Heliopyrolysis of Sunflower Waste Using a Parabolic Solar Concentrator

Abstract

The article proposes a technological scheme of a heliopyrolysis plant with a parabolic solar energy concentrator and presents the results of a study of the thermal technological regime of the process of pyrolysis of sunflower waste. To study the process, an experimental heliopyrolysis installation with a parabolic solar concentrator was created. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the practical possibility of solar technology for the thermal processing of sunflower waste using a parabolic solar concentrator and to determine the main parameters of the thermal technological regime of heliopyrolysis. The results of experimental studies of the process of heliopyrolysis of sunflower waste at a temperature of 400–500°C are presented. The values of the heat of combustion of liquid and gaseous biofuels obtained by solar pyrolysis were determined. It has been established that the value of the lower calorific value of liquid pyrolysis fuel is 35–40 MJ/kg, and the calorific value of gaseous fuel is 25–28 MJ/m3. During the experiments, the temperature dependence and material balance of the resulting products during the thermal processing of sunflower waste using concentrated solar thermal energy were studied. In experiments carried out at the installation, as a result of the pyrolysis of 1 kg of sunflower waste loaded into the reactor of a heliopyrolysis installation, 63% of biochar, 10% of liquid, and 27% of gaseous biofuels were obtained. The results of the studies showed that the yield of liquid pyrolysis products is affected by the humidity of the initial biomass; and the maximum yield of the liquid pyrolysis, and product of sunflower waste corresponds to a temperature of about 430°C and a humidity of the loaded initial biomass of 25%. Based on the conducted research, the effectiveness and possibility of using a heliopyrolysis installation with a solar parabolic concentrator to maintain the required temperature regime for the pyrolysis of sunflower waste in the daytime operating mode of the installation was substantiated.