Residence time distribution of wood chips in a semi-industrial multiple hearth furnace using RFID tracers

Abstract

In continuous biomass torrefaction plants, the products' yields, composition and homogeneity highly depend on the residence time of particles. A characterization of particle residence time distribution (RTD) was therefore carried out in an industrial-scale multiple hearth furnace on poplar wood chips using radio frequency identification tracers. The effects of operating conditions, namely, mass flow rate of biomass, shaft speed of the rabbling system and interdental length on the RTD were studied. The increase of shaft speed and mass flow rate reduces particles’ mean residence time. Lowering the length between two successive teeth also increases the bed speed. Uncontrollable biomass accumulation (also called “bulldozing”) was observed during several tests. This phenomenon is favored by a high mass flow rate of resources, a small interdental length between the teeth and a low shaft speed. RTD measurements were compared to the axial dispersion model. For all tests, the Peclet number is ranging between 20 and 62, indicating that the multiple hearth furnace cannot be modelled as an ideal plug flow reactor.