Investigation of temperature distribution in a novel pyrolysis reactor using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Pyrolysis is one of the most complex energy conversion processes because it involves various physical and chemical phenomena that interact and occur simultaneously. One factor that influences both the quality and quantity of the pyrolysis product is the temperature distribution within the reactor. The reactor plays a crucial role in the pyrolysis process, facilitating the thermal degradation and decomposition of the feedstock. This paper presents the investigation of the temperature gradients within the pyrolysis reactor using CFD. The research employed a slow pyrolysis methodology, utilizing sheep manure as the feedstock. The heat required for the process was generated by an Internal Combustion Engine exhaust gas, which was directed through a helical pipe located within a fixed-bed reactor. The temperature range for pyrolysis is typically observed to be within the range of 523–673 K, while the reactor temperature in the CFD simulation varies between 400–730 K. To determine the accuracy of the prediction, a comparison is conducted between the predictions and the experiments, followed by an error assessment utilizing the Mean Absolute Error metric. The result of the calculation of the mean absolute error is 98.58 K or 22.53%. However, if observed overall still has the same temperature distribution trend between experiment and simulation.