Thermo-Catalytic Reforming of spent coffee grounds

Mohamed Elmously,Andreas Apfelbacher,Robert Daschner,Nils Jäger,Andreas Hornung

doi:10.1186/s40643-019-0281-5

Abstract

Conversion of spent coffee grounds through the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming system (TCR®) is evaluated in this study. While, the TCR® is a technology that has been developed by Fraunhofer UMSICHT, which combines an intermediate pyrolysis and a catalytic reforming. The temperature of the catalytic reformer is varied between 500 and 700 °C to achieve an optimum yield quantities and qualities of the products. The hydrogen concentration is maximized at a reforming temperature of 700 °C, and a gas yield up to 52 wt% is achieved. The thermal stable bio-oil produced at 700 °C has the highest calorific value of 36.8 MJ/kg with significantly low oxygen and water content, low viscosity and low TAN (total acid number). Furthermore, the maximum bio-oil and char yields are obtained at the lowest reforming temperature of 500 °C. Overall spent coffee grounds show a great potential as feedstock in the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming for energy and bio-chemicals production.

Highlights

Increase in the global energy demand and the greenhouse gases crisis is one of the most important topics nowadays
Investigation of the spent coffee grounds as a sustainable biomass feedstock in the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming system (TCR®)process is studied in terms of quality of the products, mass and energy balance
The pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds is investigated by the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming technology

Summary

Introduction

Increase in the global energy demand and the greenhouse gases crisis is one of the most important topics nowadays. The fossil based oil is an important source of energy but it is one of the reasons for an increasing carbon concentration in the atmosphere. It is necessary to develop other renewable sources and replace the traditional fuel sources. One of these sources is the biomass, which is considered as an indirect form of solar energy. Biomass as an initial feedstock is able to supply energy in forms of syngas, liquid bio-oil and solid fuel (Cho et al 2016; Rao and Parulekar 1997)

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