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Title: Estimating the Temperature Experienced by Biomass Particles during Fast Pyrolysis Using Microscopic Analysis of Biochars

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels

Here, biomass particles can experience variable thermal conditions during fast pyrolysis due to differences in their size and morphology, and from local temperature variations within a reactor. These differences lead to increased heterogeneity of the chemical products obtained in the pyrolysis vapors and bio-oil. Here we present a simple, high-throughput method to investigate the thermal history experienced by large ensembles of particles during fast pyrolysis by imaging and quantitative image analysis. We present a correlation between the surface luminance (darkness) of the biochar particle and the highest temperature that it experienced during pyrolysis. Next, we apply this correlation to large, heterogeneous ensembles of char particles produced in a laminar entrained flow reactor (LEFR). The results are used to interpret the actual temperature distributions delivered by the reactor over a range of operating conditions.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation and Fuels. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1376661
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-2700-68941
Journal Information:
Energy and Fuels, Vol. 31, Issue 8; ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 6 works
Citation information provided by
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