Abstract
This study is devoted to clarifying the effect of Ca additive on biomass gasification characteristics in a lab-scale fluidized bed gasifier coupled to a pneumatic char combustor. Addition of about 5.0wt.% CaO into the fuel increased likely the fuel conversion, but the increment degree is distinctively different depending on the addition method. While physical mixing of CaO into the fuel resulted in a very slight improvement, impregnation of the same amount of Ca onto the fuel not only elevated the fuel conversion for about 20% but also decreased the tar evolution with the product gas for more than 60%. These distinctive good catalytic effects of the impregnated Ca on fuel gasification are relative to Ca's high dispersion over the fuel matrix.