How to remove particulates and tars in the process of Biomass Gasification
f one wants to ensure a greener as well as a cleaner environment, using up of alternative energy schemes like solar, wind and geothermal energy has proved to be quite efficient bearing wonderful results. Now how can one ensure a greener and a cleaner environment? Well of course, with the help of Biomass Gasification as well as wood Gasification techniques. These gasification techniques are nothing but incomplete combustion of Biomass to produce other combustible gases on the process, which include carbon-monoxide and ethanol. This mixture of gas being formed is the producer gas. But this process also results in formation of other products like, particulates and tars. So, let’s see how these additional products can be removed.
In large industries, a “venturi scrubber” is proved to be helpful in the removal of particulates and other tars. This scrubber removes 90-99% of these particulates and almost up till 60% of the tars. This “venturi scrubber” which they use in industries consists of 3 important sections – the converging section, the throat section and the diverging section. Now how does this thing work would be the question repeating again and again in your mind. Well, here’s how.
Sneak-Peek into Working of a Venturi Scrubber
Basically, a venturi scrubber uses turbulence and a liquid, which helps in absorbing to create a pressure drop. The pressure drop creates a thorough mixing of the liquid which eventually gets into the Scrubber at the throat and the gas which moves inside. These “Venturi scrubbers” are used to remove the excess products of particulates and gases,which are found in abundance when we talk about how the Biomass gasification works. In order to remove gases like Carbon-di-oxide , Hydro-chloric acid , and some other sulphides and sulphites – an alkaline solution is used which comprises of soda ash or caustic soda. To remove the water vapor, a Chevron type demister is used. The gas which is emitted at this point is almost saturated and the water which is collected at the throat of the scrubber and the demister contain most of the particulates as well as tars, and other reacted elements.
So Venturi Scrubber is THE way to convert your large industrial effluents into something of use i.e energy.
This could give you an idea as to how important it is in Biomass gasification.