Waste-to-clean syngas: avoiding tar problems

Abstract

Syngas from gasification of carbon-rich feedstock is used for power generation as well as for the production of synthetic fuels and commodity chemicals. Tar removal forms a major challenge in the effort to make these syngas valorisation technologies technically and commercially feasible. Tar removal methods can be divided into two categories: (1) primary methods or treatments inside the gasifier, and (2) secondary methods or hot gas cleaning after the gasifier. The most important features of the primary and secondary tar removal methods, as well as the most recent developments in this field, are reviewed and discussed in this paper. For advanced syngas applications (e.g. gas engines), primary measures are generally not sufficient. In that case, primary methods can be used as a tool to optimise the gas composition for the secondary cleaning step. Corona plasma for tar removal is discussed in more detail. This promising technology will be used in future research on the cracking of real tars obtained from refuse derived fuel (RDF) pyrolysis.status: publishe