Numerical simulation of biomass pyrolysis under fluidized-bed conditions

Semi-global mechanisms of biomass pyrolysis, based on three competitive reactions leading to gas, liquids and char formation, are compared. A transport model has also been applied to simulate the single-particle dynamics of fluid-bed pyrolysis. Heat and mass transfer processes become successively more important as the temperature and/or the particle size is increased. Intra- and extra-particle activity of secondary reactions is negligible for temperatures below 800K. The predicted product distribution is in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements, but none of the kinetic mechanisms of wood pyrolysis currently available gives quantitative results.