Sugarcane Trash and Whole Cane Pyrolysis in Brazil

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Sugarcane Trash and Whole Cane Pyrolysis in Brazil
Luís Cortez UNICAMP/FAPESP
3rd ISBUC Meeting Mauritius, 29-30 June 2009
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State University of CampinasUNICAMP
State University of CampinasUNICAMP
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Not used in the old production model
Sugarcane Trash
Harvest (green cane) Sugarcane trash left on the
soil Level of harvest mechanization São Paulo
State 50-60 Brazil 35-40
Manual harvesting (cane burning) The sugarcane
trash is burned to increase the harvest yield
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NEW PRODUCTION MODEL
USE OF SUGARCANE TRASH
RECOVERY OF SUGARCANE TRASH AFTER HARVEST
Harvesting sugarcane trash scattered field
Accumulation of sugarcane trash
Packing to increase density for transport
Sugarcane trash bales
Transport
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CONVERSION OF SUGARCANE TRASH INTO BIOFUEL

• Biochemical routes
• Acid hydrolysis
• Enzymatic hydrolysis
• Termochemical routes
• Fast pyrolysis
• Gasification
• Gasification catalytic conversion

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WHAT IS PYROLYSIS?
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process.
It is characterized by the thermal degradation
of a solid fuel with restricted oxygen supply.
It can be used to convert biomass into value
added products.

• Primary products formed during pyrolysis of
  biomass
• Charcoal
• Bio-oil (Formed mainly by phenolic derivatives)
• Acid (Formed by carboxylic acids)

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Pyrolysis plant ( PPR-200) Partnership Unicamp
and Bioware
Nominal capacity 200 kg/h dry biomass Operating
temperature range 450-500oC Average yields 30
bio-oil, 20 charcoal, 10 acid, 40 gases
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Background of the biomass pyrolysis pilot plant
PPR-200
1996 First prototype built with TERMOQUIP
cooperation
1998 The reactor was used for biomass
gasification
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2001 Reactor used for charcoal production
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2004 Modification to increase liquids products
yield
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2007 Tests with whole Cane
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Schematics of the fast pyrolysis plant PPR-200
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Fast pyrolysis reactor plant PPR-200
Reactor technical specifications
Main physicochemical properties of silica sand
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Bio-oil separation column
Unicamp/Bioware developed a commercial prototype
to cool the gas, use centrifugation to separate
the mist and condensate the bio-oil. Phase
separation into aqueous and oil phases
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Power required in the pyrolysis plant
8.65 kW
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PPR-200 plant in operation
Cyclones for separation of fine Charcoal
Reactor
Feeding silo
Feeding screw
Fine charcoal
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Combustion chamber
Acid Reservoir
Pyrolysis gases
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Extraction of bio-oil
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Energy balance PPR-200
8.65 kW
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Some biomass tested in PPR-200
Fast pyrolysis requires small-particle biomass in
the range of 2 to 4 mm and moisture content up to
15 wt.
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Products yield for some types of biomass
processed in PPR-200
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Fast pyrolysis application products
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(No Transcript)
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Pyrolysis tests with sugarcane trash and whole
cane
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Present situation in Brazil

• the Brazilian Model of simultaneous production
  of sugar and ethanol may be reaching its maximum
  (today 40-60)
• 60 of fuel used in light vehicles (domestic
  market)
• 30 of world sugar exports (foreign trade)
• Which are the new possibilities for Brazilian
  sugarcane?

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Whole Cane vs By-Products Approach

• most likely other production models will appear,
  such as new energy plants, dedicated only to
  produce ethanol, electricity and bio-products
  (e.g. plastics)
• in Brazil, it makes sense to produce electricity
  from lignocellulosic by-products because we will
  have difficulties to expand electricity
  generation using hydro resources (Amazon)
• another way to convert the whole cane (sugars,
  bagasse and trash) with minimum energy use, into
  products that can either enter in an oil refinery
  or be transformed...

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Energy content of one ton of sugarcane
() Bagasse moisture 50 () Sugarcane trash
moisture 15
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Sugarcane trash reception and pre-treatment
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Whole cane reception and pre-treatment
Whole Cane
Milling
Drying
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Ultimate and Proximate chemical analysis of
sugarcane trash
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Proximate analysis of bio-oil from whole
sugarcane and sugarcane trash
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Ultimate analysis of bio-oil from whole sugarcane
and sugarcane trash
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Pyrolysis productivity (sugarcane trash x whole
cane)
() Bio-oil Charcoal
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Whole cane pyrolysis x Ethanol fermentation
() Energy products/Energy primary sugarcane Not
considering drying energy
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The future may be BTL
Whole cane (880 GJ/ha)
Pyrolysis (Conversion efficiency 80) 704 GJ/ha
Gasification (Conversion efficiency 90) 633.6
GJ/ha
Synthesis FT (Conversion efficiency 90)
Bio-fuels 570 GJ/ha
Overall efficiency 65
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• Thank you!