Model Calculation of Heat Balance of Wood Pyrolysis

Abstract

Stoichiometric analysis and heat balance analysis of wood pyrolysis were conducted to improve a pyrolytic gasification system. Heat balance around a pyrolysis furnace was estimated by calculating heat of pyrolysis, sensible and latent heats of products and heat loss of a furnace. Using literature data, macromolecules were expressed by mean compositional formulas, and the heat of pyrolysis was obtained by the stoichiometric approach including the overall equation of pyrolysis. Pyrolysis was exothermic reaction at the range of 773 – 1373 K. Despite the exothermic nature of pyrolysis, heat balance calculation around a pyrolysis furnace showed that external heat was required to compensate heat consumption of the sensible and latent heats of products and heat loss of a pyrolysis furnace. When a feed contains moisture, additional external heat was required. To use charcoal as fuel for the external heating to a furnace, the required amount of charcoal was calculated.