Management of Lignocellulosic Waste towards Energy Recovery by Pyrolysis in the Framework of Circular Economy Strategy

Abstract

The article presents the possibilities of effective management of lignocellulosic waste by including it in the circular economy. The pyrolysis process was chosen as the thermal conversion method. This approach, due to a high flexibility of the obtained products, better quality of the solid residue (char), and the lower emission of pollutants into the atmosphere, e.g., SO2 and NOx, is a competitive solution compared to combustion process. Wood waste from alder and pine were analyzed. As part of laboratory tests, the elementary composition was determined, i.e., C, H, N, S, and O. The pyrolysis process was carried out at a temperature of 600 °C on an experimental stand for the conversion of solid fuels in a stationary bed. For the obtained data, using the Ansys Chemkin-Pro calculation tool, the detailed chemical composition of gaseous products of the pyrolysis process was modeled for a varying temperature range and residence time in the reactor. The studies have shown that for certain process conditions it is possible to obtain a high calorific value of pyrolytic gas, up to 25 MJ/m3.

Keywords

• waste management
• circular economy
• biomass
• energy recovery
• pyrolysis