Fluidized bed combustion of sawdust pellets

Abstract

The study investigates the combustion of sawdust pellets in a fluidized bed, aiming at the energy recovery of solid waste in bioethanol production. Samples of pine and palo blanco were analyzed, focusing on the devolatilization stage and primary fragmentation. Results showed significant differences in thermal behavior and fragmentation between the species, with pine exhibiting less fragmentation and more consistent residues. The theoretical model used predicted devolatilization times, validated experimentally, highlighting the influence of bed temperature and particle diameter.