Synthetic diesel from biomass by fischer-tropsch synthesis

Abstract

The production of liquid hydrocarbons fuel from biomass by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has become more and more attractive due to its advantages compared to fossil diesel: environmental friendliness by recycling wood and agricultural wastes and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matters), absence of sulphur and nitrogen, higher combustion efficiency, higher cetane number and also the compatibility with existing diesel engines and infrastructure. In this paper the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process from biomass applied at the Güssing plant was investigated. Each stage of the installation: biomass gasification, gas cleaning and Fischer-Tropsch process, in terms of the equipment used and the parameters necessary for the synthesis, was analysed and discussed. Also, during the synthesis the gas composition of the syngas before and after each stage was analysed, using gas chromatography. The same analytical method was used in order to determine the carbon distribution of the Fischer-Tropsch fuels obtained in the process. The ASF model was applied and an α value of 0.89 was calculated for the products.