IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v322y2025ics0360544225013301.html

Solar pyrolysis of low-rank coal: The effect of heat flux density and particle size

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Xin
  • Zeng, Kuo
  • Sheng, Chengmin
  • Zhong, Dian
  • Li, Jun
  • Li, Beiyang
  • Luo, Yu
  • Zuo, Hongyang
  • Yang, Haiping
  • Chen, Hanping

Abstract

Solar pyrolysis of low-rank coal (LRC) meets the high-quality utilization of LRC and stores intermittent solar energy. The high heating rate and unilateral heating characteristic of concentrated solar energy result in particle size effects on LRC pyrolysis that differ from those observed with conventional heating methods. This work researched the solar pyrolysis characteristics of LRC for the different heat flux densities (0.56, 0.65, 0.74 MW/m2) and particle sizes (100–1000 μm). As the heat flux density increases, the coke and tar yields decrease simultaneously, promoting the occurrence of extra-particulate secondary reactions. With the increasing particle sizes, the coke and tar yield increased, primary reactions predominantly occur. Compared to the reactivity of 300–1000 μm, there is strong diffusion resistance at the large particle size, reducing the gasification rate. For 100–300 μm, the gasification rate is the lowest and the graphitization is the highest according to structural characterization. The influence of the heat transfer exceeds the diffusion resistance. This study reveals the effect of the heat flux density and particle sizes in the solar pyrolysis of LRC product evolution. The results show that LRC is suitable for solar pyrolysis and gasification to produce chemicals and other fuels.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Xin & Zeng, Kuo & Sheng, Chengmin & Zhong, Dian & Li, Jun & Li, Beiyang & Luo, Yu & Zuo, Hongyang & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2025. "Solar pyrolysis of low-rank coal: The effect of heat flux density and particle size," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:322:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225013301
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135688
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225013301
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.135688?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiang, Yuan & Zong, Peijie & Ming, Xue & Wei, Haixin & Zhang, Xin & Bao, Yuan & Tian, Bin & Tian, Yuanyu & Qiao, Yingyun, 2021. "High-temperature fast pyrolysis of coal: An applied basic research using thermal gravimetric analyzer and the downer reactor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    2. Pingkuo Liu & Kailing Guo & Jiahao Wu, 2024. "Research on Alternative Relationship between Chinese Renewable Energy and Imported Coal for China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    3. Li, Beiyang & Xu, Huaqian & Lu, Yongwen & Zuo, Hongyang & Zeng, Kuo & Chi, Bowen & Chen, Xin & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2025. "Optimized field synergy analysis strategy for heat transfer mechanism in latent heat storage: Based on the front-tracking algorithm and the segmentation thinking," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    4. He, Xiao & Zeng, Kuo & Xie, Yingpu & Flamant, Gilles & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Nzihou, Ange & Zheng, Anqing & Ding, Zhi & Chen, Hanping, 2019. "The effects of temperature and molten salt on solar pyrolysis of lignite," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 407-416.
    5. Li, Xian & Shen, Ye & Kan, Xiang & Hardiman, Timothy Kurnia & Dai, Yanjun & Wang, Chi-Hwa, 2018. "Thermodynamic assessment of a solar/autothermal hybrid gasification CCHP system with an indirectly radiative reactor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 201-214.
    6. Huang, Dexin & Song, Gongxiang & Li, Ruochen & Han, Hengda & He, Limo & Jiang, Long & Wang, Yi & Su, Sheng & Hu, Song & Xiang, Jun, 2023. "Evolution mechanisms of bio-oil from conventional and nitrogen-rich biomass during photo-thermal pyrolysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Iqbal, Sajid & Zhang, Qingyu & Chang, Ming, 2025. "Turning waste to watts: studying tyre pyrolysis oil production supply for electricity generation and net-zero carbon emission with life cycle assessment approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    2. Moon, Hyeong-Bin & Lee, Ji-Hwan & Kim, Hyung-Tae & Lee, Jin-Wook & Lee, Byoung-Hwa & Jeon, Chung-Hwan, 2024. "Effect of high-pressure pyrolysis on syngas and char structure of petroleum coke," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    3. Zhao, Xingguo & Dai, Guanglong & Qin, Ruxiang & Zhou, Liang & Li, Jinhu & Li, Jinliang, 2024. "Spontaneous combustion characteristics of coal based on the oxygen consumption rate integral," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    4. Lee, Jechan & Kim, Soosan & You, Siming & Park, Young-Kwon, 2023. "Bioenergy generation from thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass-based integrated renewable energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    5. Arnob Das & Susmita Datta Peu, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on Recent Advancements in Thermochemical Processes for Clean Hydrogen Production to Decarbonize the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-42, September.
    6. Ma, Mingyan & Xu, Donghai & Gong, Xuehan & Diao, Yunfei & Feng, Peng & Kapusta, Krzysztof, 2023. "Municipal sewage sludge product recirculation catalytic pyrolysis mechanism from a kinetic perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    7. Wei, Yi & Lu, Licong & Zhang, Xudong & Ji, Jianbing, 2022. "Hydrogen produced at low temperatures by electrochemically assisted pyrolysis of cellulose in molten carbonate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    8. Jiang, Yuan & Zong, Peijie & Bao, Yuan & Zhang, Xin & Wei, Haixin & Tian, Bin & Tian, Yuanyu & Qiao, Yingyun & Zhang, Juntao, 2022. "Catalytic conversion of gaseous tar using coal char catalyst in the two-stage downer reactor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    9. Zeng, Kuo & Li, Rui & Minh, Doan Pham & Weiss-Hortala, Elsa & Nzihou, Ange & Zhong, Dian & Flamant, Gilles, 2020. "Characterization of char generated from solar pyrolysis of heavy metal contaminated biomass," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    10. Zheng, Kaiyue & Hu, Song & Gong, Zhijie & Jia, Mengchuan & Xu, Kai & Xu, Jun & Jiang, Long & Wang, Yi & Su, Sheng & Xiang, Jun, 2025. "Interaction among cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin during pressurized pyrolysis: Importance of deoxygenation and aromatization reactions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    11. Zeng, Kuo & Li, Jun & Xie, Yingpu & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Zhong, Dian & Zhen, Wanxin & Flamant, Gilles & Chen, Hanping, 2020. "Molten salt pyrolysis of biomass: The mechanism of volatile reforming and pyrolysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    12. Chen, Yuzhu & Wang, Jiangjiang & Ma, Chaofan & Gao, Yuefen, 2019. "Thermo-ecological cost assessment and optimization for a hybrid combined cooling, heating and power system coupled with compound parabolic concentrated-photovoltaic thermal solar collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 479-492.
    13. Ma, Cheng & Zhao, Yuzhen & Lang, Tingting & Zou, Chong & Zhao, Junxue & Miao, Zongcheng, 2023. "Pyrolysis characteristics of low-rank coal in a low-nitrogen pyrolysis atmosphere and properties of the prepared chars," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    14. Ali, Mujahid & Mahmood, Faisal & Magoua Mbeugang, Christian Fabrice & Tang, Jiazhen & Xie, Xing & Li, Bin, 2025. "Molten chloride salt pyrolysis of biomass: Effects of temperature and mass ratio of molten salt to biomass," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    15. Rodat, Sylvain & Abanades, Stéphane & Boujjat, Houssame & Chuayboon, Srirat, 2020. "On the path toward day and night continuous solar high temperature thermochemical processes: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    16. Chen, Yi-Feng & Su, Sheng & Zhang, Liang-Ping & Jiang, Long & Qing, Meng-Xia & Chi, Huan-Ying & Ling, Peng & Han, Heng-Da & Xu, Kai & Wang, Yi & Hu, Song & Xiang, Jun, 2021. "Insights into evolution mechanism of PAHs in coal thermal conversion: A combined experimental and DFT study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    17. Li, Ruochen & Meng, Tianxin & Song, Gongxiang & Huang, Dexin & Hu, Song & Jiang, Long & Xu, Jun & Wang, Yi & Su, Sheng & Xiang, Jun, 2024. "A GIS-based assessment of the carbon emission reduction potential of the solar-enhanced char-cycling biomass pyrolysis process in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PA).
    18. Fan, Yuyang & Li, Luwei & Tippayawong, Nakorn & Xia, Shengpeng & Cao, Fengzhu & Yang, Xingwei & Zheng, Anqing & Zhao, Zengli & Li, Haibin, 2019. "Quantitative structure-reactivity relationships for pyrolysis and gasification of torrefied xylan," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    19. Chen, Jialing & Li, Xian & Dai, Yanjun & Wang, Chi-Hwa, 2021. "Energetic, economic, and environmental assessment of a Stirling engine based gasification CCHP system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    20. Ge, Lichao & Zhao, Can & Zhou, Tianhong & Chen, Simo & Li, Qian & Wang, Xuguang & Shen, Dong & Wang, Yang & Xu, Chang, 2023. "An analysis of the carbonization process of coal-based activated carbon at different heating rates," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:322:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225013301. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.