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Title: Integrated Particle- and Reactor-Scale Simulation of Pine Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed

Abstract

We report results from a multiscale computational modeling study of biomass fast pyrolysis in an experimental laboratory reactor that combined the hydrodynamics predicted by a two-fluid model (TFM) with predictions from a finite element method (FEM) simulation of heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions within biomass particles. The experimental pyrolyzer consisted of a 2 in. (5.1 cm) diameter bubbling fluidized bed reactor (FBR) fed with milled pine pellets. The predicted FBR hydrodynamics included estimates of the residence times that the gas and biomass particles spend in the reactor before they exit. A single-particle FEM simulation was constructed on the basis of the geometry and heat transfer properties determined from optical and X-ray computed tomography measurements of wood and char particles collected from the experimental FBR, along with previously proposed pyrolysis reaction kinetics. Taken together, the combined TFM and FEM simulation results predicted net bio-oil yields at the reactor exit that agree well with experimental observations, without any arbitrary fitting parameters. As a result, the combined computational models also provided practical information about the most important reactor and feedstock parameters.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [3];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1471476
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1507872
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-2700-72403
Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Energy and Fuels
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; fast pyrolysis; biomass; two-fluid model; finite element model; heat transfer; mass transfer

Citation Formats

Pecha, M. Brennan, Ramirez, Emilio, Wiggins, Gavin M., Carpenter, Daniel, Kappes, Branden, Daw, Stuart, and Ciesielski, Peter N. Integrated Particle- and Reactor-Scale Simulation of Pine Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b02309.
Pecha, M. Brennan, Ramirez, Emilio, Wiggins, Gavin M., Carpenter, Daniel, Kappes, Branden, Daw, Stuart, & Ciesielski, Peter N. Integrated Particle- and Reactor-Scale Simulation of Pine Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b02309
Pecha, M. Brennan, Ramirez, Emilio, Wiggins, Gavin M., Carpenter, Daniel, Kappes, Branden, Daw, Stuart, and Ciesielski, Peter N. Tue . "Integrated Particle- and Reactor-Scale Simulation of Pine Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b02309. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1471476.
@article{osti_1471476,
title = {Integrated Particle- and Reactor-Scale Simulation of Pine Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed},
author = {Pecha, M. Brennan and Ramirez, Emilio and Wiggins, Gavin M. and Carpenter, Daniel and Kappes, Branden and Daw, Stuart and Ciesielski, Peter N.},
abstractNote = {We report results from a multiscale computational modeling study of biomass fast pyrolysis in an experimental laboratory reactor that combined the hydrodynamics predicted by a two-fluid model (TFM) with predictions from a finite element method (FEM) simulation of heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions within biomass particles. The experimental pyrolyzer consisted of a 2 in. (5.1 cm) diameter bubbling fluidized bed reactor (FBR) fed with milled pine pellets. The predicted FBR hydrodynamics included estimates of the residence times that the gas and biomass particles spend in the reactor before they exit. A single-particle FEM simulation was constructed on the basis of the geometry and heat transfer properties determined from optical and X-ray computed tomography measurements of wood and char particles collected from the experimental FBR, along with previously proposed pyrolysis reaction kinetics. Taken together, the combined TFM and FEM simulation results predicted net bio-oil yields at the reactor exit that agree well with experimental observations, without any arbitrary fitting parameters. As a result, the combined computational models also provided practical information about the most important reactor and feedstock parameters.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b02309},
journal = {Energy and Fuels},
number = 10,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Tue Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Cited by: 31 works
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