(13e) A Dual-Stage Laminar Entrained Flow Reactor (LEFR) and Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) System for Studying Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification

An understanding of pyrolysis vapor cracking kinetics and mechanisms are important for developing approaches for reducing tars during gasification and ultimately reducing the cost of producing transportation fuels from gasification and fuel synthesis. In order to reduce tars using predictive design approaches such as Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD), it is necessary to have robust chemical reaction models containing mechanism that lead to the formation of these species. Existing reaction models only contain limited, highly generalized mechanisms for the formation of tars and are not robust enough to be predictive. In particular, the initial steps of gasification are inadequately characterized. These steps are primarily cracking reactions that break down the pyrolysis vapor species into smaller molecules ultimately leading to syngas and tars. In this study, we have undertaken an experimental investigation of these types of cracking reactions. The solid phase vaporization reactions were separated from the gas phase cracking reactions by conducting experiments in a two-stage reactor. In the first stage, particles of biomass were pyrolyzed in a Laminar Entrained Flow Reactor (LEFR) at a low temperature (450°C) and in the second phase the vapors were cracked at variable residence times (0.2 to 1.5 s) and temperatures (430° to 680°C) in a Plug Flow Reactor (PFR). The tar species and other product gases were measured using a Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometer (MBMS). The data from the MBMS showed trends in the tar species concentrations as a function of residence time and temperature, which will allow the development of more accurate and robust chemical kinetics models of gasification. Eventually, these kinetic models will be used in CFD models of gasification in order to optimize it for reduced tar formation and increased syngas yield.