Abstract
Purpose
This study describes the design and development of a pyrolysis reactor for continuous biochar production using rice husk. The main purpose was to invent a simple technology with minimal specific operational requirements which could be operated easily under field conditions.
Methods
The designed novel double-chamber downdraft (DcDD) reactor comprised of an insulated outer cylinder for energy generation, inner cylinder for pyrolysis, and a condensing system. During the study, temperature behavior, energy interactions, and biochar properties were employed to evaluate the performance of the reactor.
Results
The operational temperature was monitored continuously at four predetermined heights and a temperature profile was observed at a range of 380 to 685 °C on the cylindrical reactor. Design configuration and thermal conservation techniques helped to achieve a heat loss as low as 0.81 MJ/kg biochar. The results revealed that the thermal efficiency of the DcDD reactor was 57% with an average biochar production rate of 10 ± 1 kghr-1. It consumed 35 ± 3 kghr-1 of rice husk as the feedstock and 14 ± 5 kghr-1 of rice husk as fuel.
Conclusions
With the achieved operational capacity and thermal efficiency, DcDD reactor is a suitable option for converting the discarded biomass to a demanding product which will enhance the soil properties in agricultural production systems.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Department of Agricultural Engineering in University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka for providing the needful facilities.
Funding
Funding was provided by National Research Council of Sri Lanka under the target oriented research grant No. TO 16–07.
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Alahakoon, A.M.Y.W., Karunarathna, A.K., Dharmakeerthi, R.S. et al. Design and Development of a Double-chamber Down Draft (DcDD) Pyrolyzer for Biochar Production from Rice Husk. J. Biosyst. Eng. 47, 458–467 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42853-022-00159-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42853-022-00159-5