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A PROTOTYPE MOBILE SYSTEM FOR PYROLYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL AND/OR SILVICULTURAL WASTES
Citation:
Tatom, J., A. Colcord, W. Williams, K. Purdy, AND J. Demeter. A PROTOTYPE MOBILE SYSTEM FOR PYROLYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL AND/OR SILVICULTURAL WASTES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-79/230.
Description:
This research program was initiated to investigate three elements of a prototype mobile system for pyrolysis of agricultural and/or silvicultural wastes into clean, transportable fuels: the pyrolytic converter itself, a pyrolysis-gas-fueled internal combustion engine, and the combustion and emission characteristics of pyrolytic char and oil. An experimental study of the performance of the Georgia Tech Engineering Experiment Station one-ton-per-hour pyrolytic converter was conducted. Peanut hulls and pine sawdust were used as representative agricultural and silvicultural waste materials. Effects of converter capacity, feed material, mechanical agitation, bed depth, and air-to-feed ratio on product yields were determined. An experimental study of the combustion and emission characteristics of powdered char was performed by the Pittsburgh Energy Research Center. Stable combustion and satisfactory combustion efficiency were obtained with powdered high-volatile char alone and with 50-50 blends of high-volatile or low-volatile pulverized char and coal. Excellent flame stability and carbon-combustion efficiency were obtained when powdered char was mixed with pyrolysis oil and No. 6 fuel oil and fired as a slurry in an oil-fired boiler. Studies of the combustor and boiler flue gases showed significant reductions in SO2 emissions.