Gas Production from Crop Residues: Fuel Moisture Content Limitations

A small down draft gas producer was equipped and instrumented for determining the moisture content of producer gas from wood chips with a wide range of moisture content. Data on the constituent gases were tested for reliability by elemental balance. The effect of fuel moisture content on various parameters related to gas quality was determined by statistical correlation. The results were compared with relationships which might be expected from theoretical considerations and from data obtained by other researchers. Using all available reliable data a highly significant linear relationship between gas moisture content and fuel moisture content was found. In addition, the heating value of the gas on a dry gas basis was found to decrease with increasing fuel moisture content. These results are essential in designing high performance systems using the gasification process to supply the energy.