Journal of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences ISSN:2233-8322(Print) 2508-870X(Online)

Recently, global warming and environmental pollution are accelerating because of the continuous use of fossil fuels. Energy sources from biomass are considered one of the possible solutions to overcome this problem. In this study, application of agricultural by-products as new bioenergy resources through torrefaction was investigated. Pepper stems were selected from among domestic agricultural by-products to perform this energy conversion process. The sample was crushed and separated (standard testing sieve) into particles of 2.36 mm or less. The selected materials were injected into a prototype capsule, and the experiment was repeated three times for 10 min at a reaction temperature of 200°C, 230°C, or 270°C for up to 40 min. Mass reduction was measured after 1 h of cooling to minimize rapid reaction with oxygen in the atmosphere. Frequency factor coefficients and activation energy of lignocellulosic biomass were investigated for simulation analysis. The reaction rate constants were derived from the experimental results, and mass reduction was predicted with respect to different temperatures through a simulation. The experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation values 0.95 of the correlation and 0.46 of the RMSE. It will be necessary to develop a model that includes dry moisture, particle size, and reactor shape, because these factors may have a significant influence on the torrefaction process.