Kinetic modeling and experimental validation of biomass fast pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor

Biomass fast pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor has been modeled by coupling a kinetic model with reactor hydrodynamics. The kinetic model proposed considers the influence of the two main parameters affecting the pyrolysis process, which are reaction temperature and residence time. Thus, the reaction scheme contemplates three parallel reactions for the formation of the pyrolysis products (gas, bio-oil and char) and a homogeneous secondary reaction in the gas phase, whose extent depends on the residence time of the pyrolysis volatiles. The experimental results used for calculating the kinetic parameters of best fit were obtained in a bench scale conical spouted bed reactor equipped with a draft tube and operated in the 450-550 degrees C temperature range and with a gas residence time between 0.56 and 1.69 s. The model suitably predicts product formation rates and pyrolysis product yields in a wide range of reaction conditions. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to evaluate the influence of the hydrodynamic parameters, as well as the model robustness.