LAUSR

Gasification is one of the most efficient options among the different thermochemical methods to utilize the energy potential of biomass. The energy density of biomass is increased by converting it into concentrated fuel gas. The feasibility of utilizing groundnut shell in a fluidized bed gasifier is assessed in this study. In the present work, a modified stoichiometric equilibrium model is developed based on the assumption that the species and the reaction are in thermodynamic equilibrium. The developed model can predict the gas composition at different operating conditions like operating temperature and equivalence ratio. The detailed parametric studies with the assistance of the model help in preliminary design and development of the gasifier. Investigations on air gasification with groundnut shell as biomass feed have been taken up. The model-predicted compositions of producer gas at different operating temperatures were compared with experimental values at the same temperature, and an RMS error of 6.11 has been obtained. With the validated model, the gas composition at different equivalence ratios is also predicted. The obtained results clearly indicate that groundnut shell is a potential feedstock for gasification.