A mobile, fast pyrolysis system has been developed for the on-farm production of bio-oil from switchgrass, hardwood, and horse manure with a nominal design capacity of two metric tons per day of biomass processed. The combustion-reduction integrated pyrolysis system (CRIPS) comprises two circulating fluidized beds where one bed (the combustion bed) is used to heat the circulating solid media (silica sand) as the other bed (the reduction bed) is used to pyrolyze the biomass. Once reaching operational temperatures the pyrolysis system can sustain process temperatures by utilizing char and low-BTU gas byproducts in the combustion bed. The entire system is trailer-mounted and is equipped with a biomass gasifier/generator allowing for off-grid operation in the field. Since commissioning, the system has performed 24 trials on hardwood and switchgrass feedstocks with throughputs of up to 1.7 metric tons per day. Typical bio-oil yields are 44 wt% of the influent biomass (wet basis).

Mobile combustion reduction integrated pyrolysis system (CRIPS) for on-farm production of bio-oil

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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