Análise de perdas térmicas e eficiência energética em um reator de pirólise de leito fixo

Abstract

The growing demand for renewable energy sources has driven the study of alternative

technologies, such as biomass pyrolysis. This work presents an analysis of heat losses in a fixed- bed pyrolysis reactor operating at laboratory scale, aiming to quantify the energy dissipated by

conduction and evaluate the system’s thermal efficiency. Three experiments were conducted using different biomass types, during which temperatures were monitored at strategic points of the reactor and energy consumption was recorded. The reactor was modeled as a multilayer cylinder, and heat losses were calculated based on Fourier’s Law and Newton’s Law of Cooling. Experiment E1 was chosen as the reference due to its more consistent measurements, allowing for reliable heat loss estimations. The results showed that most of the thermal dissipation occurs through conduction, highlighting the importance of proper insulation. The system’s efficiency was determined by the ratio between the useful energy employed in the pyrolysis process and the electrical energy consumed by the heating element. The analysis revealed the significant impact of heat losses on the reactor’s performance and the energy efficiency of the system. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the thermal behavior of pyrolysis reactors and to the development of more efficient solutions for biomass thermochemical conversion.