GASIfICATION Of COCONUT SHELL WITH A PURPOSE

Of CHARCOAL PRODUCTION

Tarakorn Sakulpanich
Piyawong Thitthiwong
Damrong Khummongkol
Chaiyot Thangsathitkulchai
Department of Chemical Engineering, KMITT, BKK 10140, THAILAND

ABSTRACT

A down-draft gasifier, originally used for wood gasification,

was employed to gasify coconut shell with an additional purpose of

charcoal production. The effects of coconut Shell size, air flow
rate, and gasification time, on charcoal production yield (defined as
weight ratio of charcoal produced to coconut shell loaded into the
gasifier) were investigated. The coconut shells, after crushing, were
separated into three different size ranges: 0.5"-1", 1"-1.5" and

1.5"-2". The volume flow rate of air was varied up to 30.7 m3/hr. With m

the gasification time of 4 hours, the charcoal production yield varied

from 12.8 % to 30%. The maximum production yield of 30% occurred at
air flow rate of 15.3 rr/
Ihr and with the size of the coconut shell
in the range of 1"-1.5". Using the coconut shell with size ranging from
1.5" to 2" , , the longer gasification time apparently resulted in the
reduction of yield, due to further combustion of charcoal. Upon breaking,
the fractured surface of the charcoal produced in this process was observed
Shiny, indicating a good quality of the charcoal. Proximate analyses of
coconut shell and charcoal in one run were conducted; the coconut shell
was found to contain 1.6% moisture, 2.29% ash, 54.11% volatile matter,
and 41.9% fixed carbon, and the charcoal contained 0.5% moisture, 1.7%
ash, 26.33% volatile matter, and 71.47% fixed carbon.
1. INTRODUCTION

2. INSTRUMENTATION
FIG. 1. Diagram of a down - draft gasifier.
3. EXPERIMENTATION

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Effect of Air Flow Rate on Charcoal Yield

4.2 Effect of Operation Time on Charcoal Yield

FIG. 2. Effect of air flow rate on charcoal
yield after four hour operation.
 Air flow rate, m3/hr

FIG. 3. Effect of air flow rate on charcoal yield

obtained at various operation time
(size of coconut shell: 1.5"-2.0")
4.3 variation of Composition of Producer Gas

4.4 Proximate Analysis of Charcoal and Coconut Shell

FIG. 4. Variation of composition of producer

gas (conditions: 0.5"-1" coconut shell,

30.7 m3/hr air flow rate)

5. CONCLUSIONS

6. REFERENCES