(738d) Design, Construction and Conceptual Proof of a Free Fall Fast Pyrolysis Reactor

Design, construction and
conceptual proof of a free fall fast pyrolysis setup

Diana C. Vargas^a,b, Jhoselyn Padilla^b, Cristina
Arciniega^b Kevin M. Van Geem^a, Daniela Almeida Streitwieser^b
*

^a Institute for Development of Alternative Materials and
Energies IDEMA, Chemical Engineering Department, Universidad San Francisco de
Quito USFQ, Casilla Postal: 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador.

^b Laboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent
University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 914 - 9052
Ghent, Belgium.

Keywords:
Residual biomass; Fast pyrolysis; Reactor design

Abstract

Fast pyrolysis is a well-known
thermochemical technology that is gaining importance as an alternative process to
convert biomass into fuels and chemicals precursors, while reducing the
environmental damage of climate change by CO₂ emissions. This
process yields bio-oil, bio-char and a mixture of gases, which varies
significantly depending on the operational parameters. Biomass is considered a
promising source of feedstock and carbon neutral energy. The waste management
of the residues from the agribusiness represent a high challenge for intensive
agricultural producers like Ecuador. This waste consists mainly of organic material
with a high fraction of dry lignocellulosic material. This project aims the
investigation of the gaseous and liquid products obtained by the pyrolysis of Ecuadorian
residual biomass. This work presents the first stage of the study that consists
on the design, construction and conceptual proof of the set-up, which aim is to
study fast pyrolysis of residual biomass.

The free-fall fast pyrolysis setup used for the
investigation is presented in Figure 1.The equipment consists of a
quartz reactor within a vertical oven which can rapidly heat the sample (40 –
1200°C). The biomass enters the reactor through a batch feeding system along with an inert carrier gas stream (Helium).
The product stream leaving the reactor enters to a cyclone that removes the
solid char, the vapor exiting the cyclone is connected in series through a trap
a volatiles condenser of up to 0°C and a C2 fractions and light components are
directly injected into a Gas Chromatograph coupled with two detectors (FID and
TCD) that simultaneously analyze the sample for its characterization and
quantification. The liquid sample is recovered and injected to a Gas
Chromatograph with a mass spectrometer for its identification. This study
demonstrates the proof-of-concept that confirms the functionality of the equipment
by pyrolyzing cellulose within a range of 400°C to 600°C in 50°C step
variations. The obtained experimental products are compared with former studies
available in literature.

Acknowledgements

This
research has been supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation through
VLIR-UOS and the collaboration grant 2017 provided by the Research
Council of Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ.
VLIR-UOS supports partnerships between universities and university colleges in
Flanders (Belgium) and the South looking for innovative responses to global and
local challenges. Visit www.vliruos.be for more information. The research
leading to these results has received funding from the European Research
Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7/2007-2013) / ERC grant agreement n° 290793.