact of temperature (700–850 °C), equivalency ratio (0.2–0.35), and catalyst-to-biomass blending proportion (10–50 %) on syngas composition. This study examined gasification's lower heating value, dry gas output, carbon conversion efficiency, cold gas efficiency, and tar yield. A temperature above 800 °C, an equivalence ratio of 0.30, and a dolomite concentration of 40 % are the best operating conditions to achieve the best clean gas (minimum tar yield = 1.87 g/Nm3). The maximum concentration of H2 (11.23 %) was achieved at 850 °C, an equivalence ratio of 0.20, and a dolomite concentration of 50 % with the biomass. The present study confirms the potential of natural catalysts to reduce tar and enhance H2 contents by absorbing CO2. As compared to costly synthetic catalysts natural-based catalysts are cost-effective and the flexible ex-situ gas cleaning beds have the potential to be easily scalable for industrial-scale production.