Simulation analysis of bio-oil from slow pyrolysis using palm empty fruit bunch

Abstract

This study analyses the slow pyrolysis process of Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) from a temperature of 400-650°C in producing bio-oil in the Aspen Plus simulation. The study involves the effect of excess air for the combustion process to supply heat to be used by the pyrolysis process. From the analysis, it was found that the value of energy in the form of heat is present in high amounts if the excess air is around 40%. Heat is then used to heat the biomass, producing syngas, which then passes through a heat exchanger with a copper pipe with a length of 10 m in 200 liters of water. The bio-oil mass flow rate will decrease as the pyrolysis working temperature increased, from 0.38 kg/hour to 0.121 kg/hour, or 0.387 liters/hour to 0.124 liters/hour. The bio-oil heating value will increase with increasing pyrolysis temperature from 8713.68 J/kg to 27,130.92 J/kg, at 400 °C to 650°C, respectively. The amount of bio-oil mass-produced in the simulation compared to the yield during the experiment, and it was found that the simulation results were higher, around 39.08%. That is due to there is some bio-liquid stored at the bottom of syngas storage.