THE FATE OF INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF BIOMASS IN FLUIDIZED-BED GASIFICATION

Bagasse and four banagrass fuels with different inorganic fractions we re gasified in a bench-scale fluidized bed at a nominal equivalence ra tio of 0.3, reactor temperature of 800 degrees C and atmospheric press ure. The gasifier output stream was characterized for permanent gas sp ecies, ammonia, condensable hydrocarbon species, char content and comp osition, and gas-phase inorganic species concentrations. Gas-phase con centrations of K, Na and Ca exceeded combustion turbine fuel specifica tions. Si, Fe, P, and Cl were also present in the gas phase. Significa nt amounts of inorganic fuel constituents were retained in the fluidiz ed bed, dispersed over the surface of the bed particles. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ltd.