Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil based carbonaceous materials

into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This is achieved by reacting the
material at high temperatures (>700C), without combustion, with a controlled amount
of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas or producer gas and is itself a
fuel

Components and Working of Gasifier

The production of generator gas (producer gas) called gasification, is partial combustion of solid
fuel (biomass) and takes place at temperatures of about 10000 C. The reactor is called a gasifier

*Four distinct processes take place in a

gasifier as the fuel makes its way to
gasification. They are :
a) Drying of fuel
b) Pyrolysis a process in which tar and
other volatiles are driven off
c) Combustion
d) Reduction

1. Drying of fuel
In the drying zone the main process is of drying of wood. Wood entering the gasifier has
moisture content of 10-30%. Various experiments on different gasifiers in different conditions
have shown that on an average the condensate formed is 6-10% of the weight of gasified
wood14. Some organic acids also come out during the drying process. These acids give rise to
corrosion of gasifiers.

.
2.Combustion zone

The combustible substance of a solid fuel is usually composed of elements carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen. In complete combustion carbon dioxide is obtained from carbon in fuel and water is
obtained from the hydrogen, usually as steam. The combustion reaction is exothermic and yields
a theoretical oxidation temperature of 14500C
The main reactions,
therefore, are:
C + O2 = CO2 (+ 393 MJ/kg mole) (1)
2H2 + O2 = 2H2 O (- 242 MJ/kg mole) (2)
3. Reaction zone

The products of partial combustion (water, carbon dioxide and uncombusted partially cracked
pyrolysis products) now pass through a red-hot charcoal bed where the following reduction
reactions take place
C + CO2 = 2CO (- 164.9 MJ/kg mole) (3)
C + H2O = CO + H2 (- 122.6 MJ/kg mole) (4)
CO + H2O = CO + H2 (+ 42 MJ/kg mole) (5)
C + 2H2 = CH4 (+ 75 MJ/kg mole) (6)
CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O (- 42.3 MJ/kg mole) (7)
Reactions (3) and (4) are main reduction reactions and being endothermic have the capability of
reducing gas temperature. Consequently the temperatures in the reduction zone are normally
800-10000C. Lower the reduction zone temperature (~ 700-8000C), lower is the calorific value
of gas.

4. Pyrolysis zone
Upto the temperature of 2000C only water is driven off. Between 200 to 2800C carbon dioxide,
acetic acid and water are given off. The real pyrolysis, which takes place between 280 to 5000C,
produces large quantities of tar and gases containing carbon dioxide. Besides light tars, some
methyl alcohol is also formed. Between 500 to 7000C the gas production is small and contains
hydrogen.

Composition of producer gas from various fuels

For short answer write briefly as shown below

In a gasifier, the carbonaceous material undergoes several different processes:

1. The dehydration or drying process occurs at around 100C. Typically the resulting steam
is mixed into the gas flow
2. The pyrolysis (or devolatilization) process occurs at around 200-300C. Volatiles are
released and charis produced.The process is dependent on the properties of the
carbonaceous material and determines the structure and composition of the char, which
will then undergo gasification reactions.
3. The combustion process occurs as the volatile products and some of the char reacts with
oxygen to primarily form carbon dioxide and small amounts of carbon monoxide, which
provides heat for the subsequent gasification reactions. Letting C represent a carbon-
containing organic compound, the basic reaction here is
4. The gasification process occurs as the char reacts with carbon and steam to produce

carbon monoxide and hydrogen, via the reaction

5. In addition, the reversible gas phase water gas shift reaction reaches equilibrium very fast
at the temperatures in a gasifier. This balances the concentrations of carbon monoxide,
steam, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
 Types of Gasifiers

Since there is an interaction of air or oxygen and biomass in the gasifier, they are
classified according to the way air or oxygen is introduced in it. There are three types of gasifiers
(Figure 2); Downdraft, Updraft and Crossdraft. And as the classification implies updraft gasifier
has air passing through the biomass from bottom 3 and the combustible gases come out from the
top of the gasifier. Similarly in the downdraft gasifier the air is passed from the tuyers in the
downdraft direction.
Types of bio gas plants

Floating gas-holder type

Fixed dome type
Bag type

Floating Gas-holder Type

A digester tank or a well is made out of concrete and it called the digester tank T, which has two
parts: the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is from where slurry is transported to the tank, which has
a cylindrical dome H made of stainless steel. This dome floats on the slurry and collects the gas
generated. That is why such a biogas plant is known as floating gas holder type. Fermentation of
the slurry takes for about 50 days. The pressure inside H increases when more gas is formed by
bacterial fermentation. The gas is then transported out through outlet pipe V. The decomposed
matter moves into the next chamber in tank T. By using the outlet pipe this is then removed to
the overflow tank, which is used as manure for cultivation purposes.

Fixed Dome Type

Here also, a well and a dome are made out of concrete, which is called the digester tank T. Since
the dome is fixed, this gas plant is known as fixed dome type. The manufacturing process is
similar to the floating holder type bio gas plant, where the slurry expands and overflows into the
overflow tank F.
Bag Type
The bag-type biogas plant is a portable unit. Made of rubberized nylon fabric, such a plant can be
easily placed at any location. The appropriate type is selected on the basis of technical
requirements like distance between kitchen and cattle shed, location, availability of dung and
water, preferences of the beneficiaries etc.

INDIAN PLANTS

IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) plant

 KVIC( Khadi village industries commission) PLANT

INDIAN CHULHAS

Improved cookstove (chulha) technology in India has undergone swift changes during the last
decade. The improved chulha program, a 'minimum needs programme' of the Government of
India, is basically for rural women, and aims to improve their living conditions and create
awareness about the saving of big-fuel. It builds on the development work which has taken place
in many parts of India over a much larger period.
The program, started in December 1983, is supported by 17 Technical Backup Units (TBU),
established in various states of the country, for development of appropriate models of improved
chulhas, based primarily on studies of actual cooking needs of the region or groups of users. The
programme now has more than 40 different types of improved stoves. At the time of launching
most of the models used for field propagation had dampers and baffles.

Mud stoves

Improved, Two-pot, mud stove had a chimney and was fitted with dampers and baffles. Dampers
are thin metallic plates, and in a twopot mud stove with chimney the front damper is put across
the mouth of the fire-box. It regulates the intake of primary air for the combustion process and
controls its cooling effect on the stove. The 'chimney damper' is put across the flue passage
between the second pot hole and chimney pipe. It controls the flow of hot gases out through the
chimney. The dampers thus play an important role in achieving higher thermal efficiency. As a
result of experience, improved chulhas with dampers were rejected by the users for the following
reasons:

The dampers quickly become hot and the users fear burns if touched during cooking.
In the case of the vertically sliding type of damper, the grooves in the mud-body of the stove
become worn and do not provide smooth sliding and fixing at desired levels.

'Unified' models of improved chulhas

The model is damperless with a pottery liner in the fire-box, and secondary pot-holes and a
heat recovery system.

The fire-box has an appropriate grate for improved combustion and reduced smoke emission.

Cross section of a typical improved chulha

Chimneyless chulhas
The chimney, is an important component of an improved chulha as it extracts the products of
combustion from the kitchen space and also creates a natural drought in the fire-box to provide
the air needed for combustion.

However, field experience shows that the chimney-pipe is a major factor for non-adoption of
improved chulhas for the following reasons:

Most field workers are not skilled enough to make or safely install and properly seal a
chimney pipe through the roof.

Users do not clean the chimney regularly, and if broken cannot repair or replace it.

In most of the areas of India (except cold and hilly regions) the chimney pipe used is made of
asbestos-cement mixture.

A chimneyless stove needs a completely different design to give optimum combustion and heat
transfer, particularly in the combustion chamber and by addition of a grate. Some models have
provision for a second pot hole for recovery of exhaust heat. In practise in the field the heat
utilization may equal that of a stove with a chimney and smoke emission levels may be within
safe limits

Magan Chulah

The Magan Chulha was originally a massive, three-pot, Lorena-type mud stove needing at least a
month's preparation before it could be used

Two Community Woodstoves from Gujarat

For the Community Chulha, length of the fuelwood has to be short enough to permit closing of
the fuel window, which is to be opened only while charging the fuel. Air for combustion
is sucked in through the ash-pit window below the level of the grate. Rate of fuelwood
burning can be controlled by closing the hinged damper of the ash-pit window
Name of the Chula : ABHINAV/JETAN
Type : Fixed Two Pot Mud Stove
Chimney : Yes
Main fuel : Firewood, twigs, dung cake and agri-residues
Used in States of : Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh
Dissemination: 1,000,000 units (up to 1993)
Developed by: (1987) Energy Research Centre, Punjab University, Chandigarh,

Name of the Chula : ASTRA

Type : Two or Three Pot Stove
Materials : Bricks, mud mortar, cement blocks, metal sheet grate, metal sheet
firebox lid, asbestos pipe chimney and cowl
Chimney : Yes
Main fuel : Fuelwood, twigs, dung cake, straws, other similar agri-residues

Used in States of : Southern India, Karnataka

Name of the Chula : HARSHA
Type : Portable, metallic, single-pot stove
Materials : Sheet metal, iron rods, metal grate,
Chimney : No
Main fuel : Fuelwood, twigs, dung cake and agri-residues
Used in States of : Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

Name of the Chula : JANTA

Type : Single-pot portable, metal-clad, ceramic lined, stove
Materials : Sheet metal, ceramic, metal/cast iron grate,
Chimney : No
Main fuel : Fuelwood
Used in States of : Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra