Realizing self-sustained biomass gasification in a lab-scale downdraft reactor for compact CHP applications.

ABSTRACT: Miniaturizing biomass gasifiers is key to enabling household-scale combined heat and power (CHP) systems integrated with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), yet achieving self-sustained gasification at this scale is challenging due to severe heat losses. This study evaluates the self-sustaining potential of a lab-scale moving-bed downdraft gasifier using charcoal, across an equivalence ratio (ER) range of 0.47-0.65. Stable operation was achieved at ER = 0.47-0.60, with oxidation zone temperatures reaching 800-1000 °C. As ER increased, product gas performance improved, with CO and H2 concentrations of 15% and 5% at ER = 0.60, yielding a lower heating value of 2.60 MJ/Nm3, carbon conversion efficiency of 74.4%, and cold gas efficiency of 48.4%. Performance remained below literature values, prima

SUBMITTER: Itoh T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12948118 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature