TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCING BIO-CHAR FROM A BIO-MASS

THROUGH PYROLYSIS

BY

CHUKWUJEKWU AUGUSTINE OLUFEMI

2016244053

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY

AWKA.

FEBRUARY, 2023.
FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCING BIO-CHAR FROM A BIO-MASS
THROUGH PYROLYSIS

BY

CHUKWUJEKWU AUGUSTINE OLUFEMI

2016244053

A SEMINAR SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY

AWKA.
 IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.

FEBRUARY, 2023.

DEDICATION

I wish to dedicate this seminar to GOD THE ALMIGHTY, whose by his grace and blessing am
alive and healthy today to complete this work and I also dedicate this work to my family for their
full support and motivation.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, my greatest thanks to all Almighty God for keeping us hale and healthy
during the period of designing.

I want to also express my utmost gratitude to my parent for giving me their support and
encouragement in the course of my project.

I owe my profound appreciation to the esteemed H.O.D of Mechanical Engineering, Dr jeremiah

Chukwuneke, and my very supporting supervisor, Engr. Dr Paul.C.Okolie ad to all our
industrious lecturers, Engr. A.O. Azaka, Engr Ezenwa and all in the department for their
immeasurable time and support in the course of this industrial training program.

ABSTRACT
This work gives a broad explanation on the principle of Pyrolysis, bio-mass, bio-oil, bio-char,
Pyrolysis Reactor, it’s economic important, reason and objectives for it’s performance
optimization of a pyrolysis reactor for production of bio-oil and bio-char from a bio-mass.It
gives a broad details of the method of operation, the basic materials used. Basically, the machine
consists of reactor, heating element, inner and outer frame, thermocouple switches, Pressure
gauge, gas openings and the condenser.

Title page

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of contents

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study

1.2. Statement of the problem

1.3. Purpose of the study

1.4. Significance of the study

1.5. Scope of study

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Conceptual Review

2.2. Theoritical Review

2.3. Empirical Review

2.4. Summary of literature Review

CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1. Materials

3.2. Methods

REFERENCES

INTODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

1.1BACKGROUND OF STUDY

PYROLYSIS

Pyrolysis is one of the technologies available to convert biomass to an intermediate liquid

product that can be refined to drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels, oxygenated fuel additives and
petrochemical replacements. Pyrolysis is the heating of an organic material, such as biomass, in
the absence of oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis is usually conducted at or above 500 °C, providing
enough heat to deconstruct the strong bio-polymers mentioned above. Because no oxygen is
present combustion does not occur, rather the biomass thermally decomposes into combustible
gases and bio-char. Most of these combustible gases can be condensed into a combustible liquid,
called pyrolysis oil (bio-oil), though there are some permanent gases (CO2, CO, H2, light
hydrocarbons), some of which can be combusted to provide the heat for the process. Thus,
pyrolysis of biomass produces three products: one liquid, bio-oil, one solid, bio-char and one
gaseous, syngas. The proportion of these products depends on several factors including the
composition of the feedstock and process parameters. However, all things being equal, the yield
of bio-oil is optimized when the pyrolysis temperature is around 500 °C and the heating rate is
high (1000 °C/s) fast pyrolysis conditions. Under these conditions, bio-oil yields of 60-70 wt%
of can be achieved from a typical biomass feedstock, with 15-25 wt% yields of bio-char. The
remaining 10-15 wt% is syngas. Processes that use slower heating rates are called slow pyrolysis
and bio-char is usually the major product of such processes. The pyrolysis process can be self-
sustained, as combustion of the syngas and a portion of bio-oil or bio-char can provide all the
necessary energy to drive the reaction. Examples of pyrolysis are:
• The process of dry distillation, which involves the heating of solid substances in
order to obtain gaseous processes, is known to be a type of pyrolysis of solids. One
common application of such processes is in obtaining sulphuric acid from sulphates.
• The process of destructive distillation is another important application of
pyrolysis. In this process, unprocessed material (usually organic in nature) is subjected to
large amounts of heat in relatively inert atmospheres to facilitate their breaking down into
smaller molecules. The extraction of coke and coal ash from coal is achieved with the
help of this technique.
• The heat-facilitated browning of sugar (commonly known as caramelization) is
another important example of pyrolysis.
• Many other common cooking techniques involve pyrolysis. Notable examples
include grilling, frying, toasting, and roasting.
• Another notable application of pyrolysis is when the wood is placed in tar kins
and subjected to high temperatures in order to obtain tar.
• The process of oil refining also exploits the process of pyrolysis. In this industry,
heat is employed to create cracks in relatively large hydrocarbons, facilitating their
breaking down into smaller hydrocarbons.
• The natural processes that are involved in the creation of fossil fuels also involve
pyrolysis. It can also be noted that the process of catagenesis, which is the process
through which buried organic matter is subjected to high temperatures and pressures over
extremely long durations of time (to finally convert the organic matter into coal and other
fossil fuels) is a specific type of pyrolysis.

TYPES OF PYROLYSIS

 Fast pyrolysis
 Slow pyrolysis

Fast pyrolysis

Fast pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process capable of producing liquid biofuels (bio-
oil) from a range of lignocellulosic feedstock. It is a process in which biomass is rapidly heated
to high temperatures in the absence of air (specifically oxygen) [74]. It occurs in a high-
temperature range of 300–700°C at a faster heating rate of 10–200°C/s, with a short solid
resistance time of 0.5–10 s and with fine particle size (< 1 mm) feedstock. In fast pyrolysis, a
kinetically controlled reaction, the goal is to create and separate vapours as quickly as possible
before they can condense and carbonize as secondary chars or crack into low-molecular-weight
non condensable gases. In other words, one wants to avoid thermodynamic equilibrium. This is
accomplished through a high rate of heat transfer to the biomass, causing the drying and
volatilization steps to occur almost instantaneously. Fast pyrolysis reactors are designed to
achieve a vapour residence time of no more than a few seconds and moderate temperatures (400–
600 °C).

Slow Pyrolysis

Slow pyrolysis is the slow heating of organic material in absence of oxygen. Instead of
combusting, the volatiles from the organic material evaporate partly, and a product (charcoal)
remains, consisting for a large part (normally 80%) of carbon. Slow pyrolysis is also called
carbonisation, and emphasises the solid charcoal as main product, instead of fast pyrolysis which
emphasises the liquid product. Slow represents a thermodynamically controlled process; the
amount of char or gas products varies with temperature, pressure, and feedstock composition, but
would be the same regardless of whether the reaction lasted for a few hours or a few days.

PYROLYSIS REACTOR

Pyrolysis reactors are typically designed to maximize the production of liquids through fast
rather than slow heating although increasing interest in biochar or black carbon is now shifting
the preferred product mix. The decomposing processes realized during pyrolysis are similar to
those during charcoal production, but here the process conditions are set to ensure that the main
product is liquid rather than solid. There have been a broad variety of technologies developed
during the last decades attempting to make pyrolysis oil for use in engines without any additional
processing.

Pyrolysis reactors are typically designed to maximize the production of liquids through fast
pyrolysis rather than slow pyrolysis heating although increasing interest in biochar or black
carbon is now shifting the preffered product mix.

Most of the pyrolysis reactor consist of three main sectors:

(1) Feeding system, where the material is typically heated and melted with the liquid
outflow being fed into the reactor.
(2) PVC cracking at 350℃ is required for feedstocks containing PVC
(3) Pyrolysis reactor operating at temperatures between 350 and 650℃
(4) A product collector where liquid and solid products are separated and recovered.

BIOMASS
Biomass pyrolysis equipment (two-layer continuous drum carbonization machine) is a process
that combines coconut shells, walnut shells, apricot shells, hemp rods, sawdust, sawdust, rice
husks, bamboo, eucalyptus, fungus residues, medicinal residues, furfural residues, and coffee
grounds. It is special pyrolysis equipment for dry distillation and oxygen-free carbonization of
carbon-containing small particle wood materials such as palm shells, peanut shells, and
sunflower seed shells under high-temperature conditions pyrolysis machine.
Environmentally friendly Biomass Pyrolysis Machine, the use of carbonized flue gas purification
into combustible gas generated in combustion itself, recycling to use, it can 24 hours of
continuous production, has zero pollution, zero-emission, save labor, high capacity, energy-
saving consumption, the advantages of the high degree of automation, advanced technology,
which is suitable for large-scale production, with high carbonation rate, high carbon production
rate, energy saving, environmental protection, high-efficiency advantages.

Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable carbon source on Earth.Available

biomass sources include forest residues, crop residues, purpose grown energy crops (e.g.
grasses), animal wastes and food wastes. These materials are the fibrous structural parts of
plants and are largely made of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Compared with so called 1st
generation bio-feedstocks such as sugars, starches and vegetable oils, nature has made these parts
of the plants difficult to deconstruct to chemical building blocks, making utilization of this
carbon source a challenge for scientists and engineers.Bio-refineries are facilities where biomass
is converted to a variety of products. Our target products included advanced hydrocarbon
biofuels that are indistinguishable from fossil-based gasoline, diesel or jet fuels along with bio-
based chemicals and materials. Technologies need to be developed to more efficiently convert
this renewable carbon source so that renewable bio-products from biomass can be made
economically competitive with those produced from fossil resources.

BIO-CHAR

Biochar is produced from biomass. The biomass and raw material from which biochar is
produced mainly come from a variety of materials. Agricultural biomass is considered as the
most abundant renewable resource. Main sources and feedstock of biochar include crop straw
and residues, animal manures, fruit pits, twigs, and leaf litter forestry wastes as well as food
leftover and bagasse (Shaaban et al., 2018). The material for biochar production plays a pivotal
role in the composition of the resulting biochar (elements, volatiles, and ash content) (Tag et al.,
2016).
The type of biochar depends on the pyrolysis temperature and raw material. Pyrolytic
temperature and raw material have diverse effects on the type and composition of biochar (Jindo
et al., 2014). Types of biochar can be roughly categorized as wood biochar, straw biochar, shell
biochar, bamboo biochar, sludge biochar, manure biochar, and other types of biochar.

The global energy requirement is currently increasing owing to the increase in population. All
sectors in the country require energy.Fossil fuels are the main source of energy. But owing to the
effect of CO2 n the environment and global energy issues, the replacement of fossil fuels has
become necessary .Organic waste, as the main constituent of solid biomass, has a high potential
for biochar generation. Biomass waste materials appropriate for biochar production include crop
residues from agriculture, forestry, municipal solid waste, food and animal manures, etc . The
biochar derived from biomass is a highly rich source of carbon produced from biomass using
thermal combustion in an oxygen-limited environment. The unique properties of biochar such as
large surface area, high porosity, functional groups, high cation exchange capacity, stability
make it suitable for various applications. The fast and ease of preparation, eco-friendly
nature, reusability, and cost-effective are few advantages of biochar .Biochar has gained
attention of many researchers in establishing its efficiency in removal of various contaminants.
The process parameters are mainly responsible for determining the yield of biomass. The
parameters include temperature, types of biomass, residence time, heating rate, pressure,
etc .Temperature is the main parameter affecting the characteristic of biochar .The common
thermochemical techniques used for biochar production
include pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, gasification, flash carbonization and torrefaction .
Of all these methods, pyrolysis is the most commonly used to produce biochar. The organic
compounds present in the biomass decompose at a specific temperature in an oxygen-limited
environment. The factors that affect the product from pyrolysis include process temperature,
residence time, and type of biomass and rate of heating .Though biochar is fully made of carbon
content and ash, the elemental composition and characteristics differ based on the type of
biomass, reaction conditions and type of reactors used during the carbonization process.
Therefore, application and efficiency of biochar in various fields depends on the type of biomass
used for producing biochar. The characterization of biochar is very important for determining
biochar elemental composition, surface functional groups, stability and structure. The biochar
characterization can be done using various modern techniques such as Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), Thermo Gravimetric
Analysis (TGA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR), Raman spectroscopy, etc .Recent literature has been focused on biochar
characterization and its main objective is to differentiate biochar from other organic matter in
soil. Different biochar properties can be identified using the above characterization techniques,
for example, SEM for biochar morphology, FTIR for determining functional groups, etc .The
mechanism by which biochar sorbs toxic heavy metals and other contaminants are adsorption.
The adsorptive efficiency of biochar is directly proportional to the physicochemical
properties such as functional groups, surface area, cation exchange capacity, etc. The
physicochemical properties of biochar can be improved by treating biochar with acid, alkali or
oxidizing agents .The surface area can be altered using acid treatment. The detailed literature
regarding the biochar properties and its techniques for analyzing and quantifying will pave way
for knowledge about the efficiency of biochar in various sectors. Owing to its vast advantages
and eco-friendly nature, biochar has been utilized in resolving many environmental issues such
as adsorbing pollutants, reducing greenhouse emission gas composting, wastewater treatment,
soil remediation, energy production and catalyst. The capacity of biochar in adsorbing organic
and inorganic pollutants depends on the high surface/volume ratio and its affinity towards
nonpolar groups. Biochar has been employed in agricultural fields also for eliminating soil
pollutants. Many agricultural residues have been utilized for producing biochar such as rice
straw,wheat straw,waste wood, sugar beet tailings, corn cob, etc. These biomasses are composed
of mostly cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin components. During the pyrolysis process, these
components are thermally decomposed at different temperatures and their mechanisms are
discussed in detail. This review focused on an overview of the remediation of toxic pollutants
using biochar, advantages of biochar and the influence of process parameters such as
temperature, pressure, heating rate, etc. Production of biochar using different techniques such as
pyrolysis, hydrothermal gasification, torrefaction was conferred. The characterization techniques
such as SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET, etc were explored. In addition to that, the stability of
biochar, utilization of biochar in various applications such as organic and inorganic pollutants
removal, sequestrating carbon, and the catalyst was discussed.

PYROLYSIS MATERIAL (POD OF AN AFRICAN OIL BEAN)

Pentaclethramacrophylla, also known as the African oil bean, tree is a large size tree with long
bipinnate compound leaves that is endemic to West and Central Africa. It is within the family
Fabaceae. Seeds of the species are prepared and fermented to make Ugba, a soup condiment in
Nigeria.

After processing and fermentation, the processed seeds containing carbohydrates that is rich in
fructose and glucose, fatty oil that is rich in oleic and linoleic acid, protein and amino acids are
used as condiments in soups and salad or eaten.[3][4] Oil extracts from the seeds are used to
make ‘owala’ butter, an ingredient used in making candles, lubricants and ointments in Central
Africa.

The African oil bean, popular in Nigeria (its local name is Ugba) is a tropical tree in the family
Leguminosae (Mimosoideae). It is native to tropical Africa, although a representative of the
genus exists in tropical South and Central America. The tree grows to a height of 21 m, is well
branched and forms a crownlike canopy. The oil bean tree is found in the southern rain forest
zone of West Africa where it grows wild, having never been cultivated to any real extent by
individuals around homesteads or commercially in plantations. The tree produces flowers
between March and April and also between June and November. The flowers are yellow and
pinkish-white in colour, sweet smelling, and attract myriads of insects including the honey bee.
The fruit is a long green pod which slowly darkens with maturity, 36–46 cm long and 5–10 cm
broad. Each pod contains up to 10 seeds and at maturity, the pod splits open explosively
scattering its seeds up to a distance of 20 m from the tree. The seeds are flat in shape, hard but
smooth in texture, brown in colour and about 6 cm long.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Currently, main challenges for pyrolysis of plastic waste are unavailability and inconsistent
quality of feedstock, inefficient and hence costly sorting, non-existent markets citing lack for
standardized products, and unclear regulations around plastic waste management. Possible
solutions could include tight cooperation between feedstock providers and converters for
securing steady quantity and quality of feedstock. Advanced pre-treatment would provide the
basis for cost-effective recycling. The classification of pyrolysis liquid as a product instead of
waste is needed, and the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of
Chemicals) registration should be carried out to standardise the liquid oil as a product. In
addition, sustainability impacts need to be clearly positive.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

In this study we intend to access the production of bio-char from bio-mass.

The objectives include:

• Develop thermochemical and/or catalytic, carbon efficient biomass and waste

plastic conversion processes to produce bio-oils and bio-gas containing fractions suitable
for use towards advanced commercially viable bio-fuels (jet, diesel, and gasoline carbon
ranges).
• Develop pre- and post-process thermo-catalytic technologies to produce
renewable chemicals and biocarbon materials from biomass, biochar, lignin and bio-oils.
• Identify and develop new feedstocks and technologies to produce biodiesel,
renewable hydrocarbon diesel and biojet fuels from fats and oils.
• Accurately estimate the economic values of thermolysis conversion processes to
produce bio-based fuels and chemicals.
• To convert waste products into useful materials To promote self reliance and
reduce dependency of foreign machine
• To promote self reliance and reduce dependency of foreign machine

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study helps to improve more on the performance(effectiveness and efficiency)of a Pyrolysis
reactor in the production of bio-oil and bio-char from a bio-mass{Waste product} and also gives
us idea on how to make use of natural materials and convert it to environmental friendly valuable
resources.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study covers the effective performance of a pyrolysis reactor for production of bio-oil and
bio-char from a bio-mass{Waste product}.