Title:
A Kinetic Study for Torrefaction of Norwegian Biomass Fuels
Author(s):
Tapasvi, D., Khalil, R., Varhegyi, G., Tran, K.-Q., Grønli, M., Skreiberg, Ø.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Torrefaction is a process that is employed as a pre-treatment to improve fuel properties of biomass materials. Typical conditions of torrefaction are 200-300oC, near atmospheric pressure, absence of oxygen and relatively low particle heating rates (< 50oC/min). Many studies have evaluated the torrefaction process and the torrefied product properties. However, only a few of these studies have looked specifically on the torrefaction devolatilization kinetics. In this study, kinetics for torrefaction of Norwegian Spruce and Birch wood are presented. The experiments were carried out in a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reactor (TA Instruments Q5000). Linear, stepwise, constant reaction rate and modulating temperature programs were employed to increase the information content of the experimental data sets. In total 16 experiments were performed for both feedstocks. nth-order and distributed activation energy (DAEM) kinetic models were tested to fit the non-isothermal and isothermal TGA data for extraction of kinetic parameters. The experiments on a given sample were evaluated simultaneously by the method of least-squares. Additionally, the reliability of the models were tested by checking how well the fastest heating rate experiment can be described by the kinetic parameters obtained from the evaluation of the narrower subset of slow heating rate experiments.
Keywords:
biomass, kinetics, torrefaction, thermogravimetric analysis
Topic:
R&D on Processes for Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Fuels from Biomass
Subtopic:
Advanced solid biofuels
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
3DV.4.10
Pages:
1733 - 1738
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-3DV.4.10
Price:
FREE
