Review of Related Literature

Analysis of Biomass Converter through the Process of using Pyrolysis: Using a Coconut Shell

As an Alternative Source of the Producer’s Gas

Biomass

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration (2021), Biomass is a type of

renewable organic material derived from plants and animals. Until the mid-1800s, biomass

was the largest source of total annual energy consumption in the United States. Biomass

remains an important fuel in many countries, particularly in developing countries for cooking

and heating. Many developed countries are increasing their use of biomass fuels for

transportation and electricity generation in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from

fossil fuel use. Biomass provided nearly 5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2020,

accounting for about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States. Biomass is made up

of chemical energy that has been stored from the sun. Photosynthesis is the process by

which plants generate biomass. Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted into

renewable liquid and gaseous fuels via a variety of processes.

Advantages of Biomass

Allen R. et al. (2021) states that biomass energy has the potential to significantly

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Burning biomass produces roughly the same amount of

CO2 as burning fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide, which was captured by

photosynthesis millions of years ago—an essentially "new" greenhouse gas. Biomass emits

carbon dioxide, which is largely offset by the carbon dioxide captured during its own growth
(depending how much energy was used to grow, harvest, and process the fuel). Studies have

also found that clearing forests to grow biomass results in a carbon penalty that takes

decades to recover, so biomass should be grown on previously cleared land, such as

underutilized farmland. Because biofuels are the only renewable liquid transportation fuels

available, it can also reduce reliance on foreign oil.

Elsayed, Matthews and Mortimer (2003) . The advantage of biomass energy is that

biomass is a renewable energy source and cannot be depleted. Biomass helps reduce the

amount of greenhouse gases that have a major impact on global warming and climate

change. Biomass emissions are much lower compared to fossil fuels. The fundamental

difference between biomass and fossil fuels in terms of the amount of CO2 emissions is that

all the CO2 absorbed by plants for their growth is returned to the atmosphere during their

combustion to produce biomass energy. While the CO2 produced from fossil fuels is released

into the atmosphere, where it amplifies the greenhouse effect. Help clean up our environment.

The world population is growing steadily with an increase of 4,444 wastes that must be

disposed of properly. Much of the garbage ends up in water resources, damaging 4,444

ecosystems and having negative effects on human health. This garbage could be used for the

recovery and production of energy, organic fertilizers and other products. Biomass is a widely

used energy source. The sources come from agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, algae,

and waste. Many energy experts agree that biomass tops the list as one of the best energy

carriers when the economic and ecological characteristics of energy carriers are combined.
Biomass Conversion

Salmi T. (2012) states in his study that catalysis and reaction engineering are critical

disciplines in converting molecules from biomass to end products. The interaction of kinetics,

mass transfer, and flow pattern in biomass processing is discussed. The catalytic multiphase

transformation of biomass should be given special consideration. Chemical analysis and

precise kinetic measurements, combined with mathematical modeling, are the fundamental

elements in the scientific development of biomass conversion reaction engineering. Advanced

kinetic concepts, such as cluster kinetics and size-dependent kinetics, can be applied to

porous catalyst particle and chemical reactor models. The c hallenges and visions for future

reaction engineering of biomass conversion are presented.

Pyrolysis

According to Sabegh, M. Y. et al. (2017), to mitigate the economic and environmental

consequences of spent car catalysts, they present for the first time a novel promising multi-

metal catalyst prepared from spent car catalytic converters to upgrade pyrolysis bio-oils. XRD,

EDS, FESEM, and FT-IR analyses were used to characterize the physicochemical properties

of the prepared catalyst. TGA was used to investigate the thermal stability of the multi-metal

catalyst. Conversion of Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) into bio-products was carried

out in a fixed bed reactor with and without catalyst at 500 °C to investigate the activity of the

catalyst. Despite the fact that the catalyst did not catalyze the gasification reaction, bio-oil was

improved over the catalyst. The catalyst's primary effect on bio-oil components is the

deoxygenation of nitrogen compounds and the promotion of the ketonization reaction, which

converts acid to ketone and reduces the corrosive nature of bio-oil.

 Boateng, A. et al. (2021) states that Pyrolysis is one of the available technologies for

converting biomass into an intermediate liquid product that can be refined into drop-in

hydrocarbon biofuels, oxygenated fuel additives, and petrochemical replacements. Pyrolysis

is the process of heating an organic material, such as biomass, without the presence of

oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis is typically carried out at or above 500 °C, providing enough heat

to deconstruct the previously mentioned strong bio-polymers. Because there is no oxygen

present, combustion does not take place; instead, the biomass thermally decomposes into

combustible gases and bio-char. The majority of these combustible gases can be condensed

into a combustible liquid known as pyrolysis oil (bio-oil), though there are some permanent

gases (CO2, CO, H2, light hydrocarbons) that can be combusted to provide heat for the

process. As a result, biomass pyrolysis yields three products: one liquid, bio-oil, one solid, bio-

char, and one gaseous, syngas. The proportion of these products is determined by several

factors, including feedstock composition and process parameters. All else being equal, the

yield of bio-oil is maximized when the pyrolysis temperature is around 500 °C and the heating

rate is high (1000 °C/s) under fast pyrolysis conditions. Under these conditions, bio-oil yields

of 60-70 wt percent can be obtained from a typical biomass feedstock, with bio-char yields of

15-25 wt percent. The remaining 10-15 wt% is syngas. Slow pyrolysis refers to processes that

use slower heating rates, and bio-char is typically the main product of such processes. The

pyrolysis process can be self-sustaining because the combustion of syngas and a portion of

bio-oil or bio-char provides all of the energy required to drive the reaction.
Fast and Slow Pyrolysis

Zafar S. (2009) includeed in his study that pyrolysis processes can be classified as

slow pyrolysis or fast pyrolysis. Fapid pyrolysis is currently the most widely used pyrolysis

system. Slow pyrolysis takes several hours and leads to biochar as the main product. On the

other hand, fast pyrolysis provides 60% bio-oil and takes a few seconds to complete

pyrolysis. In addition, there is 20% biochar and 20% synthesis gas. Fast pyrolysis processes

include open core fixed bed pyrolysis, ablative fast pyrolysis, cyclonic fast pyrolysis, and

rotating core fast pyrolysis systems. The essential characteristics of a fast pyrolysis process

are very high rates of heating and heat transfer, requiring a finely ground filler, a carefully

controlled reaction temperature of around 500 ° C in the vapor phase, a residence time of

pyrolysis vapors in the reactor for less than 1 second and quenching (quenching) of the

pyrolysis vapors to the bio-oil product.

Coconut Shell Pyrolysis

As stated by Rout, T et al. (2016), the current energy crisis scenario could be

deciphered by increasing energy generation through the use of abundant biomass-waste

resources. Coconuts are abundant in tropical biomass. The optimally obtained artefact in a

pyrolyisis experiment carried out at a constant heating rate of 20 °C/min at temperatures

ranging from 450 °C to 600 °C At a temperature of 575 °C, the maximum liquid yield was 49.5

percent was analyzed for fuel properties, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis.

Gao Y. et al. (2016) conducted a study and found out that coconut shell, which is

primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, can be used as a raw material for

coconut shell oil derived from pyrolysis of coconut shell. The effect of pyrolysis temperature,

heating rate, and particle size on coconut oil yield was investigated, as well as the effect of
heating rate on coconut oil components. The maximum oil yield of 75.74 wt percent (including

water) was obtained under the conditions of a final pyrolysis temperature of 575 °C, a heating

rate of 20 °C/min, and a coconut shell diameter of about 5 mm. Thermal gravimetric analysis

was used, and it was discovered that the coconut shell pyrolysis process can be broken down

into three stages: water loss, pyrolysis, and pyrocondensation. Water (about 50% by weight)

and aromatic, phenolic, acid, ketone, and ether-containing compounds are the main

components of coconut-shell oil.

Prabhakar K. et al.(2003) investigated the pyrolysis of coconut shell under

experimental conditions at various temperatures for varying time periods in order to determine

the optimal temperature range for obtaining the highest percentage yield of charcoal. To

compare the percentage yield efficiency of charcoal with experimental results, pyrolysis was

performed under field conditions. Pyrolysis efficiency is 70% in experimental conditions at a

temperature of 300°C and a time duration of 180 seconds, while it is 27% in field conditions.

In India, a coconut shell with a yield potential of 2 tonnes per hectare per year can meet the

cooking and heating needs of two families with five members each in rural sectors.

Sundaram G. and Natarajan (2009) stated in their experimental investigation that the

effect of pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, and particle size on pyrolysis product yields was

studied using fixed-bed slow pyrolysis experiments on coconut shell. By varying the reactor

length, the effect of vapour residence time on pyrolysis yield was also investigated. Pyrolysis

experiments were carried out at pyrolysis temperatures ranging from 400 to 600°C, with a

constant heating rate of 60°C/min and particle sizes ranging from 1.18 to 1.80 mm. The

optimal process conditions for maximizing liquid yield from coconut shell pyrolysis in a fixed

bed reactor were also determined. The highest liquid yield was obtained at a pyrolysis
temperature of 550 ° C, a particle size of 1,181.80 mm, with a heating rate of 60 ° C / min in a

200 mm long reactor. The obtained coal, liquid and gas yields were 2231% by weight, 3844%

by weight and 3033% by weight, respectively, under various pyrolysis conditions. The results

show that the effects of pyrolysis temperature and particle size on pyrolysis performance are

more significant than those of heating rate and residence time. The various properties of

pyrolysis oil obtained under optimal conditions for maximum fluid recovery have been

identified using standard test methods.

Advantages of Biomass Pyrolysis

Zafar S. (2020) states in his article that pyrolysis can be performed on a small scale

and in remote locations, increasing the energy density of the biomass resource while lowering

transport and handling costs. Heat transfer is an important aspect of pyrolysis because the

process is endothermic and a sufficient heat transfer surface must be provided to meet

process heat needs. Biomass pyrolysis is a versatile and appealing method of converting

organic matter into energy products that can be successfully used to generate heat, power,

and chemicals. In pyrolysis processes, a wide variety of biomass feedstock can be used. The

moisture content of the feedstock, which should be around 10%, is critical to the pyrolysis

process. High levels of water are produced at higher moisture contents, and at lower levels,

the process may only produce dust instead of oil. High-moisture waste streams, such as

sludge and meat processing waste, must be dried before pyrolysis. Because of its high

efficiency and good environmental performance, biomass pyrolysis has received a lot of

attention. It also allows for the conversion of agricultural residues, wood waste, and municipal

solid waste into clean energy. Furthermore, biochar sequestration, with its robust, clean, and

simple production technology, has the potential to significantly reduce global fossil fuel

emissions and act as a major player in the global carbon market.

 According to Farm-energy (2019), Fossil fuel prices have fallen dramatically recently,

but no one expects them to stay low forever, nor will our need to cut greenhouse gas

emissions go away. Therefore, it is important that we develop all segments of the renewable

energy industry to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gases. The

commercial future of using rapid pyrolysis to convert biomass into energy products is

promising. Researchers constantly develop innovations that increase bio-oil yields and

fractionate the products of rapid pyrolysis into compounds that can be more efficiently refined

into usable products. The bio-oil manufacturing process is relatively simple and fast. All

components of biomass can be transformed into a combustible product; none are wasted

during the pyrolysis process. Pyrolysis reactors are relatively simple and have reached some

level of (limited) commercial production. A fast pyrolysis facility can be built on a relatively

small scale to produce biofuel close to the biomass source and then transported to a central

facility.
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