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Pyrolysis of Agricultural Biomass using an Auger Reactor: A Parametric Optimization

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Published/Copyright: January 11, 2017
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International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering
From the journal International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering Volume 15 Issue 3

Abstract

A 500 L biomass fast pyrolysis Auger reactor was designed, constructed and experimented with biomass of Mesquite (Prosopsis juliflora) and rice straw (Oryza sativa). The thermogravimetric analysis of feed stock and the physico chemical properties of the feed and product bio-crude was done as per ASTM standard. An optimization based on Response Surface Methodology was carried out for the operating parameters chosen as: (1) reactor temperature, (2) feedstock-heat carrier ratio and (3) rotational speed of the auger reactor. The optimum bio-crude yield of 42.6 wt.% was observed at 500 °C, feedstock-heat carrier ratio 1:2 and 30 rpm for mesquite sawdust and 34.6 wt.% at 475 °C, 1:2 ratio and 50 rpm for rice straw. Among the two kinds of feedstock tested, the sawdust yielded better product under identical operating conditions. The final bio-crude have properties similar to the results that was reported in the past and has HHV- higher heating value less than petroleum fuel.

Keywords: bio-energy; pyrolysis; auger reactor; mesquite sawdust; rice straw; optimization

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to Dr R. Natarajan and all the members of CO2&GT Center, VIT University for their assistance and support.

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Published Online: 2017-1-11

© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijcre-2016-0133
Keywords for this article
bio-energy; pyrolysis; auger reactor; mesquite sawdust; rice straw; optimization

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Research Articles
  2. CFD Simulation of Propane Thermal Cracking Furnace and Reactor: A Case Study
  3. Enhancement of Laminar Flow and Mixing Performance in a Lightnin Static Mixer
  4. Bubble Motion and Gas-Liquid Mixing in Metallurgical Reactor with a Top Submerged Lance
  5. Response Surface Optimization and Kinetics of Isopropyl Palmitate Synthesis using Homogeneous Acid Catalyst
  6. Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Using High Surface Area Activated Carbons from Local Coals Modified by KOH, NaOH and ZnCl2 Agents
  7. Pyrolysis of Agricultural Biomass using an Auger Reactor: A Parametric Optimization
  8. Computational Modeling and Analysis of Fluid Structure Interaction in Micromixers with Deformable Baffle
  9. The Maximum Mixedness Model Applied with Detailed Reaction Mechanisms
  10. Granular Flow of Corn Stover Particles in a Helical Ribbon Stirred Tank
  11. Soret and Dufour Effects on Three Dimensional Upper-Convected Maxwell Fluid with Chemical Reaction and Non-Linear Radiative Heat Flux
  12. Experimental and Modeling Study of Esterification Reaction for Synthesis of Butyl Butyrate: Desirability Function Approach for Optimization and Prediction Comparative Study of RSM and ANN
  13. Nano-12-Tungstophosporic Acid Cesium Salt Synthesized by Ultrasound as Catalyst for Alkylation of Benzene with dec-1-ene
  14. Effect of Modified Sludge on the Particles Flocculation and Slurry Stability in the Co-slurry of Sludge and Petroleum Coke
  15. Short Communications
  16. Binary Isotherm Modeling for Simultaneous Desulfurization and Denitrogenation of Model Fuel by Zinc Loaded Activated Carbon
  17. Advance Microfluidic Approach over Conventional Batch and CTR for Improving the Efficiency of E-coli Cell Lysis by CuO Nanoparticles
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