Hydrothermal carbonization of renewable waste biomass for solid biofuel production: A discussion on process mechanism, the influence of process parameters, environmental performance and fuel properties of hydrochar

Abstract

The energy demand of the world is expected to reach 739 quadrillions BTU in 2040, which therefore demand for exploring more alternative source of renewable energy. Waste biomass though vast in reserve for generating renewable energy has its own downside. High moisture, fibrous nature, high bulk volume, hydrophilic nature and low calorific value are some of the inferior quality of waste biomass which creates bottleneck for easy renewable energy generation. Pre-treatment of biomass to overcome these challenges has created a new research interest. Among the treatment options available, the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) method, which can process wet waste has become the most preferred choice among researchers recently. The HTC eliminates energy-intensive pre-drying process needed for other treatment methods such as pyrolysis, dry torrefaction and incineration. Through this article, we attempt to provide a detailed review of how renewable biomass can be effectively used to produce renewable energy by improving their inherent inferior characteristics. The review also highlights bottlenecks that constrain the deployment of renewable energy using HTC methods. The scope of further research direction is well identified in this review. The paper also present recent advancements which are filling the knowledge gap of HTC technology that were there earlier. Critical analysis of microwave assisted HTC and conventional heated HTC is also presented in this review. The analysis in this paper reveals that biomass is a valuable resource, and should be explored to take advantage of its renewable energy generation potential. The HTC method of biomass upgradation improves transport, storage and fuel characteristics by improving grindability, pellets durability, hydrophobicity, energy density, combustion behaviour and calorific value, and also helps in improving the environmental performance of solid fuel produced. Despite the fact that the technology is in the early stage of development and there still exist knowledge gap and shortcomings, the vast literature reviewed suggests that it has a potential of being future technology. Therefore, it needs further investigation which should fill existing shortcoming of the technology.