Mass Flow Dynamic Modeling and Residence Time Control of a Continuous Tubular Reactor for Biomass Pretreatment

This work presents a dynamic discrete model that describes the mass flow and residence time behavior in a pretreatment continuous tubular reactor using lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock. The model consists of a set of linear difference equations that accurately describe the output flow as a function of the operation conditions. Model parameters account for mechanical and rheological properties of different lignocellulosic biomass, as well as complex backflow phenomena commonly encountered in these reactors. The proposed dynamic model was experimentally validated for wheat straw and corn stover. Additionally, a control strategy was proposed for the residence time and was correctly validated through simulations.