Ying Duan, Xiao-gen Yi, Qing-long Xie, Zheng-ai Weng, Peng Yuan, Yong Nie*
Biodiesel Engineering Lab of China Petroleum & Chemical Industry Federation, Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Biofuel, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, P. R. China
Significance: The reactors with microwave absorbent bed can work continuously and efficiently to pyrolysis reactions, which makes it potential for the scale-up. Uniform stability of the bed surface temperature distribution is key to the scale-up. Due to the economics of using multiple low-power magnetrons and the heat transfer uniqueness in large-scale microwave device, this study examines the effect of working magnetrons layout on the temperature distribution of the bed surface in a large-scale microwave pyrolysis reactor.
Abstract:Microwave reactors equipped with microwave absorbent as high-temperature bed are effective for the pyrolysis reactions. The uniformity and stability of temperature distribution on the microwave absorbent bed surface is important to the microwave pyrolysis reactor especially in the large-scale reactor. Herein, the temperature distribution on the SiC microwave absorbent bed in a large-scale microwave pyrolysis reactor without feeding was examined by both infrared thermography and simulation. Considering the economics of using multiple low-power magnetrons in large-scale reactor, the effect of the working magnetrons location on the heating rate of bed surface and the COV of temperature distribution was investigated. The results showed that more uniform and stable temperature distribution of bed surface in the large-scale reactor was obtained when the magnetrons located at the bottom of the reactor were in use. This study provides guidance for the scale-up of microwave-assisted pyrolysis reactor with multiple low-power magnetrons.
Keywords: microwave-assisted pyrolysis, large-scale reactor, temperature distribution, magnetron position