Modelling of biomass pyrolysis
 

Hello, am a student working on modelling of biomass pyrolysis in a fixed bed reactor using fluent with the aim of predicting the bio oil, char and gas yield. I am new to fluent therefore having issues on how to go about it, I have the following questions:

1. how do I represent my biomass sample since it's not on ansys database?
2. how do I represent the fixed bed part of the reactor?
3. how many phases should I used and I do I allocate the phases?
4. I need a UDF for the pyrolysis process, will be glad if anyone can attach it or send it to akinpeluakorede01@gmail.com.

thanks in anticipation for an answer.

Modeling of biomass pyrolysis
 

Hi smallsuper,

How are you doing.

I see your question was posted a long time ago, but since I am starting it here right now, I will try to answer some of the points you outlined.

1. how do I represent my biomass sample since it's not on ansys database?

To represent your biomass sample in the software you will need a proximate analysis (volatile matter, fixed carbon and ash content) and the elemental/ultimate analysis of your biomass (C, H, N, O, S).

2. how do I represent the fixed bed part of the reactor?
You can use any modeling software to do your control volume.For example, I will use Inventor or SolidWorks. Just remember, the more detail you have, more complex will be your meshing and as a consequence more time required to simulate the flow. So if your reactor consists of a tube, equiped with heating elements on the outside surface, your constrol volume is the inner part of the tube, right where the gas flows or reaction takes place. I suggest you do a solid element for your CV representation instead of a hallow tube.

Well, as I told you, I am a beginner here too, and am getting used with the simulation. Hope it helps.

Take care.

Humberto Santos

Thanks Santospe for your response. I got your first point but your second point looks obscure, can you explain better? I am thinking of modelling the fixed bed as a porous media. How do you plan modelling the bio-oil product?

i have problem in defining biomass gasification in using eulerian multiphase model. more specifically, how to define/model biomass in ansys fluent using multiphase model
thanks