(6b) A Novel Model to Forecast the Yield and Composition of the Pyrolysis Products: Reaction Kinetics and Hydrodynamics Studya Novel Model to Forecast the Yield and Composition of the Pyrolysis Products: Reaction Kinetics and Hydrodynamics Study

Shuli Shu^a, Sherif Farag^a,b, Francois Bertrand^a,*, and Jamal Chaouki^a,*

^aDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3A7

^bRMTech for Environmental Solutions Inc., 426-239 Deguire, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4N 1P2

*Corresponding author

E-mail address: francois.bertrand@polymtl.ca (F. Bertrand), jamal.chaouki@polymtl.ca (J. Chaouki)

Biomass is a renewable and sustainable source for energy and chemical industries. Among thermochemical technologies, pyrolysis is the most promising technique to process such complex biomass feedstocks as it is not highly affected by their variable composition and does not suffer from scale-up issues and limitations. The unique advantages of multiphase reactors, such as their excellent heat and mass transfer performance, and the elimination of radial and axial gradients in concentration and temperature, explain why they are of high interest to implement this technology.

A deeper understanding of the hydrodynamics of such reactors requires their operation under stable conditions, which enhances the heat and mass transfer rates and minimizes the energy requirements. Linking the transport physics obtained from hydrodynamics characteristics with reaction kinetics can be done by simulating the pyrolysis products yield accurately. In this regard, this work concerns the modeling of a fluidized bed reactor operating under pyrolysis conditions, while taking into consideration the kinetics of pyrolysis of one of the most abundant by-products from pulping paper industry, lignin. This proposed model is capable of predicting both the yield of the primary pyrolysis products, biochar bio-oil and biogas and the composition of the liquid product.