Can a customized experimental rotary tube furnace be used for biomass cracking?

The customized experimental rotary tube furnace can achieve biomass cracking experiments through customized design. Its rotating heating, precise atmosphere control, and flexible customization characteristics can meet the core requirements of biomass cracking, but equipment optimization needs to be combined with specific process requirements. The following is a detailed analysis:

1. The core requirements for biomass cracking and the adaptability of rotary tube furnaces
High temperature environment and uniform heating
Biomass cracking needs to be carried out within the range of 400-600 ℃, and it is required that the heat is evenly transferred to avoid local overheating and side reactions (such as secondary cracking). The rotating design of the rotary tube furnace allows biomass particles to roll inside the furnace, achieving uniform heat distribution and avoiding temperature gradient problems caused by particle accumulation in traditional static furnaces. For example, when the pre treated cork is pyrolyzed for 60 minutes at 550 ℃, rotary heating can ensure a uniform improvement in the adsorption performance of the biochar material.
Atmosphere control ability
Biomass cracking often requires inert gas (such as nitrogen) protection to prevent oxidation, or the introduction of water vapor as a cracking agent. The rotary tube furnace can be customized with sealing systems (such as magnetic fluid seals or high-temperature resistant silicone rubber seals), supporting vacuum, inert gas, or reducing atmosphere environments to meet the gas requirements of different cracking processes. For example, when preparing bio oil containing phenolic extracts, it is necessary to strictly control the oxygen content to prevent phenolic oxidation, and the sealing design of the rotary tube furnace can effectively achieve this goal.
Control of residence time and heat transfer rate
The yield of cracking products (such as bio oil, gas, coke) is significantly affected by the residence time and heat transfer rate of the raw materials. The rotary tube furnace can control the movement path and residence time of biomass particles by adjusting the rotation speed (such as 0.5-10 rpm) and the inclination angle of the furnace tube.

2. The key direction of customized design
Optimization of furnace structure and material
High temperature resistance and corrosion resistance: Biomass cracking may produce acidic gases (such as CO ₂, SO ₂), and corrosion-resistant materials (such as quartz and corundum) need to be selected as furnace lining.
Rapid heating capability: By customizing high-power heating elements (such as silicon carbon rods, silicon molybdenum rods), the heating time can be shortened to reach the target temperature (such as 550 ℃) within 30 minutes, improving experimental efficiency.
Customization of feeding and discharging systems
Continuous feeding: equipped with a spiral feeder or vibrating feeder to achieve continuous and stable transportation of biomass particles, avoiding batch differences.
Controllable discharge: By adjusting the inclination angle (such as 0-15 °) and rotation speed of the furnace tube, the discharge rate of cracking products is controlled to prevent incomplete particles from being carried out.
Product collection and analysis interface
Multi stage condensation system: Two stage condensers are installed at the outlet of the furnace tube to collect light oil (at room temperature) and heavy oil (at 100 ℃) respectively, improving the recovery rate of bio oil.
Online monitoring interface: Reserved gas sampling port and temperature/pressure sensor interface, real-time monitoring of cracking gas composition (such as CO, H ₂, CH ₄) and reaction conditions, optimizing process parameters.

3. Typical application cases and experimental data
Preparation of Biochar
Under a nitrogen atmosphere at 550 ℃, pre treated cork was subjected to 60 minutes of rotational pyrolysis to produce biochar materials with a specific surface area of 300 m ²/g. The adsorption capacity for methyl blue and Congo red was increased compared to untreated samples.
Upgrading of bio oil
By adding zeolite catalysts (such as ZSM-5) to the fluidized bed cracking reactor, the aromatic hydrocarbon content in the cracking oil can be increased and the oxygen content can be reduced. This type of catalyst loading technology can be integrated into the customized design of rotary tube furnaces, achieving the integration of cracking and catalytic upgrading.
Synthesis gas production
By adjusting the rotation speed to control the contact time between biomass particles and water vapor in a steam atmosphere at 800 ℃, the synthesis gas (H ₂+CO) yield can be optimized. For example, when the rotation speed is 5 rpm, the synthesis gas yield is higher than that of a static furnace.