Energy Efficiency of Lignocellulosic Biomass Pyrolysis in Two Types of Reactors: Electrical and with Primary Forest Biomass Fuel

Abstract

In this industrialized world, in which the daily consumption of fossil fuels occurs, companies seek to prioritize energy generation through renewable energy sources with minimal environmental impact to improve their energy efficiency. The research objective was to calculate CO2 emissions for the pyrolysis process (conventional low-temperature pyrolysis) in two types of reactors, electric and traditional, where solar panels power the electric reactor. In addition, the amount of polluting gases and the energy consumption necessary to convert biomass into biochar were compared. Residual lignocellulosic biomass (RLB) from various species present in the southern region of Ecuador (eucalyptus, capuli, and acacia) was used, with three replicates per reactor. The electrical reactor (ER) consumed 82.60% less energy than the primary forest biomass fuel “traditional reactor (TR)” and distributed heat better in each pyrolytic process. The TR generated more pollution than the ER; it generated 40.48% more CO, 50% more NO2, 66.67% more SO2, and 79.63% more CH4. Undoubtedly, the pyrolysis process in an ER reduces environmental pollution and creates new bioproducts that could replace fossil fuels. This study provides relevant information on the residual biomass pyrolysis of plant species. These species are traditionally grown in the southern Ecuadorian region. In addition, an analysis of polluting gases for the TR and ER is presented.