Gasification of Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) Chips in a Fixed Bed System for Rural Area Implementation

In this study, the gasification of Lenga chips (Nothofagus pumilio) using forest residues is analyzed in a 10 kWe downdraft gasifier, focusing on its potential implementation in rural areas. Factorial analysis assesses the impact of particle size (3-8 mm and 8-20 mm) and bed agitation frequency (20 seconds every 2, 4, and 6 minutes) on key indicators. Equivalence ratio (ER) remains steady at 0.17-0.20, cold efficiency ranges from 44.8% to 58.8%, High Heating Value (HHV) fluctuates between 6.07 and 7.18 MJ/Nm3, and gasification temperatures vary between 850 and 900 °C. Bed agitation with high or low frequencies reduces gas flow, causing considerable variations. Increasing particle size benefits gas flow and process stability but negatively affects HHV, ER, and overall process efficiency. In transient analysis, gas flow takes longer to stabilize. Frequent agitation (1/140 s-1) results in fewer variations but slower stabilization, while less frequent agitation (1/380 s-1) causes greater variations and faster stabilization. This study offers insights into optimizing Lenga chips gasification for rural energy solutions using forest residues.