Non-thermal plasma for biomass tar removal

Gasification is considered as an efficient way to utilize biomass as an energy source or for fuel production. One of the obstacles for commercial utilization is the production of tars or heavy hydrocarbons along with the producer gas. Tar removal posses a serious challenge. Conventional methods employ catalytic or thermal cracking or scrubbing techniques. The present paper investigates non-thermal plasma as an alternative approach. Experimental results indicate energy requirement to be about 400 J/L for removal of naphthalene from synthetic producer gas at 200°C. The main pathway for tar removal by pulsed corona at the investigated temperatures is dry reforming by CO₂. For commercial application, the key issue is related to the energy consumption of the process. In addition, another requirement is that fuel gas cleaning should be done at high temperatures in order to integrate with the downstream process equipments. The paper intends to provide an insight into pulsed corona plasma treatment of fuel gas at high temperatures.