A novel integrated approach of reactor network modeling for solar driven biomass pyrolysis process

Conventional pyrolysis of biomass is energy intensive and inefficient; direct solar pyrolysis faces issues such as non-uniform heating and limited control over process parameters. To address these challenges, indirect solar heating with particle heat carriers and thermal storage has been proposed, enabling continuous and efficient fast pyrolysis. Existing process modeling tools often oversimplify complex pyrolysis reactions, neglecting secondary reactions critical to predict yield accurately. This study introduces an advanced integrated reactor modeling framework using the NetSMOKE reactor network tool, capable of simulating fully coupled multiphase reactions, including devolatilization and gas-phase kinetics within a reactor block of process simulation. The model is validated against both experimental and computational fluid dynamics data, and it is integrated into a broader process simulation to predict product distributions across diverse feedstocks and operating conditions. The reactor network model achieves high accuracy with only a 0.1–3.4 percentage point error margin and marks the first application of such a fully coupled reactor model to biomass pyrolysis process. A comparison between the reactor network-based process model and the previous fixed Ryield-based model reveals a 4–10 percentage point difference in product yields. Furthermore, concentrated solar power (CSP) based pyrolysis demonstrates superior performance in both models, enhancing carbon efficiency (from 74.1–77.7 % to 90.7–92.9 %) and energy efficiency (from 73.9–75 % to 77.7–78.6 %), while significantly reducing the net emission to oil ratio (from 0 to −27.5/−35.8 kgCO₂/GJoil), highlighting clear environmental and performance benefits. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to assess the influence of operating temperature on product distribution, efficiencies, and carbon emissions.