Fast pyrolysis of sugarcane trash and whole sugarcane in the UNICAMP pilot plant: experimentation with an efficient pathway for the production of biofuels

• Grant number: 10/51418-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Rural Energization
• Principal Investigator: Luis Augusto Barbosa Cortez
• Grantee: Luis Augusto Barbosa Cortez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola (FEAGRI). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this project falls into the context of biofuel production by vegetal biomass in Brazil, however the conversion to a non-conventional pathway of high efficiency will be applied as a more effective manner on which the biomass is utilized. It is the overall objective to try out and delineate the models for fast pyrolysis of sugar cane trash and whole sugar cane (clean stalks + 25% of sugarcane trash mass), as well to qualify and quantify solid and liquid produced biofuels. In view of such proposal of increased energetic efficiency on the productive chains of biofuels through a fast pyrolysis process, the energy balances of production are to be considered, i.e. inputs and outputs energy in various stages of the process. To assess the energy gains and the attractiveness of the proposed pathway, the results will be compared toward conventional applications to from sucrose and bagasse (ethanol production, steam and electricity generation) and from sugar cane trash (recovery and transport costs). In the face of current knowledge and experience regarding biomass pyrolysis, high yield of production of biofuels (mainly bio-oil and coal), allied to better use and handling of primary energy from sugar cane and from sugar cane trash these are the expected results: success on the appropriateness of such pilot plant resulting from fast pyrolysis during the operation (with whole sugar cane and sugar cane trash), increase on a more rational use of natural resources, efficient conversion of primary energy from sugar cane and an alternative pathway that can be technically and energetically more usable. (AU)