GIS Application to Define Biomass Collection Points as Sources for Linear Programming of Delivery Networks

Mathematical algorithms to locate factories to transform biomass in bioenergy focused on logistic network construction

Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass for sustainable aviation fuel/fuel additives

Co-firing of biomass in fossil fuel-fired power plants is a mature technology option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Up to 10 % of fossil fuel energy input can be displaced by biomass without the need for major retrofits. Co-firing may be done directly or indirectly. However, direct co-firing has the disadvantage of being less flexible with the use of different types of biomass. Indirect co-firing, on the other hand, overcomes this limitation by using a gasifier which converts the biomass into syngas and biochar. The syngas can then be used for co-firing, while biochar can be applied to soil as a form of carbon sequestration. This process stores the carbon initially fixed by biomass through photosynthesis in the soil, and results in the net transfer of part of the carbon in biomass from the atmosphere to the soil. Biochar thus acts as a negative emissions technology with potential for scale-up in the near future. The utilization of biomass for co-firing in a fleet of thermal power plants can be optimized as a carbon management network, subject to biomass availability and the presence of suitable biochar sinks. In this work, a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model is developed to minimize net carbon emissions in such a system, taking into account parametric uncertainties in the storage capacities of the biochar sinks. It is assumed that there is the option to use direct, indirect or no co-firing in each power plant in the system. The model is illustrated using a case study.

This research was conducted to identify the most efficient biomass out of five different types of biomass sources for anaerobic treatment of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW). This study was first focused on examining the selected biomass in anaerobic batch systems with sodium acetate solutions (control study). Then, the different types of biomass were tested with raw OMW (water-diluted) and with pretreated OMW by coagulation-flocculation using Poly Aluminum Chloride (PACl) combined with hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2). Two types of biomass from wastewater treatment systems of a citrus juice producing company "PriGat" and from a citric acid manufacturing factory "Gadot", were found to be the most efficient sources of microorganisms to anaerobically treat both sodium acetate solution and OMW. Both types of biomass were examined under different concentration ranges (1-40 g l-1) of OMW in order to detect the maximal COD tolerance for the microorganisms. The results show that 70-85% of COD removal was reached using Gadot biomass after 8-10 days when the initial concentration of OMW was up to 5 g l-1, while a similar removal efficiency was achieved using OMW of initial COD concentration of 10 g l-1 in 2-4 days of contact time with the PriGat biomass. The physico-chemical pretreatment of OMW was found to enhance the anaerobic activity for the treatment of OMW with initial concentration of 20 g l-1 using PriGat biomass. This finding is attributed to reducing the concentrations of polyphenols and other toxicants originally present in OMW upon the applied pretreatment process.

Coconut shell charcoal has been widely produced as a raw material for biobriquette production. This cause effect on an increase of coconut shell price as a raw material for charcoal production. Wood waste is one of the easier and cheaper biomass to be obtained than coconut shell. However, the quality of charcoal produced from wood waste need to be compared to be used as a substitute of coconut shell. This study aims to discover the effect of pyrolysis as a carbonisation process on coconut shell, wood waste, and a mixture of both biomass on the quality of charcoal produced including yield, proximate analysis, lignocellulose analysis, and calorific value. A completely randomized design was used in this study by taking into account two influencing factors, including the type of sample (biomass sample and charcoal sample) and the type of biomass (coconut shell, wood waste, and a mixture of both). Pyrolysis was carried out at 550℃ for 120 minutes. Pyrolysis of biomass and different types of biomass have giving effects on the characteristics of the biomass and charcoal produced. The results of the analysis showed that the type of coconut shell biomass and a mixture of the two biomasses produced charcoal that qualified on standards. The results of the analysis concluded that charcoal made from a mixture of coconut shell and wood waste could be a solution to substitute charcoal made from coconut shell only.

Temperature measurement of stored biomass of different types and bulk densities using acoustic techniques

Vegetable oils are renewable feedstock currently being used for production of biofuels from sustainable biomass resources. The existing technology for producing diesel fuel from plant oils, such as rapeseed, soybean, canola and palm oil are largely centered on transesterification of oils with methanol to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or biodiesel. Rapeseed pellet - crushed seed residue from oil extraction is a byproduct of biodiesel production process. As other types of biomass, it can either be burned directly in furnaces or processed to increase its energetic value. The interest to use different types of biomass as fuels has grown rapidly during the last years as a mean to reduce the CO2 emissions of energy production. Biomass is renewable, abundant and has domestic usage, the sources of biomass can help the world reduce its dependence on petroleum products and natural gas. Energetically effective utilization of rapeseed pellet could substantially improve the economic balance of an individual household in which biodiesel for fulfilling the producer’s own energetic demand is obtained. In this article the experimental results of analyzing the emissions levels of different pollutants in exhaust fumes during different stages of biomass boiler operation were presented. It has been proved that that the pellet, a byproduct of biodiesel production, is an excellent renewable and environmentally-friendly energy source, especially viable for use in household tap water heating installations.

Investigation of the processes of thermal decomposition of biofuels components is needed for increasing production efficiency and energy specifications of biofuels, including composite ones. During recent years in the field of bioenergy, these circumstances have led to a greatly increased interest in the thermal characteristics of biomass of various origins, including the kinetic patterns of its thermal destruction. The purpose of this paper is to determine the kinetic parameters of desorption of physically bound moisture and to determine activation processes of non-isothermal decomposition of hemicelluloses of wood and plant biomass, peat and composite mixtures, using the non-isothermal kinetics method. The work provides an analysis according to the Broido kinetic model of the thermal destruction of biofuel samples selected over the territory of Ukraine. The method allows to determine the effective parameters of the kinetics of the individual stages of samples decomposition based on the analysis of the thermogravimetric dependences of biomass decomposition and to calculate the kinetic characteristics of the thermal destruction that proceeds according to the reaction mechanism of the order of n ≤ 1. The results of calculation of kinetic parameters for the stages of desorption of physically-bound moisture and thermal decomposition of hemicelluloses are presented. The value of the activation energy of moisture desorption for biomass is in the range of 51.5-59.4 kJ/mol, the average value is 56.5 kJ/mol; the maximum deviation of the activation energy for different types of biomass does not exceed 4.7%; for peat the activation energy is 43.50 kJ/kg, which is 23% below the average value for biomass. The calculated values of the kinetic constants of the thermal decomposition of hemicelluloses vary considerably. So for peat the average value of the activation energy corresponds to 37.0 kJ/mol. For biomass these values range from 75 to 104 kJ/mol, the average value is 90.8 kJ/mol; the maximum deviation of the activation energy for different types of biomass does not exceed 12%. It has been established that the use of composite mixtures based on peat and biomass allows, for high-temperature drying or heat treatment, to separate the temperature ranges for decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose, thereby ensuring the thermal decomposition of predominantly low-calorie constituents of hemicellulose without significant loss of calorie constituent of the fuel. The results of the performed studies can be used in the calculation of processes and installations associated with the thermal preparation of the studied fuels. Key words: biofuel, biomass, peat, composite fuel, activation energy, non-isothermal kinetics method, Broido model.

Biochar, produced from biomass, has become recognized as a sustainable soil amendment that has the potential to improve soil quality and agricultural production. This review focuses on production processes and properties of biochar derived from different types of biomass, including the synergistic interactions between biochar and soil microorganisms, emphasizing their influence on overall soil quality and crop production, particularly in cultivation of Brassica crops. It additionally addresses the potential benefits and limitations of biochar and microbial application. Biomass is a renewable and abundant resource and can be converted through pyrolysis into biochar, which has high porosity, abundant surface functionalities, and the capacity to retain nutrients. These characteristics provide optimal conditions for beneficial microbial communities that increase nutrient cycling, reduce pathogens, and improve soil structure. The information indicates that the use of biochar in Brassica crops can result in improved plant growth, yield, nutrient uptake, and stress mitigation. This review includes information about biochar properties such as pH, elemental composition, ash content, and yield, which can be affected by the different types of biomass used as well as pyrolysis conditions like temperature. Understanding these variables is essential for optimizing biochar for agricultural use. Moreover, the information on the limitations of biochar and microbes emphasizes the importance of their benefits with potential constraints. Therefore, sustainable agriculture methods can possibly be achieved by integrating biochar with microbial management measurements, resulting in higher productivity and adaptability in Brassica or other plant crop cultivation systems. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of biochar’s role in supporting sustainable Brassica farming and its potential to address contemporary agricultural challenges.

Influence of extruder and feedstock variables on torque requirement during pretreatment of different types of biomass – A response surface analysis

Backgroundβ-Glucosidases are components of the cellulase system, a family of enzymes that hydrolyze the β-1,4 linkages of cellulose. These proteins have been extensively studied due to the possibility of their use in various biotechnological processes. They have different affinities for substrates (depending on their source) and their activities can be used for saccharification of different types of biomass. In this context, the properties and the synergistic capacity of β-glucosidases from different organisms, to supplement the available commercial cellulase cocktails, need a comprehensive evaluation.ResultsTwo β-glucosidases belonging to GH3 family were secreted by Penicillium citrinum UFV. PcβGlu1 (241 kDa) and PcβGlu2 (95 kDa) presented acidic and thermo-tolerant characteristics. PcβGlu1 showed Michaelis–Menten kinetics for all substrates tested with Km values ranging from 0.09 ± 0.01 (laminarin) to 1.7 ± 0.1 mM (cellobiose, C2) and kcat values ranging from 0.143 ± 0.005 (laminarin) to 8.0 ± 0.2 s−1 (laminaribiose, Lb). PcβGlu2 showed substrate inhibition for 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (MUβGlu), p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (pNPβGlu), cellodextrins (C3, C4, and C5), N-octil-β-d-glucopyranoside, and laminaribiose, with Km values ranging from 0.014 ± 0.001 (MUβGlu) to 0.64 ± 0.06 mM (C2) and kcat values ranging from 0.49 ± 0.01 (gentiobiose) to 1.5 ± 0.2 s−1 (C4). Inhibition constants (Ki) for PcβGlu2 substrate inhibition ranged from 0.69 ± 0.07 (MUβGlu) to 10 ± 1 mM (Lb). Glucose and cellobiose are competitive inhibitors of PcβGlu1 and PcβGlu2 when pNPβGlu is used as a substrate. For PcβGlu1 inhibition, Ki = 1.89 ± 0.08 mM (glucose) and Ki = 3.8 ± 0.1 mM (cellobiose); for PcβGlu2, Ki = 0.83 ± 0.05 mM (glucose) and Ki = 0.95 ± 0.07 mM (cellobiose). The enzymes were tested for saccharification of different biomasses, individually or supplementing a Trichoderma reesei commercial cellulose preparation. PcβGlu2 was able to hydrolyze banana pseudostem and coconut fiber with the same efficiency as the T. reesei cocktail, showing significant synergistic properties with T. reesei enzymes in the hydrolysis of these alternative biomasses.ConclusionsThe β-glucosidases from P. citrinum UFV1 present different enzymatic properties from each other and might have potential application in several biotechnological processes, such as hydrolysis of different types of biomass.

Diante da constatação cada vez maior de contaminação natural e antrópica por íons fluoreto (F-) em diversos aquíferos utilizados para abastecimento público, o presente trabalho tem por finalidade apresentar e analisar os principais tipos de tratamento (tradicionais e alternativos) disponíveis até o momento para sua remoção. Verificou-se que o método de adsorção é o mais aplicado, utilizando-se a alumina ativada como principal agente. No entanto, novos materiais vêm sendo estudados para substituir a alumina, de modo a diminuir os custos e aumentar a eficiência do tratamento. Os materiais alternativos que vêm sendo mais estudados ultimamente são os biocarvões (biochars), produzidos a partir da queima de diferentes tipos de biomassa, e as nanopartículas naturais e sintéticas. Além da adsorção, destacam-se outros métodos como os tratamentos químico e eletroquímico, o uso de membranas e a fitorremediação. A escolha do melhor método, no entanto, dependerá das características de cada técnica, além daquelas da própria água a ser tratada. Apesar dos custos e da eficiência do processo serem fundamentais nessa escolha, é preciso também levar em consideração a geração de resíduos no final de cada tratamento, como o próprio material adsorvente, lodos e efluentes líquidos concentrados em F-, que deverão ser corretamente destinados.

Green solvents, which include deep eutectic solvent-like mixtures (DES-like mixtures), are categorized as ecological and economical solvents for the pretreatment and fractionation of different types of biomasses. DES-like mixtures represent a group of the most promising green solvents for lignocellulosic pretreatment and are currently used effectively in the biomass pretreatment process. The present work describes the latest applications of DES-like mixtures in biomass delignification processes and, at the same time, summarizes the mechanism of action and influence of DES-like mixture systems on the removal of lignin from different types of biomasses. The results of this review indicate that the physicochemical properties (acidity, hydrogen bond capacity, polarity, viscosity, and water content) of DES-like mixtures have a significant effect on the biomass fractionation process. In addition to the nature of components forming DES-like mixtures, the reaction conditions (temperature, time) influence the efficiency of delignification. Active protons obtained from the hydrogen bond donor facilitate proton-catalyzed bond cleavage during fractionation, where the most significant step is the destruction of the ether and ester bonds between polysaccharides and lignin. DES-like mixtures can depolymerize lignin with subsequent breakdown of the β−O−4 bonds.

Capillary water absorption of materials is a very important factor in the process of pre-treatment of fine-grained materials. Materials that are in a moisturized state capable of forming a firm, compact pellet are, thanks to this particular physical property, suitable for utilisation in sinter charge preparation within the process of sintering iron-ore raw materials. The pelletising ability of coke dust is generally known and coke dust exhibits good pelletisability. From the ecological point of view, an alternative to coke dust is currently biomass, which has a great potential for industrial applications, including use in the agglomeration process. Understanding of how biomass behaves during pre-pelletisation is very important and for the sintering process, it is essential. The purpose of pre-pelletisation of the sinter charge is to achieve its optimal permeability in the sintering process. The experiment described in the article was carried out using wood biomass—oak and pine sawdust, as well as plant biomass—Miscanthus sinensis and Lavandula angustifolia. The evaluation was carried out by applying the capillary water absorption test and the free-fall drop test. As different types of biomass have different chemical compositions, heating capacities, grain morphologies, and chemical and physical properties, the testing was carried out with several types of biomass. The capillary water absorption was examined in terms of different granulometries, and the impact of the type of liquid medium was analysed. It was observed that different types of biomass differ in their ability to absorb liquids. Another finding was that the type of a liquid medium had a significant effect on the pelletising ability of biomass, which was determined by the surface tension and the ability to form liquid bridges between the grains. Research results indicate an excellent pelletising ability of the Miscanthus sinensis grass. The wettability of oak and pine sawdust determines its application in the pelletising process. It may be concluded, based on the research, that Lavandula angustifolia is not a suitable alternative to coke dust due to its low ability to form pellets.

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) coupled with solar energy systems is a new biomass gasification technology developed in recent decades. However, conventional solar-powered biomass gasification technology has intermittent operation issues and involves multi-variable characteristics, strong coupling, and nonlinearity. To solve the above problems, firstly, a solar-driven biomass supercritical water gasification technology combined with a molten salt energy storage system is proposed in this paper. This system effectively overcomes the intermittent problem of solar energy and provides a new method for the carbon-neutral process of hydrogen production. Secondly, the high dimensional model representation (HDMR) approach, as a surrogate model, was used to predict the production and lower heating value of syngas developed in Aspen Plus, which were validated using experimental data obtained from the literature. The ultimate analysis of biomass, temperature, pressure, and biomass-to-water ratio (BWR) were selected as input variables for the model. The non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm II (NSGA II) was considered to maximize the gasification yield of H2 and the LHV of syngas in the SCWG process for five different types of biomass. Firstly, the results showed that HDMR models demonstrated high performance in predicting the mole fraction of H2, CH4, CO, CO2, gasification yield of H2, and lower heating value (LHV) with R2 of 0.995, 0.996, 0.997, 0.996, 0.999, and 0.995, respectively. Secondly, temperature and BWR were found to have significant effects on SCWG compared to pressure. Finally, the multi-objective optimization results for five different types of biomass are discussed in this paper. Therefore, these operating parameters can provide an optimal solution for increasing the economics and characteristics of syngas, thus keeping the process energy efficient.