OPTIMIZATION OF WOOD CARBONIZATION: NUMERICAL MODELING

In the face of the progressive depletion of fossil fuel resources, the increasing global energy demand, and the growing awareness of international leaders regarding the challenges of climate change, the search for alternatives, such as renewable energy sources, has become a priority in the 21st century. In this context, wood energy, particularly charcoal, holds significant interest and is the subject of numerous scientific studies aimed at optimizing its production process, known as carbonization or slow pyrolysis.Our objective is to optimize this wood carbonization process through numerical modeling. To conduct this study, bibliographic research was carried out on several online databases, such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as other databases specialized in environmental sciences, to collect data related to the chosen model. The collected data was then analyzed using MATLAB software to perform numerical simulations, utilizing the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method.The results obtained are consistent with the data available in the literature. The kinetic optimization approach, achieved by adjusting the implemented data to the rate constant to favor carbonization over gasification, led to key actions, detailed below. Furthermore, the optimization through numerical simulation of mass balance equations applied to the model allowed us to validate our data and define an optimal temperature range for carbonization, between 590 and 610 K, with a mass yield evaluated at 66%.