Tar and alkali metal compounds are released during biomass gasification and have a major impact on the operation and performance of gasification processes. Herein we describe a novel method for characterization of alkali and heavy tar compounds in the hot product gas formed during gasification. Gas is continuously extracted, cooled and diluted, which results in condensation of tar and alkali into aerosol particles. The thermal stability of these particles is subsequently evaluated using a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer (VTDMA) method. The technique is adopted from aerosol science where it is frequently used to characterize the thermal properties of aerosol particles. Laboratory studies show that pure and mixed alkali salts and organic compounds evaporate in well-defined temperature ranges, which can be used to determine the chemical composition of particles. The performance of the VTDMA is demonstrated at a 4 MW th dual fluidized bed gasifier using two different types of online sampling systems. Alkali metal compounds and a wide distribution of heavy tar components with boiling points above 400 °C are observed in the product gas. Implications and potential further improvements of the technique are discussed.

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Alkali metal compounds may have positive influences on biomass gasification by affecting char reactivity and tar reforming but may also disturb the process by formation of deposits and agglomerates. We herein present results from online measurements of alkali compounds and particle concentrations in a dual fluidized bed gasifier with an input of 32 MWth. A surface ionization detector was used to measure alkali concentrations in the product gas, and aerosol particle measurement techniques were employed to study concentrations and properties of condensable components in the gas. Measurements were performed during start-up and steady-state operation of the gasifier. The alkali concentration increased to approximately 200 mg m–3 when fuel was fed to the gasifier and continued to rise during activation of the olivine bed by addition of potassium carbonate, while the alkali concentration was in the range from 20 to 60 mg m–3 during steady-state operation. Addition of fresh bed material and recirculated ash had noticeable effects on the observed alkali concentrations, and K2CO3 additions to improve tar chemistry resulted in increased levels of alkali in the product gas. Addition of elemental sulfur led to reduced concentrations of CH4 and heavy tars, while no clear influence on the alkali concentration was observed. The study shows that alkali concentrations are high in the product gas, which has implications for the fluidized bed process, tar chemistry, and operation of downstream components including coolers, filters, and catalytically active materials used for product gas reforming.

A new method for real-time measurements of potassium and sodium containing aerosol particles is described and verified. The method is based on surface ionization technique and may be used to explore the alkali chemistry related to high temperature chemistry processes. The measurement device is a further development of the simple and cost-effective surface ionization detector previously used for online alkali measurements in combustion and gasification research. The discrimination between sodium and potassium is possible due to differences in their surface desorption kinetics and facilitated by rapidly reversing the field potential between the ion source and the nearby collector. The instrument is evaluated in a series of laboratory experiments using size-selected alkali salt particles containing KCl, NaCl, K2SO4, Na2SO4, KNO3 and NaNO3. The filament temperature was found to be a key influencing factor in order to optimize the strength and Na–K deviation of the observed ion current. The ability to simultaneously report absolute concentrations of Na and K makes the instrument attractive for solid fuel conversion of alkali-rich fuels such as low-grade biomass and to explore behavior deviations of Na and K in high temperature processes.

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