Mass Balance Equation

 

 

(Accumulation) = (Rate of Mass Flowrate In) - (Rate of Mass Flowrate Out)

 

dm/dt = m1 - (m2 + m3 + m4 + m5)

 

                        

                          Where : 

                                                        

                                         m1 = Mass flow rate of Biomass feed (kg/hr)

                                         m2 = Mass flow rate of Biogas (kg/hr)

                                         m3 = Mass flow rate of Bio-Oil (kg/hr)

                                         m4 = Mass flow rate of Biochar Product (kg/hr)

 

 

Fast pyrolysis main product is the pyrolysis oil or well known in industry as Bio-Oil, (Peter, 2009). From this pyrolysis process, the amount of Bio-Oil is ranged around 75%wt, (Brown,2009). While the remaining products are BioChar and Bio Gas which also known as Non-Condensable Gas which are approximately 12%-wt and 13%-wt respectively. According to Julie Gross Gelfand (2006), the total biomass conversion is about 85% which means the remaining 15% biomass is removed as water through drying and grinding process. 

 

Since the main average percentage for products are 13% of Bio Gas, 75% of Bio Oil and 12% of Char. Therefore the calculation for a 150kg/hr (assumption) feed is:

 

m2 = 85% x 150kg/hr x 13%wt = 16.58kg/hr

 m3 = 85% x 150kg/hr x 75%wt = 95.63kg/hr

m4 = 85% x 150kg/hr x 12%wt = 15.30kg/hr

 

 

References

 

Peter, A,B. (December 2009) . Biomass Pyrolysis Processes: Review of Scope, Control and Variability. UKBRC Working Paper 5.     

 

Brown,J.N. (2009). Development of a lab-scale auger reactor for biomass fast pyrolysis and process optimization using response surface methodology. Digital Repository@Iowa State University: Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper 10996.