Performance characterization of waste to electric prototype uses a dual fuel diesel engine and a multi-stage downdraft gasification reactor

In this research, the characterization of waste to electric prototype performance using a dual fuel diesel engine and multi-stage downdraft gasification reactor was conducted. Syn-gas was produced by the gasification process using a downdraft gasification reactor with municipal solid waste feeding. The gasification system consists of a feeding system, gasification reactor, gas refinery unit, dual fuel engine generator set, and system control. Before entering the gasification reactor, municipal solid waste undergoes pre-treatment process, which consists of a crusher, mixing and compacting into pellets of solid waste municipal. Municipal solid waste downdraft gasifier reactor converted pellets municipal solid waste through drying, pyrolisis, partial oxidation, and reduction processes to raw syn-gas. Using syn gas refinery unit, content dust and particles on raw syn gas was cleaned by water in current mode in a water scrubber, where it also acts like a cooler unit. Syn gas is further used as fuel in dual fuel diesel engines with an input mechanism using a venturi mixer. The venturi mixer mechanism was used to manage the ratio of syn gas and combustion air. Yanmar diesel engine was modified with dual fuel that used air gas integration model and coupled with a generator to resulted in electrical power output. Downdraft gasification reactor resulted in syn gas with efficiency to 66 % with gas composition CO, CH4 and H2 are 18.01%, 1.12% and 12.55% (vol%) and heating value of 4 MJ/Kg. The multi-stage mechanism can reduce the tar content until only 60 mg/Nm³. Engine performance on dual fuel mode operation with specific fuel consumption 0,17 kg/kWh of diesel fuel and 8 kg/kWh of MSW pellets at 80% engine load. Overall, in this dual fuel system, syn gas from the gasification process can substitute diesel consumption up to 44%.