Numerical Modelling of Wood Gasification in Thermal Plasma Reactor

Biomass gasification for synthesis gas production represents a promising source of energy based on plasma treatment of renewable fuel resources. Gasification/pyrolysis of crushed wood as a model substance of biomass has been experimentally carried out in the plasma-chemical reactor equipped with gas–water stabilized torch which offer advantage of low plasma mass-flow, high enthalpy and temperature making it possible to attain an optimal conversion ratio with respect to synthesis gas production in comparison with other types of plasma torches. To investigate this process of gasification in detail with possible impact on performance, a numerical model has been created using ANSYS FLUENT program package. The aim of the work presented is to create a parametric study of biomass gasification based on various diameters of wooden particles. Results for molar fractions of CO for three different particles diameters obtained by the modeling (0.55, 0.52 and 0.48) at the exit are relatively good approximation to the corresponding experimental value (0.60). The numerical results reveal that the efficiency of gasification and syngas production slightly decreases with increasing diameter of the particles. Computed temperature inhomogeneities in the volume of the reactor are strongest for the largest particle diameter and decrease with decreasing size of the particles.