Entrained flow gasification of straw- and wood-derived pyrolysis oil in a pressurized oxygen blown gasifier

Fast pyrolysis oil can be used as a feedstock for syngas production. This approach can have certain advantages over direct biomass gasification. Pilot scale tests were performed to investigate the route from biomass via fast pyrolysis and entrained flow gasification to syngas. Wheat straw and clean pine wood were used as feedstocks; both were converted into homogeneous pyrolysis oils with very similar properties using in-situ water removal. These pyrolysis oils were subsequently gasified in a pressurized, oxygen blown entrained flow gasifier using a thermal load of 0.4 MW. At a pressure of 0.4 MPa and a lambda value of 0.4, temperatures around 1250 °C were obtained. Syngas volume fractions of 46% CO, 30% H2 and 23% CO2 were obtained for both pyrolysis oils. 2% of CH4 remained in the product gas, along with 0.1% of both C2H2 and C2H4. Minor quantities of H2S (3 vs. 23) cm3 m−3, COS (22 vs. 94) cm3 m−3 and benzene (310 vs. 532) cm3 m−3 were measured for wood- and straw derived pyrolysis oils respectively. A continuous 2-day gasification run with wood derived pyrolysis oil demonstrated full steady state operation. The experimental results show that pyrolysis oils from different biomass feedstocks can be processed in the same gasifier, and issues with ash composition and melting behaviour of the feedstocks are avoided by applying fast pyrolysis pre-treatment. •Production of homogeneous pyrolysis oil from straw and wood on pilot scale.•Pressurized, oxygen blown entrained flow gasification of pyrolysis oil.•Production of clean syngas from biomass via pyrolysis oil intermediate.