(395d) Solar Powered Biomass Pyrolysis: A Carbon Neutral Pathway for Producing Fuels and Chemicals

A solar powered pyrolysis scheme was developed for both fixed and fluidized bed reactor. A cinema projector was converted to a 5KW solar simulator. A Gardon-type gauge was used to calibrate the solar simulator. The solar simulator can produce peak intensity of up to 700 suns to heat the system above 1000 °C. Pine and corn stover was pyrolyzed using this simulator. The maximum bio-oil production occurred at 750 °C measured at the focus of the simulator. The effect of Fe₂O₃ catalyst on solar power pyrolysis was also studied. The resulting bio-oil composition was analyzed using ‘Mass spectroscopy’ for different solar light intensity. Solar light can enhance the production of furan derivatives and phenolic compounds from biomass. The scheme can be used for production of carbon neutral biofuel.