Numerical Investigation of Tar Formation Mechanisms in Biomass Pyrolysis

This study achieves the particle-resolved modeling of biomass pyrolysis via a novel approach of integrating the Discrete Element Method (DEM) with a semi-detailed chemical kinetic mechanism. By coupling CFD-DEM with a 36-step reaction network, the multiscale interactions between particle-scale hydro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shuiting Ding, Yifei Wu, Xiaojun Yang, Zongwei Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Aerospace
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/6/477
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Summary:This study achieves the particle-resolved modeling of biomass pyrolysis via a novel approach of integrating the Discrete Element Method (DEM) with a semi-detailed chemical kinetic mechanism. By coupling CFD-DEM with a 36-step reaction network, the multiscale interactions between particle-scale hydrodynamics and the formation kinetics of 19 tar components under varying temperatures (630–770 °C) are elucidated. Levoglucosan (44.79%) and methanol (18.64%) are identified as primary tar components. Combined with these, furfural (C<sub>5</sub>H<sub>4</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, 7.22%), methanal (CH<sub>2</sub>O, 6.75%), and glutaric acid (C<sub>5</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, 4.20%) account for over 80% of all the tar components. The secondary decomposition pathways are successfully captured, and changes in the reaction rates, as seen in triglycerides (R23: 307.30% rate increase at 770 °C) and tannins (R24: 265.41% acceleration), are quantified. This work provides the ability to predict intermediate products, offering critical insights into reactor optimization.
ISSN:2226-4310