Thermodynamic Analysis on Hydrogen Production Through Gasification of Coconut Shell Using a Swirl Fixed Bed Gasifier

The synthesis gas (syngas) produced from the gasification of agricultural waste is an alternative energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which is more sustainable, clean and non-toxic than fossil fuels. In this study, a lab-scale swirl fixed bed gasifier was used to produce hydrogen gases from coconut shells under various operating conditions. A thermodynamic equilibrium model was developed using solver software to predict syngas production. It is simple to use for preliminary comparison and assessment of the gasification process. The results of this study are presented as a comparison among literature models, experimental results, and equilibrium models. This analysis reveals that hydrogen production increases with the moisture content, reaching a maximum value of 29.06 vol% at a moisture content of 35% and a temperature of 750°C. In temperature evaluation, the hydrogen yield is uncertain according to the temperature. However, the highest temperature obtains 27.98 vol% at 750°C with 25% of moisture content. In short, temperature and moisture content play an important role in determining the synthesis gas produced in gasification. Therefore, based on this study, the best operating condition to enhance hydrogen yields is computationally measured at high moisture content and temperature in the range of 750°C to 850°C.