Characterization of particulate matter in the hot product gas from atmospheric fluidized bed biomass gasifiers

This study compares the characteristics of particulate matter (PM) in the hot product gas from three different atmospheric fluidized bed biomass gasifiers: a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasifier, a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasifier, and an indirect BFB gasifier (the latter integrated with a CFB boiler). All gasifiers displayed a bimodal particle mass size distribution with a fine mode in the <0.5 μm size range and a coarse mode in the >0.5 μm size range. Compared with the mass concentration of the coarse mode the mass concentration of the fine mode was low in all gasifiers. For both the BFB and CFB gasifiers the fine-mode PM had a similar inorganic composition, indicating an origin from the ash and the magnesite bed material used in both gasifiers. In the indirect BFB gasifier the fine-mode PM was instead dominated by potassium and chlorine, and the tar fraction properties evoked tar condensation in the sampling system that affected mainly the fine-mode PM. The coarse-mode PM in the BFB gasifier was dominated by char fragments abraded from the pyrolyzed wood pellets. In the CFB gasifier the coarse-mode PM was mainly ash and magnesite bed material that passed through the process cyclone. In the indirect BFB gasifier the coarse-mode PM was mainly ash, probably originating both from the BFB gasifier and the CFB boiler.