Technical Papers and Presentations

Pyrolysis is a key step in the conversion of carbonaceous materials into useful products. In this study, we investigate the pyrolysis of asphaltene and oil shale, both experimentally and numerically. COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used to model the combined effects of fluid flow in porous media, mass transfer of species, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics. Gas evolution and the porosity changes in the spent char are monitored and compared to experimental and literature data.

The effect of temperature and particle size parameters for both fuels was studied. Higher conversion rates were obtained with increasing the temperature and decreasing particle size for both fuels. It was noted that the asphaltene decomposition is slower than the oil shale when varying both parameters.