Validation of kinetic parameter values for prediction of pyrolysis behaviour of corn stalks in a horizontal entrained-flow reactor

This study presents experimental validation of the kinetic parameters for fast pyrolysis of corn stalk to predict their behaviours in a horizontal entrained-flow reactor (HER). All experiments were performed in the temperature range from 792 to 1031 K and at a constant feed rate of 0.3 kg h−1. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was applied to simulate the time–temperature profile for the reactants in the HER. CFD modelling results are validated by experimental particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and are used in combination with previous kinetic data for the fast pyrolysis of corn stalk to predict behaviour in the HER. Gas-plus-vapour pyrolysis predictions are found to be in reasonable agreement with the values measured from pyrolysis experiments of corn stalk in HER. The kinetic parameters determined at a high heating rate are capable of predicting pyrolysis yield starting from experiments performed at a laboratory scale or in industrial-scale pilot plant facilities.