Waste newspaper gasification

An experimental study was conducted to verify the feasibility of converting waste newspaper into a combustible gas. The gasification process was selected as the focus of this study because of its portability. Based on available information written about Swedish wood and charcoal gas generators used during World War II, a downdraft, fixed-bed, Imbert-style gas generator was chosen. Using Swedish as well as contemporary documents as a guide, a gas generator was designed to produce enough combustible gas to run a ten-horsepower internal combustion engine, although this study did not attempt to integrate the gas generator and the engine. Output gas quality was assessed by providing an ignition source to the gas generator exhaust and visually monitoring the gas flammability. Gas chromatograph samples were taken at different operating conditions to find the composition and higher heating values of the output gas for comparison. The exhaust gas produced was found to be combustible and the resulting flame was self-sustaining. However, the gas generator could not maintain conditions required for the continuous production of combustible gases for longer than approximately twenty seconds. The best higher heating value was found to be 149 Btu/ft/sup 3/. The study concludes with recommendations for improvement of this process.