Experimental investigation on the production of bio-oil from wheat straw

Abstract

ABSTRACT The utilization of waste biomass such as crop residues in the production of biofuel is gaining attention from all around the world. The wheat is one of the most grown crops in the world and its main by-product straw produced 529 million tons per annum. The present study aims to investigate the feasibility of wheat straw as biomass material to produce bio-oil in a fluidized bed fast reactor. The developed system has a throughput capacity of 5 kg/h and the effect of varying temperature, biomass particle size, and sweep gas flow rate on the yield of pyrolysis products mainly on bio-oil is also studied. The result showed that the highest bio-oil yield 42 wt% was obtained at a temperature of 500°C, the feed particle size of 1 mm, and the gas flow rate of 4 m3/h. The properties of produced bio-oil were determined such as heating value, viscosity, and pH of 19.59 MJ/kg, 18.01 cP, and 3.1, respectively. The GCMS and FTIR analysis were used to identify the chemical compounds available on bio-oil and the phenol, alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, esters, furnol, hydrocarbon, and aromatic compounds were reported in the bio-oil. The economic assessment showed that the production cost of bio-oil was 0.50 US$/liter and the calculated payback period of the system was 1.57 years.