The study of palm kernel shell updraft gasification for supplying heat to an asphalt mixing plant
Sunu Herwi Pranolo*, Hidayat, Winda Permata Hati

Study Program of Chemical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sebelas Maret,
Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta, INDONESIA 57126
* sunu_pranolo[at]staff.uns.ac.id

Abstract

Both Cold Gas Eficiency (CGE) and Carbon Conversion Efficiency (CCE) are the common performance indicators of a gasification process. The evaluation describes optimum results of producer gas calorific value and the amount of converted carbon in biomass into CO, CO2 and CH4 from a unit mass of feedstock which is gasified using certain gasifying agent in any type of gasifiers. This study examines palm kernel shell air-gasification in an updraft fixed-bed gasifier for aggregate heatingup with producer gas combustion in an asphalt mixing plant. It was observed that at feedstock flowrate of 990 kg/hour and equivalence ratio range of 0.04 - 0.11, the gasifier generated the same solid residue of 299 kg/hour. With equivalence ratio of 0.04, 0.06, and 0.1, this palm kernel shell gasification performed carbon conversion efficiency of 52%, 53% and 60%, and cold gas efficiency of 18%, 21%, and 33% respectively.

Keywords: palm kernel shell, updraft gasification, cold gas efficiency, carbon conversion efficiency, asphalt mixing plant

Topic: Chemical Engineering