Abstract
Gasification of biomass produces syngas containing CO, $H_2$ and/or $CH_4$, which can then be converted into energy or value-added fuels. One of key issues for efficient gasification is to minimize tar concentration in the syngas for use in a final conversion device such as gas engine. This study investigated the decomposition of primary tar by catalytic cracking using char as catalyst, of which the feature can be integrated into a fixed bed gasifier design. The pyrolysis vapor containing tar from pyrolysis of wood at $500^{\circ}C$ was passed through a reactor filled with or without char at $800^{\circ}C$ for a residence time of 1, 3 or 5 sec. Then, the condensable vapor (water and tar) and gases were analyzed for the yields and elemental composition. Four types of char particles with different microscopic surface area and pore size distribution: wood, paddy straw, palm kernel shell and activated carbon. The results were analyzed for the mass and carbon yields of tar and the composition of product gases to conclude the effects of char types and residence time.
