Thermochemical conversion of C. cardunculus L. in nitrate molten salts Articles uri icon

publication date

  • February 2019

start page

  • 136

end page

  • 146

volume

  • 148

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1359-4311

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-5606

abstract

  • The use of a binary mixture of solar molten salts (60 wt% NaNO3 and 40 wt% KNO3) as a heat transfer medium for the production of a solar fuel by the thermochemical conversion of biomass is investigated in the present paper. Thermochemical conversion can be a route for converting the surplus solar irradiation via the direct contact of nitrate molten salts and biomass into storable chemical fuel. Traditional fixed-bed pyrolysis and molten salts pyrolysis have been carried out under an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 500 degrees C. The composition of the permanent gases and the bio-oil produced has been analyzed along with the temperature profiles inside the reactor. Two distinctive pathways have been observed: an endothermic process in the case of traditional fixed-bed pyrolysis and an exothermic process in the case of molten salt pyrolysis. An attempt has been made to identify possible causes for such differences.

subjects

  • Industrial Engineering
  • Physics

keywords

  • solar energy; biomass; gasification; pyrolysis; molten salts; solar fuels; cynara-cardunculus; fluidized-bed; biomass gasification; solar gasification; thermal pyrolysis; stainless-steels; wood particles; carbon-steel; bio-oil; tar