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Considering the large and consistent supply, oil palm fronds could be a promising source of biomass energy through gasification. There is very scarce information on the characteristics of oil palm fronds, which is vital in deciding if such biomass is technically suitable for gasification. In the present work, the feasibility of oil palm fronds for biomass gasification is studied. The study is conducted experimentally via standard tests to determine their thermochemical characteristics. Ultimate analysis is conducted to determine the contents of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and sulphide in oil palm fronds. Proximate analysis is performed to identify the burning characteristics of the biomass. The energy content in the fronds is determined by using a bomb calorie meter and is around 18 MJ/kg. The ignitability of the fronds is also studied experimentally to assess the ease to start-up combustion of the fronds. The characteristics of the flame of the resulting syngas from gasification of oil palm fronds are qualitatively studied. Simulated syngas composition study reveals potentials of 22% CO, 1.3% H2, 18.5% CO2 and traces of CH4. The study is extended to computer simulation to predict composition of the syngas. It is found from this work that oil palm fronds are feasible for gasification and has a good potential as a renewable energy source.

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Abstract. Date palm fronds (DPF) have similar physical appearances to those of oil palm fronds and coconut palm fronds, which have been reported as having good potential as a source of energy through thermochemical conversion of biomass. However, nearly no report has been found pertaining to thermochemical properties of DPF. Hence, it has remained unclear whether DPF can become suitable feedstock for power generation. This study investigated the characteristics of DPF as a potential solid fuel for heat and power generation through various thermal conversion processes. DPF samples from selected sites in Sudan and Saudi Arabia were tested. The ultimate and proximate analyses and the calorific value of DPF were measured, and the results were compared with low to medium-rank coals and other common biomass materials. The calorific value range for DPF samples was found to be between 16.2 to 16.9 MJ/kg. The ultimate analysis of DPF samples revealed that more than 75% of their mass was composed of volatile materials, while the ash content in all samples was found to be less than 15%. The range of elementary carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen in DPF samples was found to be typical to that in biomass. The thermal decomposition trends the samples indicated the high reactivity of DPF with rising temperatures due to high holocellulose content. No distinctive differences in test results were observed between samples from Saudi Arabia and Northern Sudan. Overall, it was found that all DPF samples used in this study fulfilled the typical requirements for development and utilization as a solid fuel.

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