A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF A BIOMASS GASIFICATION PROCESS.

The biomass is one of the promising energy sources of the future. It is possible to use its energy potential through thermo-chemical conversion processes of pyrolysis and gasification. A particular attention has been recently paid to biomass gasification. Several models have been advanced to describe this complex process. The present communication suggests a flowsheet simulating a wood biomass gasifier. The simulations are carried out by ASPEN PLUS V.8.0 commercial software. The thermo-chemical models assume that the reactants reach a chemical equilibrium. The flowsheet includes three stages: raw biomass drying, a gasification process and a products separation. The simulations provide to predict the final composition of the gas mixture produced by biomass gasification. Sensitivity analyses are performed to determine the effect of the pressure, the air flow, the moisture content, and the air stream enthalpy on the amounts of the gases produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]