The use of on-line colorimetry for tar content evaluation in gasification systems

Gasification of biomass has the potential to become a relevant technology for a sustainable future. However, the content of tar in the gas produced through gasification needs to be managed properly in order to increase the reliability of the technology. Accurate measurement of tar gas concentrations enables management and technology improvement. Standardized offline measurement methods require a long time to produce a numerical result from a test. This work presents a novel colorimetric method to assess the tar concentration contained in syngas. The method uses an apparatus that includes a heated thimble filter (to remove particulate), gas quenching with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), a vapor knockout and cooling system including a final stage fritted glass bubbler/impinger, IPA removal via a peristaltic pump controlled by a capacitive level sensor, IPA flow metering, colorimeter for IPA/tar solution light absorbance measurement, and gas pumping/metering circuit. The method is robust and fast because it is based on a continuous light absorbance measurement. The system was compared against the tar protocol standard showing good correlation between average absorbance and tar concentration. Results demonstrate the capability of the proposed method to give continuous real-time measurement of the tar concentration in the gas.