Removal of particulate matter from condensable vapors using a moving bed granular filter

摘要

Products from the fast pyrolysis of biomass were filtered at 500°C using a moving bed granular filter. The filter was able to operate continuously at stable temperatures and pressures at a range of granular flow rates. Pyrolysis product yields with the filter were similar to those obtained during baseline operation. Imaging of spent filtration media confirmed the presence of primary char, demonstrating the ability of the filter to remove particulate matter in-situ. Additional imaging also confirmed the presence of filtration media derived dust contaminating bio-oil samples. The filter was not able to reduce trace metal content of resulting bio-oil over baseline samples due in part to the dust contamination. Accelerated aging trials conducted on the filtered bio-oil confirmed oligomerization of the samples likely due to the presence of alkali remaining in the oil. A modeling study of the aged samples revealed a trend of increased aging with increased filtration granular flow rate.