Simulation and Experimental Validation of Biomass Gasification in a Spouted Bed Reactor: Troubleshooting Using DWSIM

Simulation plays a crucial role in the design and optimization of gasifiers by providing a detailed understanding of the involved physical processes and complex chemical reactions without the need for extensive trial-and-error experiments. It can also serve as a valuable tool for identifying potential technical issues in experimental devices that operate below expected performance. This study presents a comprehensive simulation of biomass gasification using the open-source software DWSIM. The simulated results were compared with experimental data from a pilot-scale spouted bed reactor, featuring a square-based design with a 20 kWth capacity, using pruning of apple tress as feedstock. Experimental results revealed that the reactor operated effectively at temperatures exceeding 850�C, maintaining stable conditions across a wide range of equivalence ratios. However, the distribution of products�particularly hydrogen (H2)�did not match expected results based on both literature and simulations. A joint analysis of experimental data and expected behavior from simulation helped identify the observed inefficiencies and optimize the reactor's performance.