Performance evaluation of throat type updraft biomass gasifier using different biomass fuels

A biomass gasifier converts solid fuel such as wood waste, saw-dust briquettes and agro-residues into a gaseous fuel through a thermo-chemical process and the resultant gas can be used for thermal and power generation applications. The present research aims to evaluate the updraft biomass gasifier using different biomass for thermal application. The capacity of updraft gasifier was a 5-10 kg.h-1 and three types of biomass: maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes were used as fuel for producing producer gas by thermal application. The maximum carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and Methane (CH4) found were 14.8, 12.7 and 3.9%, 14.6, 13.7 and 3.9 % and 14.2, 13.5 and 3.9% at 5 kg.h-1 biomass consumption rate, respectively using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes as fuel. The maximum and minimum producer gas calorific value was found 1120 and 1034 kcal.m-3; 1139 and 1034 kcal.m-3 and 1123 and 1036 kcal.m-3 at biomass consumption rate of 5 and 10 kg.h-1 using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes as fuel respectively. The maximum gasifier efficiency of 77.94, 70.26 and 69.60% was found at the biomass consumption rate of 5 kg.h-1 using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes as fuel, respectively. The minimum gasifier efficiency of 72.72, 64.49 and 64.90 % was found at the biomass consumption rate of 10 kg.h-1 using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes as fuel in the system, respectively. The maximum overall thermal efficiency of 29.60, 30.65 and 23.69 % were found at the biomass consumption rates of 8, 7 and 7 kg.h-1 using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes, respectively.