Gasification processing of biomass as a renewable energy source generates tar in the product gas. Tar leads to foul-up of the process equipment by corrosion and deposit formation. Catalytic elimination of tars is a crucial step to improve fuel gas quality from the process. In this study, a palladium catalyst on alumina (Pd/Al2O3) was used in steam reforming of benzene as a biomass gasification tar model compound. The reaction was carried out in a laboratory-scale tube reactor made of stainless steel to study the effect of reaction temperature, catalyst loading, quantity of palladium catalyst tubes, steam to carbon ratio (S/C), and residence time on catalytic performance and stability. Pd/Al2O3 showed high efficiency ofbenzene decomposition and enhanced the formation of fuel gas. Hydrogen and carbon conversions increased with reaction temperature. Although the benzene concentration increased from 2000 to 5000 mg/l, the catalytic performance at 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C was similar. 1.0 wt% Pd/Al2O3 showed excellent catalytic activity with the highest hydrogen and carbon conversions of 83% and 81%, respectively at 800 degrees C. This result is attributed to the smooth surface of the palladium, as noted from scanning electron microscopy imaging. An S/C of 2 provided the highest conversion. The addition of catalyst from four and seven tubes did not result in any great difference in terms of benzene cracking efficiency. The fourth cyclic usage of 1.0 wt% Pd/Al2O3 exhibited a higher conversion than that of 0.5 wt%.
Thermal conversion of cassava rhizome was performed using a modular downdraft gasifier with the addition of Ni-based catalysts as promising tar eliminating and produced gas upgrading techniques. The activities of a synthesized 5% Ni/dolomite pellet catalyst prepared by impregnation method were investigated in a secondary reactor downstream of the gasifier. High reforming activity of the Ni/dolomite pellet catalyst on tar reduction was achieved. The conversion to H and CO was improved via steam reforming of methane and char reaction with CO. Moreover, the formation of CH and CH was diminished through the tar or condensable hydrocarbon reformed on the catalyst surface. The carbon and hydrogen conversions of cassava rhizome with prepared catalyst were 83.79% and 61.78%, respectively, at an air flow rate of 1.98 m/hr. At this condition, tar formation was low, while the lower heating value was 4.39 MJ/m and H to CO molar ratio was 1.22. Generally, the addition of a catalyst not only enhanced gas production, but also reduced tar and particulate matter generation; thus, its implementation should help lessen the pollution control requirement and cost of operation, while allowing higher quality fuel gas production.
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