Pyrolysis is one of the thermochemical technologies for converting biomass into energy and chemical products consisting of liquid bio-oil, solid biochar, and pyrolytic gas. Depending on the heating rate and residence time, biomass pyrolysis can be divided into three main categories slow (conventional), fast and flash pyrolysis mainly aiming at maximising either the bio-oil or biochar yields. Synthesis gas or hydrogen-rich gas can also be the target of biomass pyrolysis. Maximised gas rates can be achieved through the catalytic pyrolysis process, which is now increasingly being developed. Biomass pyrolysis generally follows a three-step mechanism comprising of dehydration, primary and secondary reactions. Dehydrogenation, depolymerisation, and fragmentation are the main competitive reactions during the primary decomposition of biomass. A number of parameters affect the biomass pyrolysis process, yields and properties of products. These include the biomass type, biomass pretreatment (physical, chemical, and biological), reaction atmosphere, temperature, heating rate and vapour residence time. This manuscript gives a general summary of the properties of the pyrolytic products and their analysis methods. Also provided are a review of the parameters that affect biomass pyrolysis and a summary of the state of industrial pyrolysis technologies.

Lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis: A review of product properties and effects of pyrolysis parameters

Biomass feedstocks for renewable fuel production: a review of the impacts of feedstock and pretreatment on the yield and product distribution of fast pyrolysis bio-oils and vapors

Valorization of biomass waste to engineered activated biochar by microwave pyrolysis: Progress, challenges, and future directions

Pyrolysis converts lignocellulosic biomass to bio-oil that can be a precursor to fuel and chemicals for industries. The bio-oil contains high oxygenates fractions that deteriorate the bio-oil fuel properties. Catalysts acted to upgrade the bio-oil through selected bond cleavage reactions such as deoxygenation, cracking, decarbonylation and others reactions. Bulk and supported acid or base catalysts in biomass pyrolysis tailored the production of high-grade bio-oil. The catalytic biomass pyrolysis is an approach that is reliable for producing quality renewable fuel and chemical precursors. This paper elucidated recent studies on catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulose biomass to renewable fuel grade bio-oil and chemicals. The review discussed the various principal activities on biomass characteristics and their potentials in pyrolysis process to produce the high-grade biofuel precursor. The possible processes used in perpetuating the pyrolysis devolatilisation of biomass are also appraised along with catalysts type, and their catalytic activities in the production of renewable bio-oil and bio-chemicals. Therefore, catalyst development for the upgrade of bio-oils from pyrolysis of biomass to renewable fuel and chemicals precursor remains a topical issue.

Recent progress on catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to high-grade bio-oil and bio-chemicals

Biomass pyrolysis: A review of the process development and challenges from initial researches up to the commercialisation stage

There has been an enormous amount of research in recent years in the area of thermo-chemical conversion of biomass into bio-fuels (bio-oil, bio-char and bio-gas) through pyrolysis technology due to its several socio-economic advantages as well as the fact it is an efficient conversion method compared to other thermo-chemical conversion technologies. However, this technology is not yet fully developed with respect to its commercial applications. In this study, more than two hundred publications are reviewed, discussed and summarized, with the emphasis being placed on the current status of pyrolysis technology and its potential for commercial applications for bio-fuel production. Aspects of pyrolysis technology such as pyrolysis principles, biomass sources and characteristics, types of pyrolysis, pyrolysis reactor design, pyrolysis products and their characteristics and economics of bio-fuel production are presented. It is found from this study that conversion of biomass to bio-fuel has to overcome challenges such as understanding the trade-off between the size of the pyrolysis plant and feedstock, improvement of the reliability of pyrolysis reactors and processes to become viable for commercial applications. Further study is required to achieve a better understanding of the economics of biomass pyrolysis for bio-fuel production, as well as resolving issues related to the capabilities of this technology in practical application.

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1011788.pdf

Biofuels production through biomass pyrolysis - a technological review.

Thermal-comfort analysis and simulation for various low-energy cooling-technologies applied to an office building in a subtropical climate

Pyrolysis is the thermo-chemical conversion of carbonaceous feedstock in the absence of oxygen to produce bio-fuel (bio-oil, bio-char and syn-gas). Bio-fuel production from municipal green waste (MGW) through the pyrolysis process has attracted considerable attention recently in the renewable energy sector because it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to energy security. This study analyses properties of MGW feedstock available in Rockhampton city of Central Queensland, Australia, and presents an experimental investigation of producing bio-fuel from that MGW through the pyrolysis process using a short sealed rotary furnace. It was found from the experiment that about 19.97% bio-oil, 40.83% bio-char and 29.77% syn-gas can be produced from the MGW. Then, a four-stage steady state simulation model is developed for pyrolysis process performance simulation using Aspen Plus software. In the first stage, the moisture content of the MGW feed is reduced. In the second stage, the MGW is decomposed according to its elemental constituents. In the third stage, condensate material is separated and, finally, the pyrolysis reactions are modelled using the Gibbs free energy minimisation approach. The MGW’s ultimate and proximate analysis data were used in the Aspen Plus simulation as input parameters. The model is validated with experimentally measured data. A good agreement between simulation and experimental results was found. More specifically, the variation of modelling and experimental elemental compositions of the MGW was found to be 7.3% for carbon, 15.82% for hydrogen, 7.04% for nitrogen and 5.56% for sulphur. The validated model is used to optimise the biofuel production from the MGW as a function of operating variables such as temperature, moisture content, particle size and process heat air–fuel ratio. The modelling and optimisation results are presented, analysed and discussed.

/pdf/pyrolysis-of-municipal-green-waste-a-modelling-simulation-56vn5uc36k.pdf

Pyrolysis of Municipal Green Waste: A Modelling, Simulation and Experimental Analysis

Modelling and analysis of air-cooled reciprocating chiller and demand energy savings using passive cooling

Utilising pyrolysis as a waste tyre processing technology has various economic and social advantages, along with the fact that it is an effective conversion method. Despite extensive research and a notable likelihood of success, this technology has not yet seen implementation in industrial and commercial settings. In this review, over 100 recent publications are reviewed and summarised to give attention to the current state of global tyre waste management, pyrolysis technology, and plastic waste conversion into liquid fuel. The study also investigated the suitability of pyrolysis oil for use in diesel engines and provided the results on diesel engine performance and emission characteristics. Most studies show that discarded tyres can yield 40–60% liquid oil with a calorific value of more than 40 MJ/kg, indicating that they are appropriate for direct use as boiler and furnace fuel. It has a low cetane index, as well as high viscosity, density, and aromatic content. According to diesel engine performance and emission studies, the power output and combustion efficiency of tyre pyrolysis oil are equivalent to diesel fuel, but engine emissions (NOX, CO, CO, SOX, and HC) are significantly greater in most circumstances. These findings indicate that tyre pyrolysis oil is not suitable for direct use in commercial automobile engines, but it can be utilised as a fuel additive or combined with other fuels.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/13/3837/pdf

Ashfaque Ahmed Chowdhury

Papers

Biofuels production through biomass pyrolysis - a technological review.

Thermal-comfort analysis and simulation for various low-energy cooling-technologies applied to an office building in a subtropical climate

Pyrolysis of Municipal Green Waste: A Modelling, Simulation and Experimental Analysis

Modelling and analysis of air-cooled reciprocating chiller and demand energy savings using passive cooling

A Review on the Thermochemical Recycling of Waste Tyres to Oil for Automobile Engine Application