Gasification of biomass is one of the most attractive methods for producing hydrogen rich gas. Syngas production from biomass is an attractive solution for energy crisis. The production of energy from biomass reduces the dependence of developing countries on fossil fuels, as ample biomass is available in the developing countries and is renewable. Downdraft gasifiers are fixed bed gasifiers where the gasifying agent and biomass are flowing downwards, developed for high-volatile fuels such as wood or biomass gasification. Cocurrent flow regime throughout the oxidation and reduction zones reduces the tars and particulates in syngas, which will reduce the necessity of complicated cleaning methods compared to updraft gasifiers especially if the gas is used as a burnable gas in a small community. It is important to ensure homogenous distribution of gasifying agent at the downdraft gasifier throat. This chapter presents latest trends in gasification of biomass using downdraft gasification.
Part of the book: Biomass Volume Estimation and Valorization for Energy