Model and sensitivity analysis of the reciprocating biomass conversion reactor (RBCR)

N. J. Parziale, R. Adhikari

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this work, the capabilities of a pilot-scale reciprocating biomass conversion reactor (RBCR) are assessed by modeling. The RBCR is a novel means to produce bio-oil by fast-pyrolysis whose core is a re-purposed 4-cycle internal combustion engine. Inert gas and a small volume-fraction of pulverized biomass are input into the RBCR intake, and the crankshaft is cycled by an external energy source to supply the process heat. The biomass is converted during the compression stroke, and then the bio-products are exhausted. The cycle is: intake, compression/heating, expansion, and exhaust. A control-volume energy balance to assess the steady-state flow of mass and energy through the RBCR is presented. The RBCR calculations are quantitatively compared to experimental results from the state of the art considered to be a lab-scale fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) found in the literature. This FBR is chosen for comparison because the RBCR and FBR have nearly the same size/footprint and, thus, by crude assumption, similar capital costs. Relative to the state-of-the-art (SOA), calculations predict that the RBCR will increase the biomass throughput, decrease the mass-specific energy requirement to thermochemically convert biomass to bio-oil, bio-char, and bio-gas by fast-pyrolysis. Moreover, calculations predict that at bench scale, the RBCR process results in a bio-oil product with a heating value approximately 6.8 times higher than the energy required to drive the cycle (there is a 6.8 times “return on energy investment”).

Original languageEnglish
Article number118988
JournalInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Volume147
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2020

Keywords

  • 00-01
  • 99-00

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