Design and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit with producer gas based heating

Design and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit with producer gas based heating | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Design and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit with producer gas based heating Sandip Mandal, Prabhat Kumar Guru This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5150684/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Jun, 2025 Read the published version in Waste and Biomass Valorization → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study presents the design, development, and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit utilizing producer gas-based heating for the thermochemical conversion of biomass into biochar, bio-oil, and producer gas. The system was evaluated using grinded rice straw as feedstock, with varying biomass feed rates (8, 12, and 16 kg/h) and residence times (5, 10, and 15 minutes) to investigate the impact of these parameters on product yields and energy efficiency. The results indicated that increasing the feed rate led to a significant rise in biochar and producer gas yields, while bio-oil recovery reached a saturation point at higher feed rates. The producer gas generated during pyrolysis was able to replace 77% thermal energy required for heating the reactor, reducing reliance on external fuel sources and enhancing the system’s overall energy efficiency. Mass and energy balance analyses revealed that while higher feed rates improved energy recovery, energy losses also increased, highlighting the need for optimization in reactor design and heat management. The average energy efficiency of the reactor was found to be 65% at 16 kg/h feeding rate. This study provides key insights into the optimization of screw pyrolysis systems and demonstrates its potential for scalable, energy-efficient biomass conversion, contributing to renewable energy production and sustainable waste management solutions. Biochar production Biomass conversion Energy efficiency optimization Producer gas heating Screw pyrolysis Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Jun, 2025 Read the published version in Waste and Biomass Valorization → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Accept 26 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 12 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 08 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5150684","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":442180489,"identity":"33092972-a3be-448c-88d1-6a527d230a3c","order_by":0,"name":"Sandip Mandal","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACiQQIbcDwoEICLspDnJaEM8RqYYBpSWwjwlHy7WcP3ni4gyGaf3bzxg+J8yzk+WcfYH7xsY1BxhyHFoMzeckWiWcYcmfcOVYskbhNwnDGuQQ2y5ltDDyWDTi0MOSYSQDdk9twI8cApCWB4QwDmzHPGQYegwM4HNb/BqJl/o0c4x+JcyQS5AlpYbgBtWUDmNEgkWBwhoH5MU8Fbi0GN94YA/0ikbvxRlqZRcIxCcONZxjbGGdUSOBxWI7hzZ87bHLn3UjefONDTZ283Bnmwx8+GNjY43QYCDA2SKBw2yQQkYVTCyqf+QN+9aNgFIyCUTDCAADwCFmoop1jiQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7478-6374","institution":"Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sandip","middleName":"","lastName":"Mandal","suffix":""},{"id":442180490,"identity":"da13b039-8e9f-430e-bfdd-8b74d69c0726","order_by":1,"name":"Prabhat Kumar Guru","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ICAR - Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering: Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prabhat","middleName":"Kumar","lastName":"Guru","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-09-25 09:13:57","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5150684/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5150684/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-025-03092-8","type":"published","date":"2025-06-30T15:57:46+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":86179025,"identity":"bf8c434b-ec0c-4a59-be84-1d3bbb0eed9e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-07 16:14:43","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":893748,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptWAVER1clean.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5150684/v1_covered_8e7e5c56-55bd-457c-95ff-a6ae62321e0f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Design and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit with producer gas based heating","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"waste-and-biomass-valorization","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"wave","sideBox":"Learn more about [Waste and Biomass Valorization](http://link.springer.com/journal/12649)","snPcode":"12649","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12649/3","title":"Waste and Biomass Valorization","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Biochar production, Biomass conversion, Energy efficiency optimization, Producer gas heating, Screw pyrolysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5150684/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5150684/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study presents the design, development, and experimental evaluation of a pilot-scale screw pyrolysis unit utilizing producer gas-based heating for the thermochemical conversion of biomass into biochar, bio-oil, and producer gas. 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