Airflow Optimization in a Double Gasification Furnace to Produce Syngas and White Charcoal

Kanyaphorn Chaiwong, Charnyut Karnjanapiboon, Nattapon Wichan, Chakkraphan Thawonngamyingsakul

Abstract


The co-production of white charcoal and synthesis gas from rice husk was investigated in a dual-system furnace, which decouples pyrolysis and gasification processes. This study evaluated the relationship of air feed rate 0.08–0.16 kg/s on process efficiency and product quality. Increasing the air feed rate reduced production time from 141 to 69 minutes. An optimal air feed rate of 0.12 kg/s was identified for producing high-quality white charcoal, characterized by a maximum calorific value of 18.5 MJ/kg and an electrical resistance of 22.0 Ω. The charcoal yield ranged from 37-47%. A critical trade-off was observed in energy recovery, higher air feed rates favored syngas recovery and enhanced gasification efficiency at the expense of white charcoal energy recovery. This paper shows that the dual-system furnace, by separating the reaction zones, effectively optimizes the simultaneous production of both value-added products through precise control of the air feed rate.

Keywords


Air feed rate; Gasification furnace; Rice husk; Syngas; White charcoal

Full Text:

PDF

References


Kwon G.J., Kim A.R., Lee H.S., Lee S.H., Hidayat W., Febrianto F., and Kim N.H., 2018. Characteristics of white charcoal produced from the charcoal kiln for thermotherapy. Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology 46(5): 527-540.

Li Q.S., Xu M.S., Zhou G.J., and Wang L.Q., 2010. Preparation and characterization of white bamboo charcoal PET fiber. Chinese Chemical Letter 21(8): 995-998.

Pereira L.C., Corrêa C.R., Zilnyk K.D., Hias E.O., Santos H.C., Yamamoto H., Barros J.L., and Yamaji F.M., 2024. Binchotan charcoal as an alternative to calcined petroleum coke in anodes in the aluminum industry. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 12(31): 11480-11487.

Chia C., Joseph S., Rawal A., Linser R., Hook J., and Munroe P., 2014. Microstructural characterization of white charcoal. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 109: 215-221.

Pijarn N., Intaraprasert J., Ophap S., Uma T., Deekarnkol S., and Bowornkietkaew W., 2021. Microstructural characterization of white charcoal for rapid reduction of chemical oxygen demand and automatically adjust pH to neutral in wastewater treatment. Journal of Materials Research and Technology 14: 2066-2074.

Surup G., Pedersen T., Chaldien A., Beukes J., and Tangstad M., 2020. Electrical resistivity of carbonaceous bed material at high temperature. Processes 8(8): 933.

Cromarty R., Bharat S., and Odendaal D., 2023. Electrical resistivity of heat-treated charcoal. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 123(9): 481-492.

Yu, K.P., Chen, Y.C., Miao, Y.J., Siregar, S., Tsai, Y.W., and Lee, W.M.G., 2020. Effects of Oil Drops and the Charcoal’s Proximate Composition on the Air Pollution Emitted from Charcoal Barbecues. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 20, 1480-1494.

Pereira L.C., Corrêa C.R., Hias E.O., Santos H.C., Yamamoto H., Barros J.L., and Yamaji F.M., 2025. Reducing dependence on non-renewable sources: the addition of binchotan charcoal in carbon anodes for the aluminum industry. ACS Omega 10: 27206-27212.

Huynh T.T.H., Tongkhao K., Hengniran P., and Vangnai K., 2023. Assessment of high-temperature refined charcoal to improve the safety of grilled meat through the reduction of carcinogenic PAHs. Journal of Food Protection 86(12): 100179.

Kim H.J., Cho J., and Jang A., 2021. Effect of charcoal type on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in grilled meats. Food Chemistry 343: 128453.

Sajjad M., Sarwar R., Ali T., Khan L., and Mahmood S.U., 2021. Cosmetic uses of activated charcoal. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health 8(9): 4572-4574.

Lestari U., Syamsurizal S., and Farid F., 2021. Irritation test and effectiveness of the clean power activated charcoal palm shells (Elaeis guineensis Jacg) as adsorbent dirt on the hair. Indonesian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 1(1): 13-18.

Lestari U. and F. Farid. 2023. Utilization of waste palm shells to a shampoo that absorbs dirt on hair and evaluated the physical properties of the best shampoo. Demeter: Journal of Farming and Agriculture 1(1): 1-8.

Heberlein S., Chan W.P., Veksha A., Giannis A., Hupa L., and Lisak G., 2022. High temperature slagging gasification of municipal solid waste with biomass charcoal as a greener auxiliary fuel. Journal of Hazardous Materials 423(Part A): 127057.

Gross A., Bromm T., and Glaser B., 2021. Soil organic carbon sequestration after biochar application: a global meta-analysis. Agronomy 11(12): 2474.

Laorach L., Jutajan W., and Masakul P., 2021. Characterization and comparison of wood charcoal from traditional charcoal burning using different processes. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2013: 012003.

Pramchoo W., Geater A., Jamulitrat S., Geater S.L., and Tangtrakulwanich B., 2017. Occupational tasks influencing lung function and respiratory symptoms among charcoal-production workers: a time-series study. Safety and Health at Work 8(3): 250-257.

Ali M.M., 2023. Assessing the impacts of traditional charcoal production sites on the environment in Daynile District, Mogadishu-Somalia. American Journal of Environment and Climate 2(3): 131-139.

Ankona E., Nisnevitch M., Knop Y., Billig M., Badwan A., and Anker Y., 2022. The Eastern Mediterranean charcoal industry: air pollution prevention by the implementation of a new ecological retort system. Earth and Space Science 9: e2021EA002044.

Mencarelli A., Greco R., Balzan S., Grigolato S., and Cavalli R., 2023. Charcoal-based products combustion: emission profiles, health exposure, and mitigation strategies. Environmental Advances 13: 100420.

Getahun Z., Abewaa M., Mengistu A., Adino E., Kontu K., Angassa K., Tiruneh A., and Abdu J., 2024. Towards sustainable charcoal production: designing an economical brick kiln with enhanced emission control technology. Heliyon 10(6): e27797.

Adam J.C., 2009. Improved and more environmentally friendly charcoal production system using a low-cost retort-kiln (Eco-charcoal). Renewable Energy 34(8): 1923-1925.

Kumar V.A., Muninathan K., Arivazhagan S., Monish N., Ramanan M.V., Rao S.M., and Baskar G., 2023. Investigations on carbonization operating conditions of ANSYS customized kiln for charcoal production from Prosopis juliflora biomass and ANN model prediction for optimized operating conditions. Fuel 350: 128838.

García-Quezada J., Musule-Lagunes R., Prieto-Ruíz J.A., Vega-Nieva D.J., and Carrillo-Parra A., 2023. Evaluation of four types of kilns used to produce charcoal from several tree species in Mexico. Energies 16(1): 333.

Oliveira A.C., Ramos D.C., Pereira B.L.C., and Carneiro A.C.O., 2020. Carbonization temperature and charcoal properties at different positions in rectangular kiln. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Agrárias 15(4): e8493.

Wondmagegn S., Esubalew M., Balemual A., Mhriet S., Nigusu T., Adane W., and Tesfaw M., 2023. Design and development of a modified biomass charcoal production kiln. Ethiopian International Journal of Engineering and Technology 1(1): 12-22.

Chaiwong K., Karnjanapiboon C., Wichan N., Jaiinta N., and Thawonngamyingsakul C., 2019. The IoT based temperature monitoring and air inlet optimization controlling for gasification stove. In Proceedings of 2019 Joint International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology with ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (ECTI DAMT-NCON). Nan, Thailand, 30 January - 02 February. IEEE: 387-391.

Da Silva L.M., Arantes M.D.C., Marcelino R.P., Castro A.F.N.M., Ataíde G.M., Castro R.V.O., Da Silva Vieira R., De Cássia Oliveira Carneiro A., De Siqueira H.F., Protásio T.P., Baraúna E.E.P., Baldin T., and Colen F., 2024. Kiln-furnace system: validation of a technology for producing charcoal with less environmental impact in Brazil. Forests 15(4): 645.

Oh G., Ra H.W., Yoon S.M., Mun T.Y., Seo M.W., Lee J.G., and Yoon S.J., 2017. Gasification of coal water mixture in an entrained-flow gasifier: effect of air and oxygen mixing ratio. Applied Thermal Engineering 129: 657-664.

Inayat M., Sulaiman S.A., and Kurnia J.C., 2017. Investigation on the effect of blending ratio and airflow rate on syngas profile produced from co-gasification of blended feedstock. MATEC Web of Conferences 131: 03015.

Montuori L., Alcázar-Ortega M., Vargas-Salgado C., and Adinolfi E., 2025. Experimental evaluation of a lignocellulosic biomass downdraft gasifier on a small-scale basis: a thermodynamic approach. Applied Sciences 15(1): 177.

Osei I., Kemausuor F., Commeh M.K., Akowuah J.O., and Owusu-Takyi L., 2020. Design, fabrication and evaluation of non-continuous inverted downdraft gasifier stove utilizing rice husk as feedstock. Scientific African 8: e00414.

Aier I., Sakhiya A.K., Anand A., Kaushal P., and Vijay V.K., 2021. Sustainable utilization of paddy straw in Punjab for biochar production: estimating the energy and emission potential. International Energy Journal 21(3): 297-304.

Basu P., 2013. Biomass Gasification, Pyrolysis and Torrefaction: Practical Design and Theory. Second Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press.

Susastriawan A.A.P., Badrawada I.G., and Budi D.P., 2020. An effect of primary air draft and flow rate on thermal performance and CO/CO2 emission of the domestic stove fed with the briquette of coconut shell. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 10(4): 1099-1104.

Rubio M.G.A. and K. Jaojaruek. 2018. Small-scale single stage downdraft biomass gasifier with shaking grate mechanism. International Energy Journal 18(4): 321-330.

Li Z., Wang Z., Li Z., Chen G., Lei T., and Gupta A.K., 2025. Biomass gasification characteristic in an auto-thermal fixed-bed gasifier using air and O2-enriched air. Journal of the Energy Institute 117: 101945.

Yang J.Y., Tang S., Song B., Jiang Y., Zhu W., Zhou W., and Yang G., 2023. Optimization of integrated anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis for biogas, biochar and bio-oil production from the perspective of energy flow. Science of the Total Environment 899: 162154.

Surono U.B., Saptoadi H., and Rohmat T.A., 2020. Improving thermochemical and physical properties of cocoa pod shell by torrefaction and its potential utilization. International Energy Journal 20(2): 141-154.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.64289/iej.26.0103.6334405