Current Status of the Pyrolysis and Gasification Mechanism of Biomass

The development of the world economy goes hand in hand with increased energy consumption and global warming caused by greenhouse gases. These issues can be tackled by implementing promising technologies of power generation. They differ from the known ones in that new energy resources are involved, e.g., mixtures of various types of biomass, provided that hazardous gas emissions during the production process are minimized. The development of high-potential energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies which use biofuel in the energy industry requires scientific evidence for the mechanisms, conditions, and characteristics of physical and chemical processes during pyrolysis and gasification of biomass, including its multicomponent types. This article analyzes the world technologies and research findings in the field of biomass pyrolysis and gasification. The effect of a group of factors on the intensity and completeness of gasification and pyrolysis of biofuel compositions has been determined. These factors include the size, shape, and surface structure of biomass particles; component composition and properties of fuel mixtures; mechanism and intensity of heat supply; and the temperature field in the reactor filled with solid and gaseous products. The most effective values of these characteristics have been established.