Provisional investigation of biomass pyrolysis in CSTR using Simulink® and Aspen Plus

A Simulink-based model is designed to simulate biomass pyrolysis as a case study. The Simulink model has a separate database for system models, material properties, and thermodynamic models. The data flow has been standardised and straightforward to use with user-supplied data. The simulation results are validated with the results from Aspen Plus. Given that Aspen Plus is licensed software cast-aside, the scope for young researchers to design and analyse the performance of a process. The purpose is not an alternative to Aspen Plus but to serve the ease of accessibility and work. The present case study considers biomass pyrolysis in a bubbling bed reactor. The screw feeder is considered, in practice, to accomplish continuous introduction of feed biomass to the bed. The bubbling bed realises vigorous mixing of solid-phase; a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) model is more suitable to represent the pyrolysis reaction dynamics. The pyrolysis reactions were proposed and applied to model a pyrolysis reactor. This process analysis is based on operating factors such as reaction temperature, residence duration, biomass-wood type, and reactor type. To evaluate the foregoing findings, the results of other researchers’ process analyses are compared. Pyro-char, a by-product of pyro-oil manufacture, aids in retaining moisture and nutrients in forest soils and has been an aspect of environmental importance. Hence, this research focuses on determining the precise reaction for biomass pyrolysis in a CSTR with high oil yield rates, char yields, and biomass conversion. Graphical abstract