Chemical looping partial oxidation: chemical looping gasification

Book chapter, 2025

Chemical looping gasification (CLG) is a promising alternative to conventional gasification, where it is possible to separate carbon dioxide from syngas easily since nitrogen dilution is prevented. This is achieved through the utilization of oxygen carriers that can absorb and transport oxygen from oxidizing air in the air reactor (AR) to the fuel conversion in the fuel reactor (FR). Even though the primary product of CLG is syngas, that is, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, some carbon dioxide will still inevitably be generated by burning some amount of fuel in order to sustain the gasification reaction. Oxygen carriers used in CLG may be reduced to further extents than that in chemical looping combustion, which can result in serious operational issues such as agglomeration and defluidization. This is due to the requirement to oxidize the fuel partially, which results in controlled oxygen transfer from the AR to the FR. Thus thorough material screening and careful reactor design by considering the fuel conversion are crucial in ensuring a successful CLG.