Biomass pyrolysis with an entrained flow reactor

A tubular entrained flow reactor has been used to study the effect of process variables on biomass pyrolysis. In this type of reactor, finely ground biomass particles are entrained by carrier gas and transported through a reactor tube which is heated to about 900/sup 0/C. Biomass particles pyrolyze as a result of heat transfer from the reactor wall yielding a gas composed primarily of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and unsaturated hydrocarbons. In this experimental program three dependent variables, percent conversion to gas, gas composition, and process heat, have been measured as a function of several process control variables. These process variables include reactor temperature, carrier gas to biomass flow ratio, reactor residence time, biomass particle size, and reactor Reynolds number. The data allow one to design and predict the performance of large-scale reactors and also elucidate heat transfer mechanisms in biomass pyrolysis.