PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN-RICH SYNTHESIS GAS THROUGH GASIFICATION OF OIL PALM SHELLS IN AN INDIRECTLY HEATED ROTARY KILN

The palm oil industry generated in 2013 approximately 112 million t of biomass residues worldwide. From this biomass about 14,7 million t constitutes oil palm shells, the endocarp of the oil palm fruits. High calorific solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and adsorbents can be produced through thermochemical conversion processes of this biomass. In this work, the production of syngas through gasification of moist oil palm shells is experimentally investigated in an indirectly heated rotary kiln in a bench-scale (4 kg/h) and semi-continuous operation. Pyrolysis and gasification are carried out simultaneously in the reactor in a water steam atmosphere varying from 60 to 90 vol. %, at temperatures between 750 and 850 degrees C and solids residence times between 100 and 170 min. The evolved gases CO2, CO, CH4, H-2, and CnHm are continuously analysed during the process. Chromatographic analyses are also performed. For each experiment mass, energy and chemical element balances are determined.