Title: An experimental study on the gas and soot formation in ethanol pyrolysis

Authors: Qi Zhao; Jingyu Ran; Changlei Qin; Lin Yang; Mingchu Ran; Shuangye Ran

Addresses: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China ' Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China ' Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China ' Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China ' Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China ' Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China

Abstract: Ethanol is an alternative fuel to oil with high oxygen content, and its utilisation is helpful in solving the issues of petroleum shortage. Pyrolysis has always existed in the process of ethanol utilisation so it is very important to understand the process of gas production and soot formation during ethanol pyrolysis. Also, excessive soot will affect the effective use of ethanol, so the analysis of soot production at various conditions is significant, and soot rate is a key factor to predict and control soot yield. In the paper, pyrolysis experiments have been carried out in a quartz tube reactor in the temperature range of 700°C to 1,100°C, and a system combing a Fourier infrared spectrometer and a hydrogen analyser is used to detect the gas composition in the outlet of the reactor. By the oxidation using oxygen, the amount of soot deposited inside the reactor can also be measured. It is observed that temperature, ethanol concentrations and residence time can all affect the formation of gases and soot significantly. Also, the production of soot is obviously increasing during ethanol pyrolysis, especially for temperature over 1,025°C. By the carbon deposition rate under different items, an effective way to reduce soot have been obtained. Moreover, the impacts of the additions of methane, water vapour and oxygen on the formation of soot during ethanol pyrolysis have also been investigated. It is found that the amount of soot formed reduces as water vapour or oxygen is added, while the presence of methane exhibits a converse effect. [Received: December 12, 2015; Accepted: June 18, 2017]

Keywords: ethanol pyrolysis; gas production characteristics; soot formation characteristics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2019.097451

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2019 Vol.20 No.2, pp.189 - 211

Accepted: 18 Jun 2017
Published online: 23 Jan 2019 *

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