Temperature-Dependent Pyrolysis of Wood Chips in a Fixed-Bed Reactor: Effects on Syngas and Charcoal Yield and Quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25729/esr.2025.03.0006Abstract
In the context of the global challenge of reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions from thermal and power generation systems, the utilization of secondary fuels, particularly biomass waste, is gaining increasing importance. One promising approach is the thermochemical conversion of wood waste via pyrolysis, which enables the production of energy carriers (syngas and charcoal) with minimal environmental impact. This paper presents a series of variable experiments conducted with wood chips at temperatures ranging from 360 to 520 °C. The optimal pyrolysis temperature was identified as 480 °C, yielding the highest values for the heating value of syngas (12.69 MJ/m³), mechanical gas efficiency (84.9%), and cold gas efficiency (25.8 %). It was also demonstrated that, as temperature increases, charcoal yield decreases from 36% to 27.5%, while gas yield rises from 11.1% to 19.5 %; the yield of liquid products remains relatively stable (~30%). Notably, above 250 °C, the pyrolysis process involves self-gasification of charcoal by pyrolytic gas. Additionally, the physicochemical and morphological characteristics of the resulting charcoal, including elemental composition, ash content, porosity, and surface structure, were investigated. The results contribute to the systematic understanding of how temperature affects the distribution and properties of pyrolysis products under fixed-bed conditions and can be applied in the development of energy-efficient and environmentally safe technologies for wood waste utilization.
References
J. Popp, Z. Lakner, M. Harangi-Rákos, M. Fári, “The effect of bioenergy expansion: Food, energy, and environment,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 32, pp. 559–578, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2014.01.056.
Y. Kang, Q. Yang, P. Bartocci, H. Wei, S. S. Liu, Z. Wu, H. Zhou, H. Yang, F. Fantozzi, H. Chen, “Bioenergy in China: Evaluation of domestic biomass resources and the associated greenhouse gas mitigation potentials,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 127, Art. no. 109842, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.109842.
M. S. Roni, S. Chowdhury, S. Mamun, M. Marufuzzaman, W. Lein, S. Johnson, “Biomass co-firing technology with policies, challenges, and opportunities: A global review,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 78, pp. 1089–1101, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.023.
“World food and agriculture – statistical yearbook 2023,” FAOSTAT, 2023. [Online] Available: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6e04f2b4-82fc-4740-8cd5-9b66f5335239/content. Accessed on: Jun. 07, 2025.
X. Hu, M. Gholizadeh, “Biomass pyrolysis: A review of the process development and challenges from initial researches up to the commercialisation stage,” Journal of Energy Chemistry, vol. 39, pp. 109–143, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2019.01.024.
J. R. Lesme, F. R. M. Nascimento, O. J. Venturini, E. E. S. Lora, “Chapter Five – Biomass energy conversion: Routes and products,” in From Crops and Wastes to Bioenergy, Woodhead Publishing, 2025, ch. 5, pp. 139–190. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-16084-4.00018-3.
A. de Oliveira Vilela, E. S. Lora, Q. R. Quintero, R. A. Vicintin, T. Pacceli da Silva e Souza, “A new technology for the combined production of charcoal and electricity through cogeneration,” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 69, pp. 222–240, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.06.019.
J. Li, K. Xu, X. Yao, J. Liu, “Investigation of biomass slow pyrolysis mechanisms based on the generation trends in pyrolysis products,” Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. 183, pp. 327–338, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2024.01.027.
A. Gao, K. Zou, Y. Wang, G. Gao, M. V. Penzik, A. N. Kozlov, Y. M. Isa, Y. Huang, S. Zhang, “The core factors in determining product distributions during pyrolysis: The synergistic effect of volatile-char interactions and temperature,” Renewable Energy, vol. 218, Art. no. 119359, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.119359.
N. Ungureanu, N.-V. Vladut, S.-S. Biris, N.-E. Gheorg, M. Ionescu, “Biomass Pyrolysis Pathways for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Resource Recovery: A Critical Review of Processes, Parameters, and Product Valorization,” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 17, 2025. DOI: 10.3390/su17177806.
M. Alam, I. Sarkar, N. Chanda, S. Ghosh, C. Loha, “Enhancing syngas production and hydrogen content in syngas from catalytic slow pyrolysis of biomass in a pilot scale fixed bed reactor,” Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 6237-6249, 2025. DOI: 10.1007/s13399-024-05453-0.
F. Mahmood, M. Ali, M. Khan, C. F. Mbeugang, Y. M. Isa, A. Kozlov, M. Penzik, X. Xie, H. Yang, S. Zhang, B. Li, “A review of biochar production and its employment in synthesizing carbon-based materials for supercapacitors,” Industrial Crops and Products, vol. 227, Art. no. 120830, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2025.120830.
Z. Sun, B. Xu, A. H. Rony, S. Toan, S. Chen, K. A. M. Gasem, H. Adidharma, M. Fan, W. Xiang, “Thermogravimetric and kinetics investigation of pine wood pyrolysis catalyzed with alkali-treated CaO/ZSM-5,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 146, pp. 182–194, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.04.104.
K. H. Kim, J.-Y. Kim, T.-S. Cho, J. W. Choi, “Influence of pyrolysis temperature on physicochemical properties of biochar obtained from the fast pyrolysis of pitch pine (Pinus rigida),” Bioresource Technology, vol. 118, pp. 158–162, 2012. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.04.094.
J. P. A. Neeft, H. A. M. Knoef, U. Zielke, K. Sjostrom, P. Hasler, P. A. Simell, M.A. Dorrington, L. Thomas, N. Abatzoglou, S. Deutch, “Guideline for sampling and analysis of tar and particles in biomass producer gases,” Progress in thermochemical biomass conversion, vol. 1, pp. 162–175, 2001.
J. P. A. Neeft, “Tar Guideline: A standard method for measurement of tars and particles in biomass producer gases,” in Proc. 12th EUBCE, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2002, pp. 469–472.
T. Sharma, D. M. Yepes Maya, F. R. M. Nascimento, Y. Shi, A. Ratner, E. E. Silva Lora, L. J. Mendes Neto, J. C. Escobar Palacios, R. Vieira Andrade, “An Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Gasification of Miscanthus Briquettes in a Double-Stage Downdraft Gasifier: Syngas, Tar, and Biochar Characterization,” Energies, vol. 11, no. 11, Art. no. 3225, 2018. DOI: 10.3390/en11113225.
K. Shi, J. Yan, J. A. Menendez, X. Luo, G. Yang, Y. Chen, E. Lester, T. Wu, “Production of H2-Rich Syngas From Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis Coupled With Activated Carbon Enabled Reforming,” Frontiers in Chemistry, vol. 8, 2020. DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00003.
D. A. Svishchev, A. N. Kozlov, I. G. Donskoy, A. F. Ryzhkov, “A semi-empirical approach to the thermodynamic analysis of downdraft gasification,” Fuel, vol. 168, pp. 91–106, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2015.11.066.
S. A. Channiwala, P. P. Parikh, “A unified correlation for estimating HHV of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels,” Fuel, vol. 81, no. 8, pp. 1051–1063, 2002. DOI: 10.1016/S0016-2361(01)00131-4.
N. Labbe, L. M. Kline, L. Moens, K. Kim, P. C. Kim, D. G. Hayes, “Activation of lignocellulosic biomass by ionic liquid for biorefinery fractionation,” Bioresource Technology, vol. 104, pp. 701–707, 2012. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.10.062.
A. Dominguez, Y. Fernandez, B. Fidalgo, J. J. Pis, J. A. Menendez, “Bio-syngas production with low concentrations of CO2 and CH4 from microwave-induced pyrolysis of wet and dried sewage sludge,” Chemosphere, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 397–403, 2008. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.075.
R. Laryea-Goldsmith, C. Woolard, “Thermal with Mass Spectroscopic Analysis of Wood and Cereal Biomass Torrefaction,” International Scholarly Research Notices, no. 1, Art. no. 508965, 2013.
E. Jakab, O. Faix, F. Till, “Thermal decomposition of milled wood lignins studied by thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 40–41, pp. 171–186, 1997. DOI: 10.1016/S0165-2370(97)00046-6.
Y. Chen, J. Duan, Y. Luo, “Investigation of agricultural residues pyrolysis behavior under inert and oxidative conditions,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 165–174, 2008. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2008.07.008.
S. Wei, M. Zhu, X. Fan, J. Song, P. Peng, K. Li, W. Jia, H. Song, “Influence of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock on carbon fractions of biochar produced from pyrolysis of rice straw, pine wood, pig manure and sewage sludge,” Chemosphere, vol. 218, pp. 624–631, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.177.
S. Li, S. Harris, A. Anandhi, G. Chen, “Predicting biochar properties and functions based on feedstock and pyrolysis temperature: A review and data syntheses,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 215, pp. 890–902, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.106.
F. Guo, X. Jia, S. Liang, N. Zhou, P. Chen, R. Ruan, “Development of biochar-based nanocatalysts for tar cracking/reforming during biomass pyrolysis and gasification,” Bioresource Technology, vol. 298, Art. no. 122263, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122263.
X. Hu, H. Guo, M. Gholizadeh, B. Sattari, Q. Liu, “Pyrolysis of different wood species: Impacts of C/H ratio in feedstock on distribution of pyrolysis products,” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 120, pp. 28–39, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.10.021.
C.H. Pang, E. Lester, T. Wu, “Influence of lignocellulose and plant cell walls on biomass char morphology and combustion reactivity,” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 119, pp. 480–491, 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.10.011.
W. Cai, R. Liu, “Performance of a commercial-scale biomass fast pyrolysis plant for bio-oil production,” Fuel, vol. 182, pp. 677–686, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2016.06.030.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Energy Systems Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
