Thesis Archive
A KINETIC STUDY ON THE CARBON DIOXIDE GASIFICATION OF PHILIPPINE PINE CONES
Edrick Vincent C. Go
Abstract:
In this study, six different pine cone species namely, Pinus kesiya (PK), Pinus merkusii (PM), Pinus caribaea (PC), Pinus oocarpa (PO), Pinus elliottii (PE), Pinus montezumae (PMON) which are found in the Philippines were used as carbon source for gasification. These pine cones were studied using a thermogravimetric analyzer to obtain their kinetic data which are important in the design of gasifiers. Gasification was done in a CO2 environment at a temperature of 600°C, 700°C, 800°C, and 900°C. The conversion-time data obtained were fitted using five different gas-solid reaction models namely, volumetric or homogeneous model (VM), shrinking core model (SCM), random pore model (RPM), modified volumetric model (MVM), and extended modified volumetric model (EMVM). It was found out that for most pine cone species, the order of applicability of the models are as follows: EMVM > MVM > RPM > SCM > VM. However, the opposite was true for the simulations of the Arrhenius equation wherein VM > SCM > MVM > EMVM > RPM was more applicable. The most applicable model for PK would be MVM; for both PM and PC, RPM model was more applicable; finally, for the rest of the pine cone species, EMVM was the most applicable model. The conversion was highest at a temperature of 900°C. The activation energy of these species, according to the best fit model ranges from 62.71 kJ/mol to 114.36 kJ/mol. Among the different pine cone species, PE is the best pine cone to be utilized for gasification process based from the kinetic rate constant, activation energy obtained from the model, and the proximate analysis.
Adviser:
Dr. Vergel C. Bungay