Experiences The Operation Of Coal Gasification Unit In Tea Drying Plant

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2016-04-22

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Anticipating the fluctuation of fuel oil cost, the management of tea plantation and drying plant has considered to substitute its oil consumption with producer gas (gaseous fuel obtained from gasification process). A tea drying unit normally consumes 70 Liter/hours of industrial diesel oil and is operated 10 hours per day. Based on energy balance calculation, this oil consumption might be replaced with coal of about 100 kg through gasification process. The gasification unit consisted of a downdraft fixed bed gasifier (designed capacity of about 100 kg/h), gas cooling and cleaning systems. The gas producer was delivered to the tea processing unit and burned to heat the drying air. Low calorific value coal 4500 kcal/kg and wood waste 4000 kcal/kg have been used as fuel. The gasification unit could be operated as long as 8 hours without refueled since the coal hopper on the top part of gasifier has a capacity of 1000 kg. Sometimes, the gasification process must be stopped before coal completely consumed due to ash melting inside the gasifier. Combustion of producer gas giving a pale blue flame, probably due to a lower calorific value of the gas producer or too much excess air. Temperature of heating air heated by combustion of this gas producer was only up to 85 oC. To attain the target temperature of 102 oC, a portion of fuel oil or small oil burner was still used, ie 15 Liter/hours instead of the original consumption of 70 Liter/hours. Thus the oil replacement was about 78 percent.

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gasification, gas producer, downdraft fixed bed gasifier, blue flame, oil burner

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