Impact of moisture level in atmosphere on Biomass Gasification: A Bioenergy for Sustainable Development

The world is facing severe problem – energy crisis, environmental problem, this makes peoples to focus their courtesy on sustainable energy resources for their survival. Biomass technology is a right option in this regards because of its renewable, abundant, environment friendly nature. Gasification systems require high temperatures and an oxygenstarved environment to convert biomass which is usually wet organic domestic waste, organic industrial wastes, manure, sludge etc., into a gas (a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane). This gas fuels a gas turbine, which runs an electric generator. Changes in wood moisture are well tolerated by the process. During the testing program, as feedstock moisture levels were changed from level to another, the Gasifier and combustor reactors responded within minutes to the changes. When large changes in moisture content were made rapidly (20 to 30% by volume), Gasifier and combustor temperatures change more significantly so that a final steady state temperature, at each condition, were slightly delayed (about 1 to 2 hours depending on the magnitude of the moisture change) due to response of the system refractory. Even though the final steady state condition required some time to be reached, the gas production rate adjusted within minutes to within +/5% of the final equilibrium value.