EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GASIFYING AGENTS ON SYNGAS PRODUCTION FROM OIL PALM TRUNK

Abstract

Rafidah J, Sakanishi K, Miyazawa T, Mohd Nor MY, Wan Asma I, Mahanim SMA, Shaharuddin
H& Puad E. 2011.Effects of different gasifying agents on syngas production from oil palm trunk. In Malaysia,
the oil palm sector generates huge amounts of residues and wastes such as fruit fibres, palm kernel shells,
empty fruit bunches, fronds, trunks and palm oil mill effluent. Oil palm trunk (OPT) is the most abundant
biomass with high potential for energy and material source because oil palm trees are felled and replanted
every 25 years. The biomass gasification was carried out in a gasifier using OPT to study its suitability as
gasification feedstock. The experiment was carried out at atmospheric pressure 1 atm, constant temperature
900 °C and reaction time 60 min at different flow rates of gas into the gasifier. Effects of different gasifying
agents on the producer gas composition especially syngas production ratio were studied. Various parameter
conditions such as biomass feeding rate and gas supply flow rate were investigated. The syngas ratio (hydrogen
content) increased when steam was used as gasifying agent compared with air due to water–gas shift reaction
that occurred between carbon and steam to produce more hydrogen. The high nitrogen (N₂) content in
producer gas could be reduced by replacing it with carbon dioxide (CO₂). CO₂ removal had no effect on
greenhouse gases due to the recycling process of CO₂ during photosynthesis.