Tar removal from biomass derived fuel gas by pulsed corona discharges: chemical kinetic study II

Tar (heavy hydrocarbon or poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)) removal from biomass derived fuel gas is one of the biggest obstacles in its utilization for power generation. We have investigated pulsed corona as a method for tar removal. Our previous experimental results indicate the energy consumption of 400 J/L for naphthalene removal (model tar compound) from synthetic fuel gas (CO, CO2, H2, CH4, N2) at a temperature of 200 °C. The present study extends our work on experimental and kinetic calculations for temperatures up to 500 °C. Radical yields are evaluated at various temperatures. According to the kinetic model and experimental results we concluded that the optimum temperature for tar removal is around 400 °C. The energy consumption for tar removal at 400 °C is about 200-250 J/L, whereas at 200 °C, this is about 400-600 J/L.