Assessment of olive wastes as energy source: pyrolysis, torrefaction and the key role of H loss in thermal breakdown

Roberto Volpe, Antonio Messineo, Marcos Millan, Maurizio Volpe and Rafael Kandiyoti

Energy, 2015, vol. 82, issue C, 119-127

Abstract: The present work describes the first stage of a multi-stage process seeking to develop a usable and cheap design for a downdraft gasifier fed with lingo-cellulosic olive waste. The thermochemical behaviour of two types of olive waste has been assessed during pyrolysis and torrefaction experiments. Olive tree trimmings and olive pulp were pyrolysed in a quartz reactor at peak temperatures between 400 °C and 650 °C, during slow heating experiments (50 °C/min) under a helium blanket. These samples were also torrefied under nitrogen to temperatures between 200 °C and 325 °C. At the peak temperature of 650 °C, mass losses of up to 74% were recorded. Elemental analyses of the chars showed a consistent linear increase of Carbon to values around 75% and a linear decrease of oxygen to values near 10%. By contrast, the H-content remained relatively constant up to about 300 °C and then decreased to as the peak temperature was raised further. The results suggest that the combination of mass loss and H-content may be used as indicators for linear char-GCV increases up to the torrefaction limit of around 300 °C.

Keywords: Pyrolysis; Torrefaction; Mass and energy yields; Agriculture residuals; Hydrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:82:y:2015:i:c:p:119-127

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.01.011

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