PROJECT ON BIOMASS GASIFICATION
SIMULATION AND MODELLING BY ASPENPLUS
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:-
SRI BISWAJIT KAMILA
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
PRESENTED BY:-
KUSHAL KAYAL
Class Roll No.-18 (5th Sem)
University Roll No.-91/CME/151017
Department of Chemical Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
What is biomass?
 COMPOSITION OF DIFFERENT BIOMASS

Fuel C % wt H % wt O % wt N % wt S % wt Ash % wt Heating value Kj/g.

Birch wood 48.8 6.0 44.2 0.5 0.01 0.5 20.0

Pine wood 49.3 6.0 44.2 0.5 0.01 0.5 20.1

Bark 47.2 5.6 46.9 0.3 0.07 3.9 20.9

Wheat straw 49.6 6.2 43.6 0.6 Na 4.7 18.6

Miscanthus 49.5 6.2 43.7 0.6 Na 3.3 18.5

Sugarcane 49.5 6.2 43.8 0.5 Na 3.7 18.5

Reed grass 49.4 6.3 42.7 1.6 Na 8.8 18.8
 BIOMASS GASIFICATION

solid biomass fuel gaseous combustible gas

The gasification process mainly consists of
• a dual fluidized bed (DFB)biomass gasifier,
• a combustion chamber,
• a cyclone,
• a post combustion chamber,
• a gas cleaning system
Biomass Gasification Reactions:-
✓Drying
✓Pyrolysis

✓ Oxidation
C+O2 → CO2+heat

✓Reduction
C + CO2 → 2 CO
C + H2O → CO + H2
CO + H2O → CO2 + H2
C + 2H2 → CH4
Schematic of downdraft gasifier
 OBJECTIVE
1. to study the effect of important parameters
• gasification temperature,
• steam to biomass ratio and
• shift reaction temperature on hydrogen concentration,
• CO concentration,CO2 conversion and
• H2/CO ratio in the syngas.

2. To confirm validity, the accuracy of the model’s predictions are compared

with actual experimental result to improve the percentage yield.
3. Compare the yield composition between Gibbs reactor and CSTR.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-1

Author name:-Pauls J,Mostafavi E

Experiment:- Simulation of air-steam gasification of woody
biomass in a bubbling fluidized bed using ASPEN PLUS
Conclusion of Author:- It was concluded that the model
can be depended on to produce results that were reasonably
close to those seen experimentally within the 700-9000C range.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-2

Author Name:-Laxmi Prasad Rao Pala et al

Experiment Name:-Steam gasification of biomass with subsequent
syngas adjustment using shift reaction for syngas production
Author Conclusion:- The results indicate that the hydrogen content
almost remains constant with increasing gasification temperature whereas
it increases with increasing steam to biomass ratio. As expected from the
thermodynamic equilibrium, the CO conversion decreases with
increasing water gas shift temperature between 250 and 400 degree
Celcius.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-3

Author Journal name and Experiment or Conclusion of author

published year Model

Sungwarn A Study of Throat Size A Study of Throat Size . The main finding results could be concluded as follows: 1.
Banchan et Effect on Downdraft Effect on Downdraft Gasifier efficiency of downdraft biomass gasifier was
al Biomass Gasifier Biomass Gasifier increase with increasing of the air flow rate. For this study
efficiency, efficiency the air flow rate at 5 m3/hr shows the highest value of
2016 gasifier efficiency. 2. The optimal of throat diameter was 2
0 c m. t hat showed the highest value of gasifier efficiency
equal to 35.36% for leucaena and 43.36% for eucalyptus. 3.
The composition of producer gas included carbon
monoxide 13.86%, hydrogen 8.47%, methane 3.64%,
carbon dioxide 5.73% and oxygen 5.73% for leucaena. 4.
The composition of producer gas included carbon
monoxide 19.05%, hydrogen 6.85%, methane 18.58%,
carbon dioxide 12.04% and oxygen 2.76% for eucalyptus. 5.
The heating value of the producer gas was increase with
increasing of the air flow rate. For this study the heating
value of the producer gas was equal to 3.84 MJ/Nm3 for
leucaena and 4.87 MJ/Nm3 for eucalyptus.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-4

Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author

and published Model
year
Hailon Biomethane Biomethane Based on the simulated results, it is clear
g Li et production production via that for the biomethane production, the
al via anaerobic anaerobic anaerobic digestion
digestion and digestion and integrated with upgrading and the
biomass , biomass gasification integrated with methanation
2017 have similar efficiencies.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-5
Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author
and published Model
year
Agostino A Model for the A Model for the The model takes into consideration five elements
Gambarot Prediction of Prediction of (C, H, O, N, S) and 16 species. The
ta et al Pollutant Species Pollutant Species equilibrium is calculated by minimizing the
Production in Production in syngas Gibbs free energy.The model is validated
the Biomass the Biomass against experimental data gathered from
Gasification Gasification literature and against the results of a
Process Process stoichiometric model. The model highlights the
well-known weakness of equilibrium models but
proves to be effective in the simulation of
biomass gasification process both for the
calculation of energy related species and
pollutant related species.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-6
Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author
and published Model
year
Anil M et Performance Performance The developed model was used to analyze the
al evaluation of evaluation of effect of turbulence in the fluid dynamic
fluidised bed fluidised bed modelling of fluidized bed.
biomass biomass From the simulation results it was found that
gasifier using gasifier using the effect of turbulence cannot be neglected
CFD CFD in the modelling of fluidized bed. The model is
used to analyze the impact of equivalence
ratio, steam to biomass ratio, air preheating
and steam temperature in product gas
composition. H2 concentration is found to be
increased by 87% when SBR is
varied from 0.5 to 1.5.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-7
Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author
and published Model
year
This paper analyzes the environmental
G. Assessment of impacts of a biomass gasifier power plant
Chidikofan Assessment of Environmental
Environmental project for electricity supplying of an isolated
et al Impacts of Tar rural area. It compares the impacts related to
Impacts of Tar Releases from a the releases of tar from the conversion of
Releases from a Biomass Gasifier
Biomass Gasifier Power Plant for cotton stalks and rice husks. the
Power Plant for Decentralized environmental impacts are assessed in terms
Decentralized of human toxicity no carcinogenic effect,
Electricity human toxicity carcinogenic effect and
Electricity
freshwater eco toxicity.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-8
Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author
and published Model
year

Arif Enhanced process Enhanced process An integrated system for energy harvesting from
Darmawan et Integration of Integration of black liquor based on combination of exergy
al entrained flow entrained flow recovery and process integration has been
gasification gasification evaluated and seems to be promising. A
and combined and combined significant high energy
cycle: modelling cycle: modelling efficiency could be achieved with total power
and simulation and simulation generation efficiency of about 49.5%.
using Aspen using Aspen For further development, integration of black
Plus Plus liquor production system, entrained flow
gasification
and combined cycle should be studied.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-9

Author Journal name Experiment or Conclusion of author

and published Model
year
E. Shayana et Energy Hydrogen The results indicate that the higher
al Conversion and production values of hydrogen production is
Management,2 from biomass associated respectively with using
017 gasification; a steam, oxygen, oxygen-enriched air and
theoretical air as the gasification agents. Also, it is
comparison of concluded that for the gasification
using different process the highest value of sensible
gasification energy efficiency is obtained for air
agents gasification, while the highest energy
efficiency, as a rational criterion, is
obtained for steam gasification.
 LITERATURE REVIEW-10
Author Journal name and Experiment or Conclusion of author
published year Model
Simulation of the gasification process in Aspen Plus is
M.S. Aspen Plus Aspen Plus useful in studying the produced gas composition. The
Eikeland et Simulation of Simulation of simulations using Gibbs rector and CSTR as models for
the fluidized gasification rector show how the
al Biomass Biomass composition of the produced gas differs because of the
different principles in the two methods. Gibbs reactor is
Gasification with Gasification with based on minimizing free energy and chemical and
known known thermodynamic equilibrium are reached. In the CSTR,
it is necessary to define the reaction rates of the actual
Reaction Kinetic Reaction Kinetic reactions taking place in the reactor. The kinetics will
determine how fast the reaction is approaching and the
residence time will determine whether the equilibrium
conditions are obtained.
 WORK PLAN STEPS

• Construction of an ASPEN PLUS model of Biomass

gasification
• Use different feed condition (feed temp, feed
composition, gasifying agent)
• Compare the results(S/B ratio,H2/Biomass ratio, CO
present in product stream etc.) of different feed condition
• Confirm validity with experimental result
• Compare the efficiency of reactor
• Choose the most economical way
 WORK PLAN STEPS

Construction of an ASPEN PLUS model of Biomass

gasification
Use different feed condition (feed temp, feed composition,
feed rate)
Compare the results of different feed condition
Confirm validity with experimental result
Choose the most economical way for better yield and
improve the model
Process Flowsheet for the Biomass Gasification
and Shift reaction in Aspen Plus
The following assumptions are made in this study to model
the process:-
• The system is isothermal and operates under steady
state conditions.
• Operation at atmospheric pressure, pressure drops
are neglected.
• Nitrogen, sulphur, chlorine and ash are neglected.
• Tar formation is not considered.
• Char is 100% carbon.
• Heat loss from the gasifier is neglected.
 CHEMICAL REACTIONS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS

Reaction Reaction Reaction Name Heat of reaction

No. (KJ/mole)

3 C+CO2 2CO Boudouard reaction +172.0

4 C+H2O CO+H2 Water gas reaction +131.0

5 CO+H20 CO2+H2 Water gas shift reaction -41.0

6 C+2H2 CH4 Methenation of carbon -74.0

8 CH4+H2O CO+3H2O Steam reforming of methane +206

 Feed composition
Feed stock used in this model is Birch Wood
Specification of Input Stream in ASPENPLUS

1.Specification of Feed ( Mixed substream)Stream

CISOLID sub stream input:-
Specification of H2OGIBB:-
RESULT STREAM SUMMARY
Stream results:-
 CO AND H2 COMPOSITION IN OULET STREAM GGIBB

The outlet streams are

GGIBB
GCSTR
A. The mass flow of CO in GGIBB (outlet stream) is=
1.61637×103kmol/sec=5.8189kmol/hr=(5.189kmol/hr) ×28kg/kmol=162.93kg/hr
The mass flow of H2 in in GGIBB (outlet stream) is=1.95912×10-
3kmol/sec=7.052kmol/hr=14.106 kg/hr

B. The mass flow of CO in GCSTR (outlet stream) is=2.947×10-4Kmol/sec=

1.061 kmol /hr=29.708 kg/hr.
The mass flow of H2 in in GGIBB (outlet stream) is= 9.64564×10-5
kmol/sec=0.694kh/hr
Observation:- From the above result we observe that syngas produced in
GGIBB stream is greater than GCSTR. So, We can say efficiency of Gibbs
reactor is greater than CSTR reactor.
 Block result:-

GASIFCST block result

GASIFGIB result:-
 SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS RESULT

FOR COMPOSITION OF CO AND H2 IN FOR COMPOSITION OF CH4 IN PRODUCT

PRODUCT STREAM GGIBB WITH STREAM GGIBB WITH INCREASING GASIFIER
INCREASING GASIFIER TEMP GASIFGIB TEMP GASIFGIB
The plot between Feed rate( kg/sec) vs CO mole
flow rate (kmole/sec) in outlet stream GGIBB
Plot between feed mole flow rate(kmole/sec) vs (co out /co in)
 REFERENCES
1.)Different types of gasifiers and their integration, Jeffrey Phillips
2.)P. Mathieu, R. Dubuisson, Performance analysis of a biomass gasifier, Energy Convers. Manag. 43 (9e12) (2002) 1291e1299.
3.)Steam gasification of biomass with subsequent syngas adjustment
using shift reaction for syngas production: An Aspen Plus model
Laxmi Prasad Rao Pala a, Qi Wang a, Gunther Kolb a, b, *, Volker Hessel a
4.)Aspen Plus Simulation of Biomass Gasification with known
Reaction Kinetic
M.S. Eikeland1 R.K. Thapa1 B.M. Halvorsen1
1Department of Process, Energy and Environmental Technology, Telemark University College, Norway,
5.)X. Ku, T. Li, T. Løvås, CFDeDEM simulation of biomass gasification with steam
in a fluidized bed reactor, Chem. Eng. Sci. 122 (2015)
6.)Simulation of air-steam gasification of woody biomass in a bubbling
fluidized bed using Aspen Plus: A comprehensive model including
pyrolysis, hydrodynamics and tar production
Jennifer H. Pauls, Nader Mahinpey*, Ehsan Mostafavi
7.)Biomethane production via anaerobic digestion and biomass
gasification
Hailong Li*a, Daheem Mehmooda, Eva Thorina, Zhixin Yub
THANK YOU