Biomass gasifiers

Gasification is the conversion of biomass into combustible gas, volatiles and ash in an enclosed reactor or gasifier. The gas produced can be used either for heat generation or for power generation. A wide range of biomass materials (wood, charcoal, coconut shells, rice husk, bagasse, etc.) can be used to fuel gasifiers. In most of agro industries thermal processing is one of the step involved in the production chain. Many industry segments also use high cost fuels such as diesel, LPG or electricity to meet their thermal requirements such as drying, sterilization, direct and indirect heating, steam generation in boilers, melting and other applications. With increasing cost of imported oil and electricity, industry is increasingly loosing its competitive edge, both in the local and global markets.
Biomass gasification process on the other hand offers an industrially proven, elegant, affordable and environment friendly way to meet this situation. Wood in drying and sizing mills, a major part of rice husk in rice mill, bagasse in gur / khandasari manufacturing units and agro residues such as groundnut shell etc., are used as furnace fuels via direct combustion. The operation of these furnaces, in general, has very low efficiency and results in a very serious air pollution and fly ash emissions. Alternate application of these residues via gasification route offers combustible gas, which can be used as fuel for all the above industrial thermal applications with relatively high efficiency.