20
is essentially an auger screw reactor inclosing a carbon steel compartment (horizontal position), including two co-axial rotating screws [73]. This reactor operates at a
pressure of up to 1 MPa, its heating system is external through heating bands, and
the design is appropriate to process high ash content biomass and to maximize the
contact time between organic vapours and pyrolysis biochar [74].
Throughout the process, the internal screw transports a mix of fresh feedstock
and recycled char fraction along the reactor, which is heated at standard pyrolysis
temperatures [129]. The external screw carries the biochar back to the inlet zone,
increasing the heat transfer of the feedstock [75]. The biochar layer in the reactor
controls the heating rate and protects the feed from extremely high temperatures,
thus avoiding fast pyrolysis reactions [73]. Biomass is transformed into char,
vapours and volatile gases. The remaining biochar (that is not recycled in the reactor) exits to the solid drop-out pipe of the Pyroformer, and the pyrolysis gas phase
moves through the gas outlet pipe [74].
The novelty of this system is the effect of biochar recycling which creates an
additional catalytic impact in the system. This catalytic impact improved the bio-oil
quality in comparison with fast pyrolysis bio-oil due to oil formation with lower
molecular weight, less water content and less heavy tar formation, and also applying
biochar increased gas fuel yields (H 2 and CO), thus generating a considerably higher
heating value biofuels [130].
6.2 Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR)
TCR innovation is about combining the intermediate pyrolysis (which was developed from the Pyroformer process) with post-catalytic reforming (treatment). TCR
was designed and developed by Fraunhofer UMSICHT to produce valuable chemical and biofuels from waste materials [72]. TCR process flow diagram (PFD) is
Fig. 8 Pyroformer reactor system. (Reproduced with permission from [74], Copyright © 2013,
Elsevier)
H. Jahangiri et al.
is essentially an auger screw reactor inclosing a carbon steel compartment (horizontal position), including two co-axial rotating screws [73]. This reactor operates at a
pressure of up to 1 MPa, its heating system is external through heating bands, and
the design is appropriate to process high ash content biomass and to maximize the
contact time between organic vapours and pyrolysis biochar [74].
Throughout the process, the internal screw transports a mix of fresh feedstock
and recycled char fraction along the reactor, which is heated at standard pyrolysis
temperatures [129]. The external screw carries the biochar back to the inlet zone,
increasing the heat transfer of the feedstock [75]. The biochar layer in the reactor
controls the heating rate and protects the feed from extremely high temperatures,
thus avoiding fast pyrolysis reactions [73]. Biomass is transformed into char,
vapours and volatile gases. The remaining biochar (that is not recycled in the reactor) exits to the solid drop-out pipe of the Pyroformer, and the pyrolysis gas phase
moves through the gas outlet pipe [74].
The novelty of this system is the effect of biochar recycling which creates an
additional catalytic impact in the system. This catalytic impact improved the bio-oil
quality in comparison with fast pyrolysis bio-oil due to oil formation with lower
molecular weight, less water content and less heavy tar formation, and also applying
biochar increased gas fuel yields (H 2 and CO), thus generating a considerably higher
heating value biofuels [130].
6.2 Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR)
TCR innovation is about combining the intermediate pyrolysis (which was developed from the Pyroformer process) with post-catalytic reforming (treatment). TCR
was designed and developed by Fraunhofer UMSICHT to produce valuable chemical and biofuels from waste materials [72]. TCR process flow diagram (PFD) is
Fig. 8 Pyroformer reactor system. (Reproduced with permission from [74], Copyright © 2013,
Elsevier)
H. Jahangiri et al.