Mid Sweden University

The objective of this degree project has been to apply different methods of analysis to evaluate a variety of feedstock. The application of different feedstock can increase the fuel flexibility of gasification reactors and therefore increase their profitability. The syngas produced through gasification is important for the production of electricity, different chemicals and biomass to liquid fuels. It has further been the aim to analyse potential correlations between the gas composition and tar yields of gasification and pyrolysis processes. The study is based on the experimental analysis of the properties of hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, spirolina, scenedesmus quadricauda, pine bark, peat, forest residues, straw, hemp, black liquor, sawdust and wood. These biomass feedstocks have been analysed by pyrolysis, proximate, thermogravi-metric, gas, partially ultimate and gasification analysis. The results of the fuel analysis of wood, sawdust, forest residue and pine bark indicate a good pyrolysis and gasification potential. Microalgae, may be more suitable for other chemical processes but could as well as peat be used as an additive for gasification. Black liquor is unsuitable for unpressur-ised gasification. The thermogravimetric analysis of varying fuel frac-tions of peat and forest residues indicates a predictability of the result-ing mass loss curves. The measured gas and tar yields of the gasification and pyrolysis experiments reveal that correlations between the two different processes partially exist. A possible correlation between me-thane and tar yields could be observed as well. It is recommended to conduct further experiments including ash analysis and construction of a drop tube reactor.