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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427647
Research Project: Sustaining Productivity and Ecosystem Services of Agricultural and Horticultural Systems in the Southeastern United States

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Innovative design and validation of high-performance indirect slow pyrolysis plants via CFD and experimental approaches

Author
item JALALABADI, HASSAN - Auburn University
item ALVAREZ-BERMUDEZ, C - Universidade De Vigo
item CHAPELA, S - Auburn University
item GÓMEZ, M - Auburn University
item KASERA, N - Auburn University
item Torbert Iii, Henry
item PORTEIRO, J - Auburn University
item ADHIKARI, S - Auburn University

Submitted to: Fuel
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2026
Publication Date: 5/1/2026
Citation: Khodaei,H., Alvarez-Bermudez, C., Kemp, A., Sakopta, S., Hasan, M., Chapela, S., Gómez, M.A., Kasera, N., Torbert III, H.A., Porteiro, J., Adhikari, S. 2026. Innovative design and validation of high-performance indirect slow pyrolysis plants via CFD and experimental approaches. Fuel. 427:139722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2026.139722.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2026.139722

Interpretive Summary: The development of next-generation indirect slow pyrolysis rotary kilns represents a significant advancement in thermal conversion technologies, with a particular focus on processing biomass waste. This study leverages advanced heat transfer strategies specifically an onion shape double-shell pyrolysis configuration and multizone heating approach to enhance the thermal efficiency and operational performance of next-generation indirect slow pyrolysis systems based on rotary kiln technology. The findings reveal substantial energy savings in both the double-shell multizone and single-shell multizone configurations, requiring only 16% and 46%, respectively, of the input energy needed for the conventional single-zone system. The biochar and byproduct yields remain comparable to those of the conventional design, while the double-shell configuration with internal mechanical flights enables more efficient thermal conversion, achieving a 70% reduction in residence time compared to the single-shell rotary kiln.

Technical Abstract: The development of next-generation indirect slow pyrolysis rotary kilns represents a significant advancement in thermal conversion technologies, with a particular focus on processing biomass waste. This study leverages advanced heat transfer strategies specifically an onion shape double-shell pyrolysis configuration and multizone heating approach to enhance the thermal efficiency and operational performance of next-generation indirect slow pyrolysis systems based on rotary kiln technology. Utilizing a Eulerian-based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, detailed 3D numerical simulations are performed to analyze the thermal conversion of woody biomass in various indirect slow pyrolysis plant configurations. Simulation results are validated with lab-scale pyrolysis rotary kiln data, confirming the proposed methods' effectiveness. The findings reveal substantial energy savings in both the double-shell multizone and single-shell multizone configurations, requiring only 16% and 46%, respectively, of the input energy needed for the conventional single-zone system. The biochar and byproduct yields remain comparable to those of the conventional design, while the double-shell configuration with internal mechanical flights enables more efficient thermal conversion, achieving a 70% reduction in residence time compared to the single-shell rotary kiln.