Pyrolysis of centimetre-scale wood particles: New experimental developments and results

• New experimental setup for the pyrolysis of centimetre-scale wood particles.
• Pyrolysis tests are carried out at different furnace temperatures.
• The yields of gaseous products are monitored as functions of time.
• Gaseous and liquid phases are analyzed.

This work is devoted to the pyrolysis of centimetre-scale wood particles, for temperature ranging between 450 and 1050 °C. A specific device has been designed to perform pyrolysis tests on a single particle and to collect both thermal and chemical data which are necessary to describe pyrolysis at centimetre-scale. Temperature profiles inside the sample are monitored during pyrolysis. Char, gas, tars and water yields, as well as the elemental composition of each class of products are measured. The yields of the main gaseous species (CO, CO2, CH4, C2H4 and H2) are monitored during the reaction. Tars are collected, and six compounds are quantified.