Room: King Willem Alexander
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
Session code 5CO.7
Applied and fundamental pyrolysis
Effect of Particle Structural Irregularities on Pyrolysis Performance: A 3D Multiphysics Model for Industrial-Grade Biomass Feedstocks
Short Introductive summary
This work presents an innovative geometry-resolved modelling framework that realistically represents the irregular morphology of industrial-grade biomass feedstocks used in thermochemical conversion processes. Unlike conventional models that simplify particles as spheres or pellets, it generates complex 3D wood-like geometries in MATLAB and embeds them into a coupled COMSOL Multiphysics environment to capture the interaction between particle structure, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions. The framework connects particle structure to thermochemical performance, revealing that irregular particles heat up to four times faster and produce significantly more permanent gases with less tar. This approach bridges the gap between laboratory-scale models and industrial feedstocks, setting a new standard for accurate, morphology-based biomass pyrolysis modelling.
Presenter
Stefano IANNELLO
University College London, Chemical Engineering Dpt., UNITED KINGDOM
Presenter's biography
Chemical Engineer and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Chemical Engineering Department at UCL. Expertise in fundamental mechanisms governing mixing and segregation in fluidized bed reactors during thermochemical conversions of biomass and plastic feedstocks.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
M. Matterazzi, University College London, UNITED KINGDOM
S. Iannello, University College London, UNITED KINGDOM
Session reference: 5CO.7.2