Modeling Biochar Yield and Syngas Production During the Pyrolysis of Agro-Residues

Abstract

Pyrolysis of biomass feedstocks in the absence or limited supply of air/oxygen yields solid (char), liquid (oils), and gaseous products (flue gas). Biomass pyrolysis is gaining attention due to the vast array of products as output and offers a wide range of applications in both energy and environmental arena. Biochar is being used as a soil amendment in the agricultural sector, carbon sequestration, and adsorbing pollutants from the land, whereas pyrolysis oil can be upgraded to the application in the internal combustion (IC) engines. Flue gas has various constituents of hydrocarbons in the form of hydrogen, methane, and ethylene and demands the sophisticated purification for their specific application. This paper attempts to model the pyrolysis process using different biochemical and empirical approaches to evaluate the product yield along with its composition. Since the biomass feedstocks are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the kinetic model has been developed to utilize the elemental characteristics as inputs to predict the product composition. The pyrolysis operational parameter of temperature, at which the reaction occurs, has been considered in the model used in the present investigation. This modeling approach would help in comprehending the pyrolysis process and for the efficient utilization of biomass feedstocks to derive the desired product yield.