Fluidized Bed Reactor for Gasification of Sugarcane Bagasse: Distribution of Syngas, Bio-Tar and Char

A fluidized bed reactor to gasify sugarcane bagasse was designed and built in order to produce syngas. A study of the effect of two variables -- ER ratio (defined as the ratio between the air flow introduced into the gasifier and the air stoichiometric flow required for complete combustion of the bagasse) and reaction temperature -- on the product distribution (syngas, bio-tar and char) and syngas composition have been analyzed. The ER ratio has a positive effect on gas production, increasing production when a higher ER is used. The char yield decreased at higher temperatures and yield of bio-tar remained almost invariant regardless the value of ER. The amount of bio-tar in the syngas was very small, but it was found that the bio-tar was almost water (> 95 wt% of water). The highest ER promoted the production of larger quantities of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, while reducing the amount of carbon dioxide.