The increase in production efficiency sets ever growing demands for gas cleaning [
8]. The benefits of gasification also include the possible reduction of emissions, emissions of compounds of Sulphur, chlorine, and nitrogen, but also persistent organic pollutants (POP), e.g., polychlorinated benzodioxines and benzodifuranes (PCDD, PCDF). Reduction of emissions is achieved by removing these compounds and their precursors directly from the produced gas prior to combustion. The volume of gas is smaller compared to the volume of produced flue gases; the concentration of pollutants is higher, and more efficient removal in smaller technological equipment is possible. Pollutants are present in a reduced form; their aggressiveness towards equipment is significantly lower.
2.1. Undesirable Substances
The choice of a suitable procedure for cleaning depends on the technology selected for its properties and content of undesirable components [
9]. Undesirable components are formed from inorganic components of fuel or incomplete conversion of material. They cause abrasion, corrosion, formation of sediments, and degradation reactions, e.g., in catalyzers, or they represent ecological loads [
8].
The volume of contaminating substances in the gas generated during gasification is directly dependent on the contamination of solid fuel. The volume of undesirable substances in biomass and the conversion process can be significant, e.g., N, P, K, Si, Ca, Mg, S, Na, Cl [
6]. The main portion of heavy and alkali metals (potassium 80%) tend to stay in the solid phase during fuel conversion [
10].
The following pollutants are formed during the gasification process:
2.3. SP Removal
To remove mechanical impurities and tar droplets originating from condensation, separators are used, with gravitational settlement, centrifugal forces, filtration, scrubbing, and electrostatic trapping in a high-tension electric field. According to the principle of their action, they are divided into:
The mutual comparison of the respective types of equipment with the size of the particles of trapped aerosols is shown in
Figure 1. When choosing the type of separator, it is necessary to take into account that certain types of particles agglomerate in larger aggregates, which facilitate the cleaning of gases.
Today, the removal of tar from generator gas, due to the physiochemical properties of organic substances which form it, is often performed in technological practice by applying modified physiochemical processes developed in the past for gasification and carbonization of coal. Organic substances, which are similar in nature to the compounds forming tars, are used as the washing liquid in these processes. The advantage of applying organic substances in comparison to water washing is the fact that at temperatures of around 50 °C, a much lower tar content in the gas can be achieved downstream of the washer without condensation of water vapor from the gas and problematic water solutions or emulsions.
However, in these cases, pursuant to the rules of thermodynamic equilibrium, the increasing content of tar in the washing liquid increases the residual concentration of tar in the gas. This means that in the case of concentration of tar in the absorption medium, the concentration of residual tar components in the gas starts to increase. During gasification of biomass, the saturated absorption solution in small equipment typically does not regenerate but is combusted or gasified. This leads to increased operating costs. Several practical applications under various trade abbreviations are known. The best known and longest used application is cleaning of gas from an 8 MWt fluid gasification generator with a circulation bed of cogeneration units in Güssing (Austria), where the content of tar in the gas is reduced from 1500 mg·m
−3 to 10–40 mg·m
−3 (at a temperature under 50 °C). Such cleaned gas is combusted in the cogeneration unit engine with an output of 2 MWe, and the used bio-diesel is combusted in the combustion section of the generator [
20].
Reduction of the tar content in gas also enables optimization of the operating parameters of generators with a fluid bed with catalytically active material operating at temperatures over 900 °C.
The generation of gas with low tar content can also be achieved during operation of a so-called dual-stage generator, utilizing the principle of partial oxidation of pyrolysis products represented by a high content of tar components released in the pyrolysis section of the generator [
21]. In addition, a concurrent generator such as the “Imbert” type, produces gas with low tar content, provided that technological conditions mainly respecting the biomass properties are complied with. This generator in its various modifications, is the most common generator in small cogeneration units in the Czech Republic.
An often-underestimated factor during the exploitation of similar units is the ingress of fine SP into the cylinder space of the combustion engine from where their residues after combustion are mainly pulled into the oil, thereby compromising its lubricating properties, alkalinity, and shortening its replacement interval. Quantity of SP which exceeds limits set by engine manufacturers also increases wear of the intake ducting and cylinders and, in the case of the use of a turbocharger, it also causes its accelerated wear.
The synchronous impact of the above-mentioned factors is one of the reasons for insufficient economic efficiency of gasification units operated today in the Czech Republic. An improvement in the situation can be achieved mainly by using more efficient SP removal, preferably using barrier filters operated above the dew point of tars and water vapors in the gas. In cases where the removal of tar and SP is performed simultaneously, there is a high risk of formation of a sticky filtration cake, causing significant problems in its subsequent removal from the filter surface. This process has a progressive character and the degree of filter surface degradation gradually increases during operation. A worse condition can only be the penetration of condensed tar into the actual filtration material. The described problem occurs quite often during starting-up of the gasification technology. Raw hot gas enters the cold space with the filtration elements, which contains amongst others, much more tar at engine start-up than during the stabilized operation. Upon contact with the cold filter the gas immediately cools, tar and water vapor condense, penetrate the filter structure and particles bond to the filter. After a certain operation period the filter heats up to the necessary temperature, but due to the polycondensation and polymerization reactions of reactive tar components the filter is permanently clogged, increasing its pressure loss and preventing its further use, often leading to the failure of the cleaning system, which then requires replacement of the filtration elements. A similar “result” can also be achieved quite easily by using cold pressure media for regeneration of the filter during reverse impulse purging.
The corresponding design of filtration materials and filter designs require knowledge of the amount, composition, and distribution of SP particles, which must be removed from the generated gas in certain cases, or the limit of the content of organic substances adsorbed by the trapped solid particles must be determined. Well known solutions of SP and tars removal from big facilities including hot filters for removing SP, catalytic decomposition of tars, or other sophisticated devices are not suitable for small energy units because of their high investment costs.
A certain problem with the operation of generators gasifying wood is the formation of incrusts in the generator’s fire grate, which limits the discharge of solid residues from the gasifying generator, as well as the actual operation of the gasification process.