Inlet Gas Temperature Research Articles

Numerical design in a two-step joint design process of parallel packed bed reactors for CLC of MSW-generated syngas

This paper presents a two-step joint design process for the effective and rational design of the parallel packed bed reactors for chemical looping combustion, fueled by the syngas from municipal solid waste gasification. It integrates phenomenological and numerical design, combining their advantages of low computational cost (the cost is reduced to 5–10 % compared with alone numerical design) and high accuracy. Based on it, the phenomenological design schemes of the 1.5 MWth reactor are firstly obtained, then these schemes are systematically validated and optimized through numerical design. In detail, comprehensive analyses of the distribution and evolution of bed parameters, which are affected by the propagation of the reaction and heat front, are performed, along with an assessment of the reactor’s operational stability. Additionally, the heat/mass regulation strategies for the unit are studied, offering insights into effective heat management. Finally, the design schemes are optimized to achieve a better performance and flexible operational compatibilities (fitting for 2/3 parallel reactors, cocurrent/countercurrent gas feeding mode, inlet gas temperature of 400–600 °C)

Optimizing building energy efficiency with a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system driven by boiler waste heat recovery

In light of increasing challenges related to fossil fuel consumption, global warming, and rising energy costs, optimizing energy systems has become essential. This study introduces a multi-purpose system designed to capture and utilize waste heat from boiler flue gases at the Tous power plant for simultaneous power generation, cooling, and heating. The system integrates an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for power generation and an Absorption Refrigeration Cycle (ARC) for cooling, with the added function of recovering waste heat to preheat natural gas for the boiler and power plant. The system's performance was rigorously analyzed through energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic assessments. To determine the optimal operating conditions, a multi-objective optimization was conducted using the TOPSIS technique, focusing on critical parameters such as flue gas exit temperature, natural gas inlet temperature, and turbine inlet pressures. The results identified optimal conditions with a flue gas exit temperature of 532.5 K, a natural gas inlet temperature of 285 K, and turbine inlet pressures of 2.54 MPa and 14.62 MPa for the first and second turbines, respectively. Under these conditions, the system achieved an exergy efficiency of 41.1 %, cooling capacity of 133.1 kW, power generation of 210.4 kW, heat transfer to natural gas of 979.6 kW, and operational costs of 8.53 $/h. This study highlights the potential of the proposed system to significantly enhance energy efficiency and reduce operational costs in practical applications, offering a sustainable solution for energy management.

Calibrated the direct current potential drop method for fatigue crack propagation testing of nickel-based superalloy with film cooling hole

Turbine blades in aviation engines commonly feature a nickel-based superalloy structure integrated with film cooling holes to enhance inlet gas temperature. However, the presence of these film cooling holes often results in frequent occurrences of fracture failures nearby. The direct current potential drop (DCPD) method, renowned for its exceptional crack sensitivity, is frequently utilized for crack length monitoring. This study establishes a FEM model of the film cooling hole plate specimen to determine the optimal probe point location. Subsequently, a mapping relationship is derived to calibrate Johnson’s formula, accounting for the unequal crack lengths at the edges of film cooling holes. It is confirmed that the crack length measured by the DCPD method represents the cumulative crack lengths on both sides of the hole. Fatigue crack propagation experiments are then conducted, with crack length monitored using a microscope. The results affirm the successful application of the calibrated formula to the film cooling hole plate specimen, exhibiting an average error within 0.1 mm.

Modelling of a continuous sorption-enhanced methanation process in an adiabatic packed-bed reactor system

The present study investigates a sorption-enhanced methanation process and successive solid regeneration stages using a dual-function catalyst containing nickel as a catalyst and zeolite 13X for water removal. An adiabatic packed bed, modelled by a dynamical and heterogeneous model, has been considered, and a five-stage sequence describes the sorption-enhanced methanation and successive solid regeneration. First, methanation occurs with in-situ water removal; then, the catalyst drying using a pressure and temperature swing approach implemented by blowdown, purge, cooling, and pressurisation stages. In adiabatic operation, heat management is crucial; on the other hand, the heat produced can be efficiently used to dry the zeolite. Process intensification is pursued by addressing the effect of gas inlet temperature, pressure, and GHSV on system performance. Achieving an average purity of 99 % of the methane for pressures greater than 2 bar is possible for long-time operation, with productivity averaging 0.8 mol/(kgads min) at the highest gas hourly space velocity investigated.

The transient thermomechanical behavior of solid oxide fuel cell during the operation condition variations

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising energy conversion technology with high efficiency, low emission and fuel flexibility. In practical and dynamic operation, the thermal stress at the interface of different layers can cause cracks or even thermal mechanical failure. This study investigates the transient thermomechanical behavior of SOFC under changing operating conditions. A three-dimensional dynamical model is developed by considering the electrochemical reaction, electron and ion transport, gas diffusion, heat and momentum transfer, and thermal-mechanical interaction. When the operating conditions vary, the time it takes for the thermal stress to reach a steady state is consistent with the time required for heat transfer to stabilize. The electrolyte layer is subjected to the maximum gradient of thermal stress change after the voltage is switched. With an increase in the inlet gas temperature, the change in the cell temperature can be divided into two stages: a rapid rise and a slow rise. Appropriate prolongation of the temperature rise time is beneficial to the thermal stability of SOFC. The increase in inlet gas temperature changes the distribution trend of cell temperature and thermal stress, while the 50 % reduction in cathode and anode inlet velocity changes its magnitude.

Influence of multi-factor interactions on particle growth during top-spray fluidized bed agglomeration

Considering the strong dependence of agglomerate characteristics on various operating parameters, this study employs the control variable methodology (CVM) and response surface methodology (RSM) to investigate the influence of multi-factor interactions on particle growth during top-spray fluidized bed agglomeration. First, CVM is conducted to assess the effects of individual operating parameters on the agglomerate properties, such as mean particle size, relative width, and sphericity. Then, the interactive relationship between these input variables and the quality attributes of the process is investigated using RSM. The results show that the mean particle size increases with the increase of binder viscosity and spray rate, while it decreases with the increase of fluidization gas velocity and inlet gas temperature. The relative width of the particle size distribution increases with the spray rate, binder viscosity, and fluidization gas velocity, and hardly changes with the inlet gas temperature. The mean particle size is more sensitive to the binder spray rate at a lower level of fluidization gas velocity or a higher level of inlet gas temperature. The fluidization gas velocity corresponding to the maximum D50 changes when the binder viscosity and binder spray rate are at different levels.

Flue gas waste heat thermoelectric generator: Laboratory experiment and demonstration application

Promoting the efficiency of internal-combustion engine has great benefits, including low fuel-consumption rate and environmental friendliness. Flue gas waste heat thermoelectric generator (TEG) is such a promising solution owning to its solid-state energy conversion and structural simplicity. In this work, a novel heat collection enhancing strategy is first proposed to improve the uniformity of hot-end temperature distribution, which greatly augments the power generation performance under limited pressure drops. A flue gas waste heat TEG unit with 24 TE modules is able to generate an electric power of 103 W under the pressure drop of 375 Pa. The corresponding heat collection, TE, and overall efficiencies of the TEG unit are 36.53 %, 4.30 %, and 1.58 %, respectively. Several important parameters, including flue gas inlet temperature, cooling intensity, cooling mode, and TEG unit arrangement are explored in detail. A demonstration application of an 8-unit waste heat TEG is installed in an 800-ton inland waterway vessel on China's Grand Canal, and the waterway vessel is put into service for over three months. The generated electric power varies between 23.3 W and 463 W, and the average electric power is 177.6 W during the trip.

Simulation study on the oxidation performance of low-concentration methane preheating direct current catalytic oxidation plant considering thermal radiation

In this study, the process of catalytic oxidation of methane considering radiative heat transfer was simulated using FLUENT computational software to study the effect of thermal radiation on the oxidation performance of the simulated device, and to investigate the extent to which radiative heat transfer affects the oxidation performance of the device under different operating conditions. The results show that the extent to which thermal radiation affects the oxidative performance of the equipment increases with increasing inlet temperature. When the intake temperature reaches 900K, its proportion is close to 45 %. At the same time, as the inlet gas temperature increases, the maximum reaction temperature of the oxidation unit is 1154 K, and the methane conversion rate reaches up to 89 %. The main factor affecting the oxidation performance of the unit at this time is radiation heat transfer. The extent to which thermal radiation affects the oxidative performance of the device diminishes with increasing inlet velocity. When the wind speed reaches 2 m/s, the proportion of radiative heat transfer is only 10 %, the maximum reaction temperature of the plant falls to 993 K, and the methane conversion rate drops to 68 %. At this time, the main factor affecting the oxidation performance of the plant is convective heat transfer. The influence of thermal radiation on oxidation performance gradually diminishes with an increase in intake velocity, and the proportion of radiative heat transfer decreases continuously. At methane concentrations above 1 %, the proportion of radiative heat transfer is less than 25 per cent, the maximum reaction temperature of the unit increases to 1087 K, and the methane conversion rises to 88 %. At this point, the main factor affecting the oxidation performance of the plant is convective heat transfer.

Numerical investigation of the sensible heat storage in novel electrostatic precipitators with liquid-filled collection electrodes

Heat recovery from flue gas holds significant potential for energy conservation. A strategy is proposed for recovering and storing heat in electrostatic precipitators by utilizing liquid-filled collection electrodes. In the prototype, the hollow collection electrode is connected to the heat storage tank. Convective heat transfer occurs between the gas stream and the liquid contained in the collection electrode. The heat storage mechanism is revealed by numerical simulation of corona discharge, flow and heat transfer processes in a simplified electrostatic precipitator. The results indicate that both the gas-side and liquid-side heat transfer coefficients reach steady values within approximately 100 s. The buoyancy-driven liquid flow results in a heat transfer coefficient that is 28 times higher than that for gas-side forced convection. Increasing the gas inlet temperature leads to a greater buoyancy force and, consequently, a higher heat transfer coefficient on the liquid side. Both ionic wind and inlet velocity affect the gas-side heat transfer. The ionic wind disturbs the thermal boundary layer, leading to a 27.9 % increase in the gas-side heat transfer coefficient at an inlet velocity of 0.5 m/s. Furthermore, this enhancement becomes more pronounced as the inlet velocity decreases. The flow pattern of liquid in the collection electrode and heat storage tank is crucial to the heat storage process. Additionally, installing the heat storage tank above the electrostatic precipitator provides added benefits. During the process of heat storage, the largest heat resistance is found on the gas side.

Numerical modeling of heat transfer behavior for two-phase flow in a nozzle considering phase change

The heat transfer and phase change of alumina particles in the gas-particle flow of the nozzle plays an important role in solid rocket motors (SRM) due to the coupling between the heat transfer and two-phase flow. However, it lacks precise modeling of the heat transfer behaviors of condensed particles in the nozzle, especially the phase change effect. In this article, we determine that the Drake model has the highest accuracy in calculating the convective heat flux between two phases, and propose a correlation to obtain radiative heat flux between the particle and walls. Then, a one-dimensional two-phase non-equilibrium model is established to consider the effects of heat transfer and solidification of particles on the two-phase flow in the nozzle. The results show that considering the phase change of particle improves the outlet thrust of the nozzle, but such increment decreases with the gas inlet temperature. When the supercooling phenomenon is considered, the nozzle thrust is reduced by 1.14% compared with that considering no supercooling. As the particle size increases, the outlet temperature of the particle phase rises and can even surpass the solidification temperature of particles and the velocity of the particle phase decreases significantly.

Influence of Yttria content in YSZ: An evaluation of water-based SPS coatings and spark plasma sintered pellets

The inherent phase instability of the state-of-the-art 7–8 mol% partially stabilised Yttria-Stabilised Zirconia (YO1.5, 8 YSZ, tetragonal) under a molten CMAS attack lacks the technological readiness needed to increase the gas inlet temperatures for more thermally efficient gas turbine engines. In this study, the concentration of Yttria in YSZ was systemically increased to impart CMAS resistance and their applicability via emerging Suspension Plasma Sprayed (SPS) coatings and Spark Plasma Sintered (SpPS) pellets under simulated conditions was evaluated. The fully stabilised higher Yttria YSZ compositions (21.4 mol% and 50.2 mol%, cubic) severely restricted the CMAS infiltration and interaction areas, with the later composition forming an apatite layer and the trans-granular cracking and chipping of YSZ into layers reduced with an increase in Yttria content. However, their application into water-based SPS coatings resulted in a complete coating failure following the high-temperature CMAS tests. During Furnace Cycling Test (FCT) tests, the 8 YSZ coating survived 34 thermal cycles compared to just one on the 50.2 mol% YSZ coatings. The premature delamination of the higher Yttria coating seems to have been caused by the spallation associated with horizontal cracks within the coating. The YSZ composition could be modified into CMAS-resistant chemistry; however, their applicability as a functioning TBC with inherent microstructural features, such as the Dense Vertically Cracked (DVC) coating strategy examined in this study, requires new coating design strategies that impart sustainable thermal cycling performance.

Optimal Dynamic Regimes for CO Oxidation Discovered by Reinforcement Learning.

Metal nanoparticles are widely used as heterogeneous catalysts to activate adsorbed molecules and reduce the energy barrier of the reaction. Reaction product yield depends on the interplay between elementary processes: adsorption, activation, desorption, and reaction. These processes, in turn, depend on the inlet gas composition, temperature, and pressure. At a steady state, the active surface sites may be inaccessible due to adsorbed reagents. Periodic regime may thus improve the yield, but the appropriate period and waveform are not known in advance. Dynamic control should account for surface and atmospheric modifications and adjust reaction parameters according to the current state of the system and its history. In this work, we applied a reinforcement learning algorithm to control CO oxidation on a palladium catalyst. The policy gradient algorithm was trained in the theoretical environment, parametrized from experimental data. The algorithm learned to maximize the CO2 formation rate based on CO and O2 partial pressures for several successive time steps. Within a unified approach, we found optimal stationary, periodic, and nonperiodic regimes for different problem formulations and gained insight into why the dynamic regime can be preferential. In general, this work contributes to the task of popularizing the reinforcement learning approach in the field of catalytic science.

Numerical study of uranium hexafluoride desublimation process based on Eulerian two-phase model

This paper presents a numerical study on the condensation process of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) in the supply and extraction system of a uranium enrichment plant. The numerical study was conducted using a standard UF6 receiving container with a nominal diameter of 127 mm and a volume of 8L under constant temperature boundary conditions. A phase change heat and mass transfer model for the desublimation process of uranium hexafluoride gas was established, and this model was combined with the Euler two fluid model to predict the distribution of key parameters such as temperature, pressure, and volume fraction of each phase during the UF6 cooling process, as well as the gas flow characteristics inside the container. In addition, this study also investigated the influence of various factors on the cooling rate. The research results indicated that UF6 gas initially condensed on the container wall and gradually diffused inward, with the highest solid density observed on the wall. Furthermore, increasing the inlet gas temperature, inlet mass flow rate, and reducing the cooling temperature, initial pressure inside the container could all enhance the desublimation rate to various degrees. The optimization plan proposed based on the above influencing factors could increase the yield of UF6 solid by 64.20% in 2 h, compared to the basic operating conditions.

Combined radiation and convection in developing flow in a parallel plate channel with real gas behavior: Contrast between gas cooling and heating

Laminar thermally developing gas flow in a two-dimensional parallel plate channel with real gas radiation has been investigated numerically. Real gas spectral radiation effects are accounted for by using the Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model. Gas mixtures of H2O and CO2, either alone in mixture with N2 or as a mixture of H2O and CO2 are considered. The phenomena are investigated for a range of differences between wall and inlet gas temperature, mole fraction of the radiating species, and total pressure. Predictions for the cases of gas heating and gas cooling are contrasted with results presented by the classical no-radiation case, commonly known as the Graetz solution. The impact of gas radiation on the local mean temperature, convective and radiative wall heat fluxes, and the convective, radiative, and total local Nusselt numbers are studied.The predictions reveal that the inclusion of participating gas radiation results in a much more rapid change in temperature of the gas in the channel than for the convection-only case, for both the gas heating and gas cooling cases. Further, unique differences in the heat transfer behavior for gas cooling (wall temperature below the inlet gas temperature) and gas heating (wall temperature above the inlet gas temperature) scenarios are shown. However, significant differences between the cases of heating and cooling exist. In the classical Graetz solution, for constant thermophysical properties and using appropriately nondimensionalized heat transfer parameters (e.g., Nusselt number, inverse Graetz number) the predictions for fluid heating and cooling are identical. However, the results of this study including the influence of gas radiation demonstrate that the heat transfer behavior depends heavily on whether the gas is heated or cooled. An apparent thermally fully developed condition may exist for the case of gas cooling, whereas the variation in local Nusselt number with dimensionless axial location exhibits a local minimum for the case of gas heating. Further, the case of gas heating results in a more rapid streamwise change in mean temperature in the channel than for the cooling case. The thermal physics of the developing flow for combined convective-radiative transfer with real gas effects are explored for a range of wall and gas inlet temperatures, radiating species mole fractions, and total pressures.

Demonstration of CO2 capture with CaO and Ca(OH)2 in a countercurrent moving bed carbonator pilot

Decoupling the carbonation and calcination stages of Calcium Looping (CaL) facilitates the capture of CO2 from small point sources, or even the atmosphere, by transporting CO2 as CaCO3 to centralized calcination plants to obtain pure CO2 and regenerate the Ca-sorbent. In this work, we provide the experimental proof of a novel countercurrent moving bed carbonator particularly suited for such applications. We conducted experiments in a 3-meter-long moving bed reactor with an internal diameter of 0.15 m, using Ca-sorbent particles of varying sizes (in the mm and cm scale). Simulated flue gases with varied concentrations of CO2 (up to 8.5 %v), superficial gas velocities (0.5–2 m/s) and inlet gas temperatures (250–630 °C) have been tested. The temperature profiles we observed along the axial direction confirm the formation of a carbonation zone at optimum temperatures (i.e., 550–700 °C), together with a CO2 polishing region towards the gas exit that leads to CO2 capture rates over 99 % in some cases. Using Ca(OH)2 as a CO2 sorbent, we achieved a molar conversion to CaCO3 of approximately 0.7.

Analysis Study of Available Alternatives for Mitigation of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emissions from a Glycol Dehydration Unit

A natural gas (NG) dehydration unit based on glycol absorption is considered one of the most important gas processing units, aiming to decrease water content and consequently adjust its dew point. However, during this process, not only water is absorbed by the glycol solvent, but also some aromatic compounds, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), in addition to volatile organic compounds (VOC), are absorbed. These compounds are released during glycol regeneration into the atmosphere, resulting in environmental pollution and consequent catastrophic mental and physical health problems. This study aims to minimize BTEX emissions while ensuring efficient dew point control. Various strategies have been adopted to control BTEX emissions, but the present work focuses on optimizing operating conditions and investigating the influence of operational variables on BTEX emissions, as well as NG water content. LINGO optimization software and HYSYS (version 11) are used to find the plant’s optimum conditions for minimizing BTEX emissions and satisfying efficient dew point control. Simulation results show that stripping gas, triethylene glycol (TEG) circulation rate, and inlet feed gas temperature significantly affect BTEX emissions. The proposed optimum operating conditions in this work resulted in a reduction in BTEX emissions by about 81% while satisfying the required NG dew point. Furthermore, two quadratic equations are developed based on regression analysis for efficient calculation of the BTEX emissions and water dew point at any operational variables.

Bioactive dry extract production from Hymenaea courbaril L. bark via spouted bed drying

AbstractThe work aims to develop and optimize a powdered phytopharmaceutical product from the stem bark of Hymenaea courbaril L. (jatobá) by the spouted bed drying. The study commenced with the extraction of bioactive compounds present in the plant raw material by dynamic maceration using ethanol/water 70% (v/v) at a temperature of 50°C for 60 min, for the ratio stem bark: solvent mass of 1:10 (w/w). The extract quality was assessed by quantifying chemical markers via spectrophotometry (total polyphenols and tannins) and through antioxidant activity by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The extractive solution was concentrated, added with drying adjuvant, and submitted to spouted bed drying. Product quality was evaluated by moisture content (Xp), water activity (aW), powder diameter, total polyphenols, and tannins content (PT and TT), and antioxidant activity, expressed as the extract concentration needed to reduce 50% of the DDPH radical (IC50). Spouted bed drying performance was evaluated through the drying yield (REC), product accumulation (Ac), and thermal efficiency (η). The optimal processing conditions were: inlet gas temperature, Tgi: 150°C, the ratio of the mass feed flow rate of the concentrated extract to the evaporation capacity of the dryer, Ws/Wmax: 45%, and the drying gas flow rate relative to minimum spouting, Q/Qms: 1.85. Under these conditions, it is predicted to obtain a dried extract with Xp = 4.9% w/w, PT = 26.0% w/w, REC = 77.7% w/w, η = 44.3%, and Ac = 10% w/w, with adequate values of aW, TT, and high antioxidant activity.

Research on Off-Design Characteristics and Control of an Innovative S-CO2 Power Cycle Driven by the Flue Gas Waste Heat

Recently, supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) has been extensively applied for the recovery of waste heat from flue gas. Although various cycle configurations have been proposed, existing studies predominantly focus on the steady analysis and optimization of different S-CO2 structures under design conditions, and there is a noticeable deficiency in off-design research, especially for the innovative S-CO2 cycles. Thus, in this work aimed at the proposed novel S-CO2 power cycle, off-design characteristics and corresponding control strategies are investigated for the waste heat recovery. Based on the design parameters of the S-CO2 cycle, structural dimensions of printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) and shell-and-tube heat exchangers are determined, and design values of turbines and compressors are specified. On this basis, off-design models for these key components are formulated. By manipulating variables such as cooling water inlet temperature, cooling water mass flow rate, flue gas inlet temperature and flue gas mass flow rate, cycle performances of the system are analyzed under off-design conditions. The simulation results show that when the inlet temperature and the mass flow rate of cooling water vary separately, the thermal efficiency both can reach the maximum value of 28.43% at the design point. For the changes in heat source parameters, the optimum point is slightly deviated from the design condition. Amidst the fluctuations in flue gas inlet temperature, the thermal efficiency optimizes to a peak of 28.56% at 530 °C. In the case of variation in the flue gas mass flow rate, the highest thermal efficiency 28.75% can be obtained. Furthermore, to maintain the efficient and stable operation of the S-CO2 power cycle, the corresponding control strategy of the cooling water mass flow rate is proposed for the cooling water inlet temperature variation. Generally, when the inlet temperature of cooling water increases from 23 °C to 27 °C, the cooling water mass flow should increase from 82.3% to 132.7% of the design value to keep the system running as much as possible at design conditions.

Computational modeling of a surfatron mode microwave plasma in NH3/N2 for remote radical generation in a silicon native oxide cleaning process

Plasma-produced NxHy radicals facilitate the removal of native oxide layers in a semiconductor wafer surface. A remote microwave excited plasma with a NH3–N2 feed gas is used commonly to produce the active radicals. We perform a three-dimensional modeling of a microwave excited plasma operating in a surfatron mode. The device consists of a rectangular waveguide intersecting a quartz tube through which the feed gas flows. We discuss the propagation of a polarized 2.45 GHz microwave from the waveguide into the quartz tube where power is deposited into the plasma. The plasma–wave interaction is found to be highly three dimensional, with a propagating surface mode of the wave established along the dielectric tube plasma interface. Significant heating occurs on the side of the tube that directly faces the incident wave. As the flow carries the plasma-produced species down the tube, species radial profiles become increasingly diffusion controlled and axisymmetric. The dominant radicals that exit the tube are H2 and NH2, with nearly complete conversion of the feed gases to product species. The gas temperature rises above this inlet feed gas temperature and increases with increasing wave power. However, the gas temperature increase is not consequential to the overall radical yield from the plasma. The parametric study with changing pressure and input power illustrates the role of specific chemical reactions in the overall remote plasma process.

Electrical driven pyrolysis reactor retrofit for indirect concentrated solar heat

Aiming for a climate-neutral economy, and the associated transition towards fuels produced from alternative feedstock, and to overcome some biomass pyrolysis unsuitable properties for the conventional combustion devices, plastics pyrolysis also produces oils, whose main compounds are also hydrocarbons, that can be used in conventional engines without so complex and costly upgrading processes.Most of the chemical reactions found in a pyrolysis process are endothermal thus, to fulfill that energy demand, the retrofit of a 4 kW electrical furnace pyrolysis reactor to indirect solar driven energy was assessed aiming to adapt it to a central receiver solar tower with up to 100kWth-peak, using air as heat transfer fluid.The heat demand along a typical pyrolysis test was experimentally assessed and a heat transfer mathematical model was defined to address the working constraints of the reactor. Additional analysis considering new design parameters were performed, namely sensitive analysis to the length of the new heating coil and its overall heat transfer coefficient, the reactor temperature set point, the inlet and outlet (to the atmosphere) gas temperature and working mass flow rates and temperatures were found to provide the same heat demand and minimize the waste heat.Considering both the heat source facility and the reactor constraints, it was found that the retrofit is possible providing that the product of surface area by the overall heat transfer coefficient (A·U) yields more than 17.7 W/K, for a reactor temperature set point of 450 °C and a maximum temperature inlet of 700 °C.