A report presents additional information about the subject matter of “Model of Pyrolysis of Biomass in a Fluidized- Bed Reactor” (NPO-20708) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 6 (June 2001), page 59. The model is built on equations for the dynamics of three components — gas, sand, and biomass — partly by taking suitable ensemble averages of the coupled conservation equations for the gas, and for the biomass and sand particles. Equations for exchanges of mass, momentum, and energy between phases are included. Equations for transport of the solid phase are closed by use of separate distribution functions for sand and biomass particles. Interparticle collisions are described in the framework of the kinetic theory of dense gases, using inelastic- rigid-sphere models.

This work was done by Josette Bellan and Danny Lathouwers of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To obtain a copy of the report, “Multiphase Flow Equations for Modeling Tar Production from Biomass Particle Pyrolysis in a Fluidized Bed Reactor,” access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.nasatech.com/tsp  under the Physical Sciences category. NPO-20789