Applications of biomass gasification
A review of gasifier applications has been published by Foley and Barnard (12), who discuss the use of gasifiers for production of fuel gas for heat generation as well as the utilization of gasifiers in combination with engines.
Most gasifiers in commercial operation today are used for the production of heat, rather than fuel for internal combustion engines, because of the less stringent requirements for gas heating value and tar content. The fundamental advantage of a gasifier close coupled to a burning system is its ability to produce higher temperatures than can be achieved with conventional grate, combustion, liable to slagging problems at such temperatures, and in consequence its enhancement of boiler efficiency and output.
All types of gasifiers described in Section 2.3 can provide producer gas for combustion purposes, but for the sake of simplicity up-draught gasifiers are preferred in small systems (below 1 MW thermal power), while fluidised bed gasifiers are appropriate in power ranges above this level.
Most conventional oil-fired installations can be converted to producer gas.
The most potential users of low-calorific fuel-gas in the future are expected to be found among the following industries: metallurgy, ceramic, cement, lime and pulp. In these industrial branches the conversion of kilns, boilers and driers from oil to fuel gas operation is in principal a quite simple operation.