Optimum specific gasification rate for static bed rice hull gasifiers

An experimental determination of the optimum specific gasification rate for static bed rice hull gas producers was conducted for reactor diameters of 16–30 cm. All experiments were performed with reactors under suction from a throttled centrifugal blower. Cold-gas efficiency was observed to increase as specific gasification rate increased from 100 to about 200 kg m−2 h−1, and then begin to decline as gasification rate was increased further. The decline in efficiency at higher gasification rates was due to decreasing gas heating value which could not be compensated by increasing gas flow. An empirical relationship derived between specific gasification rate and cold gas efficiency was found to be independent of reactor area, although further work is needed at larger scale to assess the validity of the relationship beyond the experimental range evaluated.