A Comprehensive Review of Biomass Pyrolysis as a Process of Renewable Energy Generation

Abstract

Energy is considered the basis for the progress and prosperity of nations and societies. It is also the cornerstone of economic and social development. The limited availability of fossil fuels and the growing awareness of the detrimental environmental consequences resulting from greenhouse gas emissions have reinforced the importance of biomass as an energy resource in developed and developing countries. This review presents the summary of biomass for energy generation, the fundamental principles and application of biomass pyrolysis as well as some of the factors that can affect pyrolysis of biomass to produce bio-fuel. Some of the factors examined were biomass type, types of pyrolysis as well as pyrolysis conditions such as temperature and particle size. Other factors examined were retention time, biomass moisture content and the use of catalyst. Also included in the clusters were heating rate and the pyrolysis environment. The study concluded that most biomass residues lend themselves easily to process of pyrolysis and all the factors and variables examined in one way or the other had effects on biomass pyrolysis and there exists optimum or threshold value for each feedstock depending on the operating conditions

Keywords: Biomass, bio-fuel, char, chemical composition, energy, factor, pyrolysis