Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Flash Pyrolysis of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) for Bio-oil Production in an Electrically Heated Fluidized Bed Reactor

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Waste and Biomass Valorization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bio-oil, a hopeful substitute as an alternative fuel has gained significant attention due to the predicted shortness of conventional fuels and environmental concern. Bio-oils have attracted a lot of interest, as they are liquid energy carriers and general sources of chemicals. In this study, the pyrolysis characteristics of lemon grass were studied to evaluate their potential use as source of bio-oil. Flash pyrolysis of the lemon grass was carried out on a fluidized bed reactor with nitrogen gas atmosphere. The effects of operating parameters such as temperature, particle size and sweep (nitrogen) gas flow rate were investigated. During this study, the maximum yield of pyrolysis bio-oil 50.6 wt% can be achieved under the operation conditions of 450 °C process temperature, 1.0 mm particle size at sweep gas flow rate of 1.75 m3/h. At the end of the study the bio-oil obtained from the flash pyrolysis was analyzed for physical, elemental and chemical compositions by using Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and 1H NMR spectroscopy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shen, D.K., Gu, S.: The mechanism for thermal decomposition of cellulose and its main products. Bioresour. Technol. 100(24), 6496–6504 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Demirbaş, A.: Mechanisms of liquefaction and pyrolysis reactions of biomass. Energy Convers. Manage. 41(6), 633–646 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bridgwater, A.V., Peacocke, G.V.C.: Fast pyrolysis processes for biomass. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 4(1), 1–73 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Mohan, D., Pittman, C.U., Steele, P.H.: Pyrolysis of wood/biomass for bio-oil: a critical review. Energy Fuels. 20(3), 848–889 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Czernik, S., Bridgwater, A.V.: Overview of applications of biomass fast pyrolysis oil. Energy Fuels. 18(2), 590–598 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chiaramonti, D., Oasmaa, A., Solantausta, Y.: Power generation using fast pyrolysis liquids from biomass. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 11(6), 1056–1086 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen, Y.C., Pan, Y.N., Hsieh, K.H.: Process optimization of fast pyrolysis reactor for converting forestry wastes into bio-oil with the Taguchi method. Proced. Environ. Sci. 10, 1719–1725 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Islam, M.N., Beg, M.R.A., Islam, M.R.: Pyrolytic oil from fixed bed pyrolysis of municipal solid waste and its characterization. Renewable Energy. 30(3), 413–420 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Meier, D., Faix, O.: State of the art of applied fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials: a review. Bioresour. Technol. 68(1), 71–77 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Islam, M.N., Beg, M.R.A.: The fuel properties of pyrolysis liquid derived from urban solid wastes in Bangladesh. Bioresour. Technol. 92(2), 181–186 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Demirbaş, A.: Biomass resource facilities and biomass conversion processing for fuels and chemicals. Energy Convers. Manage. 42(11), 1357–1378 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Horne, P.A., Williams, P.T.: Premium quality fuels and chemicals from the fluidised bed pyrolysis of biomass with zeolite catalyst upgrading. Renew. Energy. 5(5–8), 810–812 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bridgwater, A.V.: Catalysis in thermal biomass conversion. Appl. Catal. A. 116(1), 5–47 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Rolz, C., De Leon, R., De Arriola, M.C., De Cabrera, S.: Biodelignification of lemon grass and citronella bagasse by white-rot fungi. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52(4), 607–611 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Madhu, P., Manickam, I.N., Kanagasabapathy, H.: Production and upgradation of cotton shell pyrolytic oil for biofuel from flash pyrolysis by fluidized bed reactor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sc.i India Sect. A Phys. Sci. 85(3), 457–462 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Abnisa, F., Daud, W.W., Husin, W.N.W., Sahu, J.N.: Utilization possibilities of palm shell as a source of biomass energy in Malaysia by producing bio-oil in pyrolysis process. Biomass Bioenergy. 35(5), 1863–1872 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Ertaş, M., Alma, M.H.: Pyrolysis of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) extraction residues in a fixed-bed reactor: characterization of bio-oil and bio-char. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis. 88(1), 22–29 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Luo, Z., Wang, S., Liao, Y., Zhou, J., Gu, Y., Cen, K.: Research on biomass fast pyrolysis for liquid fuel. Biomass Bioenergy. 26(5), 455–462 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Onay, O.: Influence of pyrolysis temperature and heating rate on the production of bio-oil and char from safflower seed by pyrolysis, using a well-swept fixed-bed reactor. Fuel Process. Technol. 88(5), 523–531 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Pütün, A.E., Apaydin, E., Pütün, E.: Bio-oil production from pyrolysis and steam pyrolysis of soybean-cake: product yields and composition. Energy. 27(7), 703–713 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Şensöz, S., Angın, D.: Pyrolysis of safflower (Charthamus tinctorius L.) seed press cake: Part 1. The effects of pyrolysis parameters on the product yields. Bioresour. Technol. 99(13), 5492–5497 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Keleş, S., Kaygusuz, `K., Akgün, M.: Pyrolysis of woody biomass for sustainable bio-oil. Energy Sour. Part A. 33(9), 879–889 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Williams, P.T., Nugranad, N.: Comparison of products from the pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis of rice husks. Energy. 25(6), 493–513 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Williams, P.T., Reed, A.R.: Pre-formed activated carbon matting derived from the pyrolysis of biomass natural fibre textile waste. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis. 70(2), 563–577 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Diebold J, P., Milne, T.A., Czernik, S., Oasmaa, A., Bridgwater, A.V., Cuevas, A., Gust, S., Huffman, D., Piskorz, J.: Proposed specifications for various grades of pyrolysis oils. In: Bridgwater, A.V., Boocock, D.G.B. (eds.) Developments in thermochemical biomass conversion, pp. 433–447. Springer Netherlands, 1997

  26. Diebold J, P., Milne, T.A., Czernik, S., Oasmaa, A., Bridgwater, A.V., Cuevas, A., Gust, S., Huffman, D., Piskorz, J.: Proposed specifications for various grades of pyrolysis oils. In: Bridgwater, A.V., Czernik, S., Diebold, J., Meier, D., Oasmaa, A., Peacocke, C., et al. (eds.) Fast pyrolysis of biomass: a handbook, pp. 102–114. CPL Press, Newbury (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Asadullah, M., Rahman, M.A., Ali, M.M., Rahman, M.S., Motin, M.A., Sultan, M.B., Alam, M.R.: Production of bio-oil from fixed bed pyrolysis of bagasse. Fuel. 86(16), 2514–2520 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Madhu, P., Kanagasabapathy, H., Manickam, I.N.: Flash pyrolysis of palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) using an electrically heated fluidized bed reactor. Energy Sour. Part A. 38(12), 1699–1705 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Madhu, P., Manickam, I.N., Kanagasabapathy, H.: Production and characterization of phenolic compounds by flash pyrolysis of palmyra palm. Energy Sour. Part A. 38(15), 2161–2169 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Madhu, P., Kanagasabapathy, H., Manickam, I.N.: Cotton shell utilization as a source of biomass energy for bio-oil by flash pyrolysis on electrically heated fluidized bed reactor. J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manage. 18(1), 146–155 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Park, Y.K., Yoo, M.L., Lee, H.W., Park, S.H., Jung, S.C., Park, S.S., Kim, S.C.: Effects of operation conditions on pyrolysis characteristics of agricultural residues. Renew. Energy. 42, 125–130 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jansons Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, 641659, India

    P. Madhu

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, VSB College of Engineering Technical Campus, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, 642109, India

    T. Stephen Livingston

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Engineering College, Kovilpatti, Tamilnadu, 628503, India

    H. Kanagasabapathy

Authors
  1. P. Madhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Stephen Livingston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Kanagasabapathy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Madhu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Madhu, P., Livingston, T.S. & Kanagasabapathy, H. Flash Pyrolysis of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) for Bio-oil Production in an Electrically Heated Fluidized Bed Reactor. Waste Biomass Valor 9, 1037–1046 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-9872-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-9872-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation