Application of Archimedean copula in the non-isothermal n^th order distributed activation energy model

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to implement one of the Archimedean copulas, Gumbel–Hougaard, to determine the influence of some of the important parameters of biomass pyrolysis on the numerical solution of the nth order distributed activation energy model. The initial distribution function of activation energy is replaced by the bivariate distribution function. In this manner, the cumulative effect of different univariate functions on modelling of biomass pyrolysis can be studied. The single marginal distribution function does not exhibit flexibility in its pattern, therefore the concept of copula is introduced to analysis the pyrolysis problem qualitatively. Activation energies E₁ and E₂ are assumed to initiate the primary and the secondary pyrolysis reactions respectively. Temperature distribution is considered to vary linearly with time. Thermo-analytical data is experimentally retrieved with the help of thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry (TG/DTG).

KEYWORDS:

• Gumbel–Hougaard copula
• non-isothermal kinetics
• distributed activation energy model (DAEM)
• numerical solution
• biomass pyrolysis

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme and by the Mechanical Engineering Doctoral School, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary. The authors express their sincere gratitude to Miss Deborah Harris, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK, for her valuable linguistic contribution in this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.