Numerical investigation of reverse smouldering in a packed bed of biomass particles
(2025) Biomass & Bioenergy — Vol. 201, p. 108033 (2025)
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- Authors
Rouanet, Arnaud 
Álvarez-Bermúdez, César Chapela, Sergio Porteiro, Jacobo Jeanmart, Hervé
- Abstract
- This study presents a novel numerical framework for modelling reverse smouldering in a packed bed of biomass particles, relevant to the pyrolysis zone of a two-stage downdraft gasifier. The method couples a three-dimensional CFD model of the biomass bed (EBiTCoM) with a detailed two-dimensional single-particle pyrolysis model (SPY), enabling the integration of intra-particle gradients and multi-step devolatilisation kinetics. Simulations reproduce key smouldering dynamics, including front propagation, oxidation, and char yield, under varying air and oxygen flow conditions. The model predicts an ignition rate of 32.9 g/m2/s, underestimating experimental values by approximately 18%. The peak temperature of the smouldering front reaches 619°C (compared to experimental peaks of 570–650°C), with a front thickness of 2.4 cm versus the 8–24 cm range observed in experiments. Parametric studies show that substituting air with pure oxygen accelerates the front by over 100%, aligning with literature trends. Despite simplifications — such as using a single representative particle trajectory and omitting steam effects — the model effectively captures key mechanisms governing smouldering propagation and gas composition. This approach enhances our understanding of biomass conversion under oxygen-limited conditions and supports the development of predictive tools for gasifier optimisation.
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Citations
Rouanet, A., Álvarez-Bermúdez, C., Chapela, S., Porteiro, J., & Jeanmart, H. (2025). Numerical investigation of reverse smouldering in a packed bed of biomass particles. Biomass & Bioenergy, 201, 108033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108033 (Original work published 2025)