Parametric studies on Pyrolysis of pungam oil cake in electrically heated fluidized bed research reactor

摘要

Fluidized bed flash pyrolysis experiments have been conducted on a sample of pungam oil cake to determine particularly the effects of particle size, pyrolysis temperature and nitrogen gas flow rate on the products yield. The particle size, pyrolysis temperature and nitrogen gas flow rate were varied from 0.3 to 1.4 mm, 400-C to 550-C and 1.25 m-/ h to 2.4 m-/ h. The maximum oil yield of 54.8 wt % was obtained at a nitrogen gas flow rate of 2.0 m-/ h, particle size of 1.0-1.18 mm and pyrolysis temperature of 500-C. The maximum gas yield of 46.0 wt % was obtained at particle size of 0.3-0.6 mm, nitrogen flow rate of 1.75 m-/ h and at 500-C. The maximum char yield of 14.1 wt % was obtained at 400-C, particle size of 1.18-1.4 mm, and at nitrogen gas flow rate of 1.25 m-/ h. The gross calorific value of pyrolysis oil was found to be 37.45 MJ/Kg. The calorific value of pungam oil cake was found to be 14.3 MJ/Kg. The gas fractions were obtained using gas chromatography. The pyrolysis gas fractions were found to contain hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The liquid may be used as a source of low-grade fuel or it may be upgraded to higher quality liquid fuel by thermo catalytic cracking or trans-esterification processes.