(738i) Pyrolysis and CO2 Gasification Kinetics of Manure-Derived Hydrochar

Availability of biomass has made bioenergy a potential source of energy for future. But biomass usually contains high moisture content with low calorific value and bulk density which make the conversion process difficult. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical pre-treatment process that can convert a high moisture containing biomass into a solid carbon rich fuel. Gasification is also considered as a promising technology for biomass energy conversion. It is a process that can convert biomass into gaseous fuel through partial oxidation in presence of an oxidizing agent. This study aims to examine the reaction kinetics of pyrolysis and gasification process of hydrothermally treated manure derived hydrochar by determining the associated reaction parameters and factors affecting those parameters. In this study, hydrochar was first pyrolyzed in presence of N₂ and then gasified with CO₂ at 800°C, 900°C and 1000°C with a residence time of 30 min, 60 min and 90 min at each temperature. Results from thermogravimetric analysis illustrated that with the increase of temperature, residence time became less important factor in pyrolysis zone. Modified form of Kissinger’s method was applied for peak temperature of each residence time to determine the kinetic parameters. Results showed that reaction parameters were more dependent on temperature than on residence time in pyrolysis zone. The activation energy for pyrolysis zone was found to be within (172.6-276.6) KJ/mole in (800-1000)°C temperature range with three different residence time while for gasification zone the value was (210±19) MJ/mole.