Title: Analysis of biochar from carbonisation of wheat straw using continuous auger reactor

Authors: Ashish Pawar; N.L. Panwar

Addresses: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Technology and Engineering, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur (Rajasthan) 313001, India ' Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Technology and Engineering, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur (Rajasthan) 313001, India

Abstract: The agricultural residue is considered as one of the promising organic biomass materials for getting energy-rich products (such as biochar, bio-oil, and syngas, etc.) via thermochemical conversion route. In the current study, the biochar was produced from wheat straw using continuous auger reactor and analysis of produced biochar in terms of product yield, energy yield, and its physicochemical composition. Carbonisation of wheat straw was carried out in a continuous auger reactor at four different temperatures i.e., 350°C, 400°C, 450°C, 500°C by keeping 5 min of residence time respectively. The maximum mass and energy yield of wheat straw biochar was recorded at 400°C. The wheat straw to biochar conversion efficiency in a continuous auger reactor was about 30%. The higher heating value (HHV) of produced biochar was varied from 20 MJ/kg-23 MJ/kg, so it indicates that biochar can be efficiently used in thermal applications. The physicochemical characterisation of biochar produced at 400°C was also carried out at bioenergy laboratory. The obtained biochar showed higher carbon content of 70%, H/C and O/C ratio were found to be 0.022 and 0.29, respectively.

Keywords: wheat straw; energy; biochar; carbonisation; auger reactor; agro waste.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2022.10042797

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2022 Vol.21 No.1/2, pp.218 - 225

Received: 21 Nov 2019
Accepted: 19 Oct 2020
Published online: 02 Dec 2021 *