Modelling and simulation of fast pyrolysis of pomace from three-phase olive mill targeting optimal yields of pyrolysis products

Abstract

Biomass can be transformed into useful bioproducts (biofuels, biomaterials) through its thermochemical conversion. This study concerns modeling and simulation of fast pyrolysis of olive pomace from three-phase olive mill using Super Pro Designer (SPD) software, which was selected because of its vast databank of specific chemical compounds as well as specific unit operations specifically designed for modeling and simulation of biological, physical and chemical processes. The simulation was carried out at pyrolysis temperatures ranging from 400 to 675 °C and residence times varying between 0.1 and 15s. Simulation results indicate that fast pyrolysis yielded maximum bio-oil yield of 23.72% at 650 °C and a residence time of 0.1s, and maximum syngas yield of 41.17% at 675 °C and a residence time of 15s. Predicted product yields were in accordance with experimental data collected from the literature, with relative errors in the range of 9%, which may be due to variable feedstock properties. The developed model provides very useful information on olive pomace fast pyrolysis conditions.