Particle-scale heat and mass transfer processes during the pyrolysis of millimeter-sized lignite particles with solid heat carriers

Abstract

• Devolatilization kinetics is coupled with the heat and mass transfer processes. • Evolution of pore structure in coal pyrolysis with solid heat carrier is included. • Multi-physical fields inside a lignite particle during pyrolysis is elaborated. • The intraparticle mass transfer mechanism influences the secondary reaction. The study of mesoscale solid fuel pyrolysis behavior is a key bridge between the microscopic reaction kinetics and macroscopic multiphase reaction flow in a reactor. In this work, a one-dimensional nonstationary model was developed in spherical coordinate system for the pyrolysis of millimeter-scale lignite particles with solid heat carriers, in which a modified multistep kinetic model (MSM) was coupled with a series of correlative transient heat and mass conservation equations in conjunction with the dusty gas model (DGM). The MSM for coal pyrolysis was modified by adding a set of kinetic equations of pseudo-elementary secondary reactions, making the kinetic model comparable to the Chemical Percolation Devolatilization model in terms of accuracy. In addition, a semiempirical submodel for the evolution of pore structure parameters (porosity, pore size, and permeability) was incorporated to obtain the precise mechanism of volatile species transport in the porous coal matrix. The modified MSM and pore evolution submodel were validated against literature data. The coupling effects between intraparticle transport processes and transient devolatilization kinetics were investigated. It was concluded that notable multiphysical fields (pressure, concentration, and velocity) emerged within lignite particles during pyrolysis, governed by the heating history. In addition, it should be noted that the direction and mechanism of volatiles transfer within porous lignite particles varied during pyrolysis, which can significantly affect secondary reactions. Flow reversal and shifts in the dominant mass transfer mode influenced the secondary reaction pathway, in addition to the impact of volatiles flow velocity on the reaction degree.