Biomass torrefaction is a mild pyrolysis thermal treatment process carried out at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C under inert conditions to improve fuel properties of parent biomass. Torrefaction yields a higher energy per unit mass product but releases noncondensable and condensable gases, signifying energy and mass losses. The condensable gases (volatiles) can result in tar formation on condensing, hence, system blockage. Fortunately, the hydrocarbon composition of volatiles represents a possible auxiliary energy source for feedstock drying and/or torrefaction process. The present study designed a low-pressure volatile burner for torrefaction of pine wood chips and investigated energy recovery from volatiles through clean co-combustion with natural gas (NG). The research studied the effects of torrefaction pretreatment temperatures on the amount of energy recovered for various combustion air flow rates. For all test conditions, blue flames and low emissions at the combustor exit consistently signified clean and complete premixed combustion. Torrefaction temperature at 283–292 °C had relatively low volatile energy recovery, mainly attributed to higher moisture content evolution and low molecular weight of volatiles evolved. At the lowest torrefaction pretreatment temperature, small amount of volatiles was generated with more energy recovered. Energy conservation evaluation on the torrefaction reactor indicated that about 27% of total energy carried by the exiting volatiles and gases has been recovered by the co-fire of NG and volatiles at the lowest temperature, while around 19% of the total energy was recovered at the intermediate and highest torrefaction temperatures, respectively. The energy recovered represents about 23–45% of the energy associated with NG combustion in the internal burner of the torrefaction reactor, signifying that the volatiles energy can supplement significant amount of the energy required for torrefaction.
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November 2018
Research-Article
Investigation of Effect of Biomass Torrefaction Temperature on Volatile Energy Recovery Through Combustion
Oladapo S. Akinyemi,
Oladapo S. Akinyemi
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: osa4975@louisiana.edu
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: osa4975@louisiana.edu
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Lulin Jiang,
Lulin Jiang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: lljiang@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: lljiang@louisiana.edu
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Prashanth R. Buchireddy,
Prashanth R. Buchireddy
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: pxb5173@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: pxb5173@louisiana.edu
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Stanislav O. Barskov,
Stanislav O. Barskov
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: stan_barskov@yahoo.com
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: stan_barskov@yahoo.com
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John L. Guillory,
John L. Guillory
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: jlg7703@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: jlg7703@louisiana.edu
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Williams Holmes
Williams Holmes
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: williams.holmes@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: williams.holmes@louisiana.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Oladapo S. Akinyemi
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: osa4975@louisiana.edu
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: osa4975@louisiana.edu
Lulin Jiang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: lljiang@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: lljiang@louisiana.edu
Prashanth R. Buchireddy
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: pxb5173@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: pxb5173@louisiana.edu
Stanislav O. Barskov
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: stan_barskov@yahoo.com
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: stan_barskov@yahoo.com
John L. Guillory
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: jlg7703@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: jlg7703@louisiana.edu
Williams Holmes
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: williams.holmes@louisiana.edu
Energy Institute of Louisiana,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Lafayette, LA 70504
e-mail: williams.holmes@louisiana.edu
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Advanced Energy Systems Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received November 17, 2017; final manuscript received May 3, 2018; published online June 12, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Yaning Zhang.
J. Energy Resour. Technol. Nov 2018, 140(11): 112003 (11 pages)
Published Online: June 12, 2018
Article history
Received:
November 17, 2017
Revised:
May 3, 2018
Citation
Akinyemi, O. S., Jiang, L., Buchireddy, P. R., Barskov, S. O., Guillory, J. L., and Holmes, W. (June 12, 2018). "Investigation of Effect of Biomass Torrefaction Temperature on Volatile Energy Recovery Through Combustion." ASME. J. Energy Resour. Technol. November 2018; 140(11): 112003. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4040202
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