(536a) Enhanced Syngas Production with Reduced Tar Emissions: Optimization of Catalytic Biomass Gasification in Bubbling Fluidized Beds

The goal of this DOE-funded research is to develop and test a cutting-edge, two-stage bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasifier using a hydrogen separation membrane that produces clean hydrogen from biomass. Reactor design innovation and optimization are critical to the advancement of biomass gasification technology, especially when it comes to producing cleaner syngas with an emphasis on hydrogen production. The configuration of the biomass gasification system is illustrated in Figure 1. We have optimized critical parameters such as feeding rate, minimum fluidization velocity, and flow-to-solids ratio to improve the system's performance. Furthermore, hot gasifier tests were carried out to examine how catalyst material and gas distributor design affected gasifier performance. The physical characteristics of the gas distributor and the effect of catalyst material on reaction kinetics and gas quality affecting flow distribution and residence time, were found to have a substantial impact on fluidized bed performance. The first catalyst bed is designed to produce syngas, and the second catalyst bed helps to decompose the tar. The ultimate objective of this research is to produce high-quality syngas with less than 1% tar concentration. Several reaction variables, such as the catalyst design, the gasifying agent, and the feeding rate oversight, make this outcome possible. By optimizing these variables, we want to reduce tar formation and produce syngas of the highest quality, thereby improving the dependability and efficiency of the gasification process. This work offers important new information about reactor design and operating parameters for biomass gasification research in the future.