Upscaling of Thermo-Catalytic Reforming Process from Lab to Pilot Scale

Abstract

Biomass has become an important approach to meet the current requirements of energy and oil alternatives. In recent years, extensive research has been carried out on the transformation of biological wastes into biofuels and through pyrolysis, which may gradually be replacing the crude-oil resources. One promising pyrolysis route is intermediate pyrolysis. Which opens the field to the valorization of a high variety of biological residues into biofuels including gasses, liquid chemicals and carbonisate. In the present work, the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming-TCR ® technology based on intermediate pyrolysis with integrated catalytic reforming is discussed, showing high productivity and higher quality biofuels compared to traditional pyrolysis systems. This paper illustrates the data from the up-scaling of the TCR ® system from laboratory scale to pilot scale using sewage sludge as feedstock. The effects of the design differences are studied from the point of view of the qualities of products, mass and energy balances of the laboratory unit upon the pilot unit.

Thermo-Catalytic Reforming of spent coffee grounds

“…The principle of the measurement is built on an infrared photometer (CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , and C x H y ), an electrochemical cell (O 2 ), and a thermal conductivity detector (H 2 ). The heating value of the gas and the density measurement are carried out with an online gas-calorimeter CWD 2005 from Union Instruments GmbH (Ahmad et al 2018;Elmously et al 2019;Jäger et al 2016b). The total volume of the non-condensable gases is calculated by difference (Feed − (Σ char+condensate )) (Apfelbacher et al 2016;Elmously et al 2019;Jäger et al 2016b).…”

“…Elemental analysis (CHNS) of feedstock and by-products (bio-oil, char, and water phase) is carried out on a dry basis, and then the oxygen content is calculated by difference (100 − (Σ CHNS+ash )). The high heating value is measured by a combustion bomb calorimeter IKA C2000 series from IKA (Elmously et al 2019;Jäger et al 2016b).…”

“…Total acid number (TAN) in the bio-oil is determined by 916 Oil Ti-Touch (Metrohm AG). Besides, the water content in the bio-oil is determined by Karl Fischer titration using a 915 KF Ti-Touch titrator from Metrohm AG (Elmously et al 2019;Jäger et al 2016b).…”

“…The auger speed motor controls the residence time of the solid biomass to be an average of 10 min. Three heating zones along the horizontal reactor maintain and control the temperatures between 400 and 500 °C, and a heating rate of 200 °C-300 °C/min (Ahmad et al 2018;Conti et al 2017;Elmously et al 2019;Hornung et al 2011;Hornung 2014;Jäger et al 2016b;Neumann et al 2016b).…”

“…The non-condensable gases are driven through a washing unit, an active carbon filter, candle filter and then silica wool filter to eliminate the particles and to purify the non-condensable gases. The char is removed from the post-reformer at the end of each experiment (Ahmad et al 2018;Conti et al 2017;Elmously et al 2019;Hornung et al 2011;Hornung 2014;Jäger et al 2016b;Neumann et al 2016b).…”