• Energy Research

Pyrolysis conditions in charcoal production affect yields, properties, and further use of charcoal. Reactivity is a critical property when using charcoal as an alternative to fossil coal and coke, ...

Biomass char produced from pyrolysis processes is of great interest to be utilized as renewable solid fuels or materials. Forest byproducts and agricultural wastes are low-cost and sustainable biomass feedstocks. These biomasses generally contain high amounts of ash-forming elements, generally leading to high char reactivity. This study elaborates in detail how chemical and physical properties affect CO2 gasification rates of high-ash biomass char, and it also targets the interactions between these properties. Char produced from pine bark, forest residue, and corncobs (particle size 4-30 mm) were included, and all contained different relative compositions of ash-forming elements. Acid leaching was applied to further investigate the influence of inorganic elements in these biomasses. The char properties relevant to the gasification rate were analyzed, that is, elemental composition, specific surface area, and carbon structure. Gasification rates were measured at an isothermal condition of 800 °C with 20% (vol.) of CO2 in N2. The results showed that the inorganic content, particularly K, had a stronger effect on gasification reactivity than specific surface area and aromatic cluster size of the char. At the gasification condition utilized in this study, K could volatilize and mobilize through the char surface, resulting in high gasification reactivity. Meanwhile, the mobilization of Ca did not occur at the low temperature applied, thus resulting in its low catalytic effect. This implies that the dispersion of these inorganic elements through char particles is an important reason behind their catalytic activity. Upon leaching by diluted acetic acid, the K content of these biomasses substantially decreased, while most of the Ca remained in the biomasses. With a low K content in leached biomass char, char reactivity was determined by the active carbon surface area.

Pyrolysis of biomass in a rotary kiln finds application both as an intermediate step in multistage gasification as well as a process on its own for the production of biochar. In this work, a numerical model for pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a rotary kiln is developed. The model is based on a set of conservation equations for mass and energy, combined with independent submodels for the pyrolysis reaction, heat transfer, and granular flow inside the kiln. The pyrolysis reaction is described by a two-step mechanism where biomass decays into gas, char, and tar that subsequently undergo further reactions; the heat transfer model accounts for conduction, convection and radiation inside the kiln; and the granular flow model is described by the well known Saeman model. The model is compared to experimental data obtained from a pilot scale rotary kiln pyrolyzer. In total 9 pilot plant trials at different feed flow rate and different heat supply were run. For moderate heat supplies we found good agreement between the model and the experiments while deviations were seen at high heat supply. Using the model to simulate various operation conditions reveals a strong interplay between heat transfer and granular flow which both are controlled by the kiln rotation speed. Also, the model indicates the importance of heat losses and lays the foundation for scale up calculations and process optimization.

This study aims at increasing char yield by recycling bio-oil without negative impact on char qualities, i.e. carbon content and heating value. Pyrolysis experiments on spruce and birch chips were carried in a macro-thermogravimetric analyzer. To examine the effect of bio-oil recycle, dried raw woodchips, pure bio-oil, and woodchips impregnated with bio-oil (10, 20 and 25% on mass basis) were compared. The experiments were carried out by introducing sample into the reaction zone with the flow of N2 and at the temperature range of 300 to 600 °C. Pyrolysis of the bio-oil impregnated woodchip gave higher char yield than the pyrolysis of raw woodchip. By the 20% (m/m) bio-oil impregnation, char yield increased by 18.9% (spruce) and 19.1% (birch) on average from the raw woodchip pyrolysis. In addition, the char yield from bio-oil impregnated woodchips was higher than the interpolated char yield of raw woodchips and bio-oil, indicating that synergy effect exists by bio-oil impregnation compared with mere recycling of bio-oil. However, high heating rate corresponded to high temperature pyrolysis, i.e. above 400 °C, created cavities and breakages on woodchips, which minimized the secondary reaction. Neither carbon content nor heating value of char was influenced by bio-oil impregnation. Energy yield also showed improvement by increasing bio-oil recycling ratio. For example, energy yield of char from woodchips at the temperature of 340 °C increased from 48.4% with raw woodchips to 64.5% by woodchips with 25% of bio-oil impregnation. Proceedings of the 25th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 12-15 June 2017, Stockholm, Sweden, pp. 1388-1392

Abstract Gasification is a key technology for the utilization of biomass as an energy carrier. The WoodRoll process developed by Cortus Energy is a multistage gasification process where drying, pyrolysis and gasification are conducted in separate units. A central role is thereby given to the pyrolysis step which provides the gas to heat the entire process. In the WoodRoll process pyrolysis is run in an indirectly heated rotary kiln. In this work we study pyrolysis in a rotary kiln by means of numerical simulations and by evaluating pilot plant data obtained from a 500 kW pilot. The simulations indicate the importance of the heat transfer to the solid bed and the exothermic pyrolysis reactions that occur in the late stage of the pyrolysis process. The latter can cause an overshoot of the solid bed temperature. Evaluation of the pilot plant data shows the robustness of the process, expressed in good reproducible and stable operation.

Abstract This paper provides a fundamental and critical review of biomass application as a reducing agent and fuel in integrated steelmaking. The basis for the review is derived from the current process and product quality requirements that also biomass-derived fuels should fulfill. The availability and characteristics of different sources of biomass are discussed and suitable pretreatment technologies for their upgrading are evaluated. The existing literature concerning biomass application in bio-coke making, blast furnace injection, iron ore sintering and production of carbon composite agglomerates is reviewed and research gaps filled by providing insights and recommendations to the unresolved challenges. Several possibilities to integrate the production of biomass-based reducing agents with existing industrial infrastructures to lower the cost and increase the total efficiency are given. A comparison of technical challenges and CO2 emission reduction potential between biomass-based steelmaking and other emerging technologies to produce low-CO2 steel is made.