Fluid dynamics analysis and pyrolysis of brewer’s spent grain in a spouted bed reactor

Abstract

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is a large-scale agroindustrial waste that could be more efficiently utilized. This waste is composed of lignocellulosic material and so may serve as a good source of biomass for thermochemical conversion. The present study investigated the fluid dynamics behavior of mixtures of sand and BSG in a spouted bed to assess the viability of the thermochemical conversion of this biomass via fast pyrolysis. Fluid dynamics analyses were performed while varying the mass fraction of BSG (6–80%) and the static bed height (6.6–13.4 cm). Empirical equations for predicting the minimum spouting conditions and the mixing index were obtained using a regression technique, and the selected fluid dynamics parameters were employed in the spouted bed pyrolysis. The bio-oil resulting from this process was rich in phenolic compounds, various nitrogenated compounds (representing precursors for pharmaceuticals) and long-chain hydrocarbons. The products obtained from the analytical and spouted bed pyrolysis processes were also compared.