AN INNOVATIVE EXPERIMENTAL PILOT-PLANT TOINVESTIGATE THE GASIFICATION PROCESS OF BIOMASS. IMPACT OF RAW AND TORREFIEDPELLET ON THE PROCESS PERFORMANCES

This work presents the results of an extended experimental campaign carried out on a specific small gasifier. The peculiarity of this study is based on an innovative design of the reactor that allows to monitor on line the biomass loss as main parameter of the process and to elaborate the main experimental parameters of gasification as: the productivity of the syngas, its heating value, the amount of the remaining char, the power of the gasifier and the cold efficiency for a batch configuration using air as gasification agent. In particular, the role of air flow rate as critical parameter and its impact on the cited quantities is highlighted. This investigation presents the results obtained for gasification on both commercial pellet (CP) and torrefied pellet (TP). The L.H.V. of the syngas reaches values in the range 3.51 < L.H.V. < 3.85 and 4.14 < L.H.V. < 4.31 for CP and TP respectively. The maximum power values set at 2.73 kW for CP and 3.53 kW for TP. Interesting results can be deduced by reporting the trend of the cited quantities Vs. the air flow rate. As general result, the use of torrefied material confirms a significant improvement of the performances of the gasification process compared to those involving conventional biomasses.