Towards the Utilization of Concentrating Solar Power as a Source of Heat for Hydrothermal Carbonization Process

This preliminary experimental study tries to establish hydrothermal carbonization conditions using the concentrating solar test loop of Green Energy Park (Benguerir, Morocco) as the main source of heat. The experimental setup consists of a parabolic trough collector connected with a helical coil heat exchanger (HTX) that surrounds the external wall of a cylindrical batch reactor. This last component was partially filled with a mixture of demineralized water and dried raw olive pomace in appropriate portion. The mixture was heated by the thermal oil (Heat Transfer Fluid: HTF) circulating inside the HTX. Three K-type thermocouples were used for measuring temperature values at the entrance and at the exit of the serpentine as well as inside the batch reactor. Also, a flowmeter and a manometer measured the HTF flow rate and autogenous pressure inside the reactor respectively. Three temperature profiles are presented namely, temperature inside the batch reactor, HTF temperature at the heat exchanger entrance and at the serpentine exit. Also, different thermal powers, thermal efficiency and convective and overall heat transfer coefficients are examined.