A Comparative Study of Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Gasification of Three Agricultural Feedstocks

This study comparatively investigated the hydrogen-rich gas generation profiles from agricultural feedstocks (Zea mays stalk, Arundo donax rhizome, and Arachis hypogaea husk) through gasification or pyrolysis-gasification process. The hydrogen production efficiency and the output of CO were evaluated under varying gasification conditions, including temperatures from 800°C to 1100°C and steam supplies from 1 mL/min to 5 mL/min. Pyrolyzed feedstocks can rapidly (0.60 L/min) release hydrogen at a gasification temperature of 900°C with 5 mL/min of steam supply. Furthermore, increasing the pyrolysis temperature does not decrease hydrogen production, while pyrolyzed feedstocks show a higher hydrogen output (an increase of 1.64% to 10.36%) compared to those that have not undergone pyrolysis pretreatment. The novelty of the present study includes 1) the comparison of hydrogen generation efficiency from pyrolyzed or non-pyrolyzed feedstocks and 2) the investigation of the generation profiles of syngas and the hydrogen releasing rate from feedstock gasification under various conditions.