Syngas production from wood pellet using filtration combustion of lean natural gas–air mixtures

A common method for the production of hydrogen and syngas is solid fuel gasification. This paper discusses the experimental results obtained from the combustion of lean natural gas–air mixtures in a porous medium composed of aleatory alumina spheres and wood pellets, called hybrid bed. Temperature, velocity, and chemical products (H2, CO, CO2, CH4) of the combustion waves were recorded experimentally in an inert bed (baseline) and hybrid bed (with a volume wood fraction of 50%), for equivalence ratios (φ) from 0.3 to 1.0, and a constant filtration velocity of 15 cm/s. Upstream, downstream and standing combustion waves were observed for inert and hybrid bed. The maximum hydrogen conversion in hybrid filtration combustion is found to be ∼99% at φ = 0.3. Results demonstrate that wood gasification process occurs with high temperature (1188 K) and oxygen available, and the lean hybrid filtration process can be used to reform solid fuels into hydrogen and syngas.