Conversion Characteristics Research Articles

Photocorrosion-Based BiOCl Photothermal Materials for Synergistic Solar-Driven Desalination and Photoelectrochemistry Energy Storage and Release

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is one of the most promising desalination technologies. However, few studies have effectively combined energy storage with evaporation processes. Here, a novel multifunctional interfacial evaporator, calcium alginate hydrogel/bismuth oxychloride/carbon black (HBiC), is designed, which integrates the characteristics of interfacial evaporation and direct photoelectric conversion. Under illumination, the Bi nanoparticles which were produced by photoetching of BiOCl and its reaction heat are simultaneously used for the heating of water molecules. Meanwhile, part of the solar energy is converted into chemical energy through the photocorrosion reaction and stored in HBiC. At night, Bi NPs undergo autooxidation reaction and an electric current is generated during this process (like a metal-air battery), in which the maximum current density is more than 15 μA cm-2. This scientific design cleverly combines desalination with power generation and provides a new development direction for energy collection and storage.

A comprehensive investigation of PCM based annular thermoelectric generator for energy recovery: Energy conversion characteristics and performance evaluation

Annular thermoelectric generators (ATEG) are increasingly attracting attention and are pivotal in thermal energy recovery due to their unique characteristics, which can be perfectly adapted to cylindrical heat sources. Considering the efficient thermal management and power generation of thermoelectric generator (TEG), phase change material (PCM) can be integrated with the cold side of TEG as a favourable cooling medium to meet its functional requirements. However, previous studies have focused on the intrinsic connection between flat-plat TEG and PCM, while the impact of PCM on ATEG has not been systematically explored. In the present study, an annular thermoelectric generator with PCM (ATEG-PCM) under a pulsed heat source is proposed, and its dynamic characteristics and energy distribution are evaluated. The effects of PCM parameters such as height, latent heat and melting temperature are comprehensively explored from multi-index, including PCM temperature, liquid fraction, temperature difference, output power, energy and exergy efficiencies. Furthermore, a comparative investigation of ATEG-PCM, PCM-ATEG where PCM is applied on the hot side, and ATEG without PCM is further carried out to clarify the coupled mechanism of PCM on thermal management and power generation enhancement of ATEG. The results indicate that the energy efficiency of ATEG-PCM has saturated at PCM height of 10 mm to 12 mm, while the exergy efficiency merely slightly increases. Especially, the PCM melting temperature merely affects the time at which PCM initiates to change from solid state to liquid state, without affecting the total energy efficiency of ATEG-PCM. Furthermore, the comparison analysis determines that ATEG-PCM deserves more attention, judging by thermal management and power generation. This work not only contributes to the understanding of the coupling mechanisms between PCM and ATEG but also provides a research direction for energy recovery in PCM based ATEG hybrid system.

Pilot experimental study on pollutant emission characteristics from co-combustion of coal and spent cathode carbon block

Spent cathode carbon block (SCCB) is a hazardous waste produced by the electrolytic aluminum industry. Collaborative treatment of the SCCB in pulverized coal boilers is a potentially valuable technology. Pilot experiments were carried out on a 240 t/h pulverized coal boiler and its supporting flue gas treatment measures as a function of the mixing ratio of SCCB to verify the feasibility of coal collaborative disposal of SCCB. The thermal conversion characteristics of fluoride after mixing SCCB with coal were studied. A continuous emission monitoring system was used to monitor the impact on SO2, NOx and particulate matter in real time. The effectiveness of existing flue gas control measures was evaluated, and optimization suggestions of the flue gas control measures were postulated. The content of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, As, Se) in solid waste from co-combustion and the physical phase of solid waste were investigated. In addition, the transformation of heavy metals such as Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, As and fluoride in defluorination wastewater during flue gas treatment were analyzed. The results show that it is feasible to use a pulverized coal boiler to dispose SCCB. The existing flue gas treatment measures proved to be appropriate, and desulfurization wastewater can achieve the discharge standards. Defluorination gypsum, fly ash and slag are not hazardous waste. When the mixing ratio of SCCB is increased, the existing neutralization and flocculation precipitation processes of the desulfurization wastewater are affected. It is suggested to add Al2O3 for the defluorination process before the desulfurization tower.

Efficiency Improvement for Wireless Power Transfer System via a Nonlinear Resistance Matching Network

The primary control is widely adopted to obtain a constant voltage output under a wider load range. However, for traditional full-bridge inverters under phase-shift control, due to the loss of soft switching, the system transmission efficiency will decrease rapidly. This problem can be improved by using a half-bridge inverter; however, the power transferred to receiving devices utilizing a half-bridge inverter is inadequate under a small dc load value. To solve these urge issues, a resistance matching network (RMN), constructed by a resonant inductor and capacitor, is added before the full bridge rectifier part of this paper. Owing to the nonlinear resistance conversion characteristics of the proposed RMN structure, the variation range of the equivalent AC impedance before the rectifier end can be compressed into an optimum range to enhance the poor transmission efficiency during the coils part. Simultaneously, when the DC load is small, the power capability of the whole system can be enhanced by increasing the equivalent ac load value; as a result, the insufficient power capability of the half-bridge inverter can be relieved. Finally, a 36 V output WPT system based on the proposed RMN and phase shift control is constructed. Additionally, the experimental results prove the feasibility of the theoretical analysis results.

Mode converter using bent and twisted coupled-multicore fibers for group delay spread reduction

A mode converter using bent and twisted coupled-multicore fiber for the reduction of the group delay spread is proposed. The bent and twisted fiber, which is one of the periodic structures, can work as a long-period grating mode converter by properly setting the twist rate. To investigate the mode conversion characteristics, a simple and effective eigenmode analysis for three-dimensional periodic structures is proposed. We found that to convert the specified modes, the core layout is also important as well as the twist rate. For example, the mode conversion behaviors of 4CFs with square lattice and triangular lattice layouts are greatly different although each 4CF enables the specified mode conversion. It is revealed that, by switching the higher and lower order modes, the group delay can be equalized, resulting in the suppression of the group delay spread. It leads to reducing the complexity of the multiple-input multiple-output receiver in the mode division multiplexing system.

Optimal Identification of Unknown Parameters of Photovoltaic Models Using Dual-Population Gaining-Sharing Knowledge-Based Algorithm

Establishing an accurate equivalent model is a critical foundation to describe the energy conversion characteristics of a photovoltaic system, which can support the research of fault analysis, output power prediction, and performance analysis of the photovoltaic system. However, the widely used equivalent models are highly nonlinear and have many unknown parameters, making it difficult to identify these parameters accurately. Our previous work found that the gaining-sharing knowledge-based algorithm (GSK) shows promising performance in solving this problem. But its efficacy is not enough to achieve accurate parameters within a relatively limited computing resource. In this context, a dual-population GSK algorithm (DPGSK), which introduces a dual-population evolution strategy for more excellent searchability, is proposed to address this issue. In each iteration, the population splits equally and randomly into two subpopulations, one of which performs the junior gaining-sharing phase while the other performs the senior gaining-sharing phase. Then two updated subpopulations merge to form a new population. This allows for a grand reconciliation of convergence speed and population diversity, giving DPGSK powerful optimization performance. Afterward, DPGSK is applied to five photovoltaic models and validated for performance against other advanced metaheuristics. Besides, the impact of different components on DPGSK is also investigated. Results and comparisons show that either component is indispensable to DPGSK, and DPGSK strengthens the convergence and achieves accurate and reliable results, demonstrating its superiority over other algorithms in solving this studied problem.

Literature Review of Turn-Taking

Turn-taking theory has attracted a lot of attention from linguistics and other disciplines since its emergence. Numerous studies have been conducted with regard to turn system, presenting its theory and empirical evolution in foreign and domestic research. In terms of turn-taking theory, majority of scholars state interpretation of its definition and rules without breaking through the framework of notion of Sacks. As far as application of turn-taking theory, they mainly focus on news interviews, TV programs, class interaction and daily dialogue and other aspects at home and abroad. Few studies concern about turn features of WeChat language and WeChat multiparty conversation. Through the view of turn and turn-taking, characteristics of WeChat multiparty conversation will be figured out and mechanism and characteristics of WeChat language will be summarized through the analysis of turn system of the WeChat multiparty conversation.

Design and application of a novel direct light-driven thermogravimetric analyzer

Thermogravimetric analysis is one of the evaluation means widely used to characterize thermoinduced chemical reaction and mass variation processes. However, the emergence of photothermal characteristics research makes traditional thermogravimetric analysis unable to meet the requirements. Therefore, a novel direct light-driven thermogravimetric analyzer is designed for fast photothermal integrated pyrolysis weight loss measurement based on the principle of high temperature measurement under light flux. The photothermal conversion characteristics are studied by analyzing the calcination progress of the blackened calcium carbonate particles. At the same time, the error and uncertainty analysis of the instrument is carried out. Compared with the conventional thermogravimetric electric heating approach, the direct light-driven thermogravimeter provides the same environment as the actual solar photothermal capture and utilization scenarios and enables getting deep insights into the mechanism of the photothermal conversion and chemical reaction kinetics involved which are consistent with the real solar-thermal energy applications. Its unique photothermal integrated design is also valuable for the composition analysis, kinetic analysis or evaluation of solid-gas balance of the materials, which provides an important analysis method for solar photothermal conversion.

Analyzing Variations of Everyday Japanese Conversations Based on Semantic Labels of Functional Expressions

To achieve effective dialogue processing, the kinds of daily conversations people have must be clarified. Unfortunately, the characteristics of everyday conversations remain insufficiently investigated. In recent years, the Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation (CEJC) was developed, which is a large-scale corpus constructed by recording everyday Japanese conversations. In this article, we investigate the linguistic variations of everyday conversations in a multitude of situations using CEJC. We conducted factor analysis of it using the semantic categories of functional expressions that represent such subjective information as modality, thoughts, and communicative intention in addition to various tenses and facts. Our analysis identified seven factors that characterize everyday conversations and suggests that they are expressed by a combination of a dialogue’s purpose (e.g., “Explanation” and “Suggestion”) and its manners (e.g., “Politeness” and “Involvement”). We also analyzed the BTSJ–Japanese natural conversation corpus with transcripts and recordings and the Nagoya University conversational corpus and confirmed the generalizability of these factors.

BIOCOMPATIBLE BIOMIMETIC POLYMER STRUCTURES WITH AN ACTIVE RESPONSE FOR IMPLANTOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE PART I: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE ACTIVE IMPLANT’S BIOCOMPATIBILITY

Physical and chemical criteria of biocompatibility of the active polymer implants and stimuli-responsive scaffolds are considered. From the standpoint of the surface physics and controlled wetting, the possibilities of dynamic control of biocompatibility and adaptive changes in the implant properties in response to the signal from the surrounding tissues are considered. The basic properties of the active biocompatible and biomimetic implantable materials, which distinguish them from the passive implants, are summarized. The latter include: electrophysical and electrophysiological membrane biocompatibility (up to the analogy with biomembranes – the so-called Fendler’s “membrane mimetics”); excitability, that is, the ability to qualitatively change their state in response to the external stimulus; compatibility of the matching parameters and impedances of biomembranes and active implantable materials; the presence of the main types of the energy conversion characteristic of biomembranes (chemiosmotic, electrochemical, electromechanical, etc.); the ability to transport and release pharmaceuticals consistent with the parameters of the cellular microenvironment and regulated by its state. Due to the qualitative change in the biomedical aim of such implants (from replacing the natural function to its regeneration and maintenance), there is a possibility of implementing various new biologically relevant functions using these materials, such as the ability to sensing and actuation, based on their reactivity and signal / energy conversion capacity. Of particular interest is the adaptive realization of the above functions in a growing and developing organism during its ontogenesis.

Prediction model for energy conversion characteristics during transient processes in a mixed-flow pump

The global energy shortage is gradually intensifying. A pump is a versatile device with significant power consumption in energy conversion equipment. Of the world's total energy generated, pumps consume about 20%. With the continuous expansion of the application field, the pump's transient working characteristics are increasingly getting important for energy saving and consumption reduction. Due to ignoring the influence of impeller rotational acceleration and fluid inertia, traditional methods have significant errors in predicting transient energy conversion characteristics, which leads to improper design and unreasonable lectotype, resulting in low pump operation efficiency. Improving the prediction accuracy of transient energy characteristics and ultimately improving the pump operation efficiency is considered to be the key solution to reducing energy consumption. Therefore, this research paper proposes a prediction model of transient energy characteristics in a mixed-flow pump. Firstly, the dynamic hydraulic torque, an important parameter of energy growth during the start-up process was calculated according to the momentum moment equation. Secondly, based on the torque energy balance equation and the relative Bernoulli equation, the transient head expression during the start-up process of the mixed-flow pump is derived, and the saddle area correction is carried out. Finally, considering the additional shaft power loss caused by the pump's backflow and clearance leakage flow, a calculation method for the instantaneous energy conversion efficiency of the mixed-flow pump is established. The accuracy of the model is compared with traditional quasi-steady-state calculation results. The results show that the predicted head of the model is in good agreement with the test head, the head estimation error is reduced from 15% to 5%, and the modified head in the saddle area is closer to the test value. In addition, this study also shows the ability of the model to simulate different start-up modes and start-up times. The models presented in this paper help guide the transient hydraulic design and prediction of transient energy characteristics of pumps.

Research on the Output Characteristics of Energy Conversion Elements under External Excitation

Initiating explosive (IE) devices are widely used in the aerospace, resource mining, and basic industries and other fields. With the improvement in processing technology, IE devices are developing towards miniaturization and intelligence. As an important component of the energy conversion of IE devices, the output characteristics of micro energy conversion (EC) elements directly affect the ignition performance of IE devices. Hence, this paper researches the output characteristics of EC elements under external excitation. Firstly, the fabrication process of the EC element is introduced, and the finite element analysis model of the temperature field is deduced. Secondly, the simulation model of the output characteristics of the EC element is constructed, the validity of the model is verified through experiments, and the basic characteristic parameters of the EC element are determined. Finally, four shapes of EC element structures are designed, the corresponding output characteristics under constant current excitation are analyzed, and the temperature and current field distributions of the EC elements with different shapes are given. The experimental and simulation results show the effectiveness of the analysis results in this paper, and the influence of different shapes on the insensitivity of EC elements is given through comparative analysis, which provides support for the design of micro structure EC elements.

Insight into the synergistic reaction mechanism of biomass pseudocomponents and polyamide by TG-MS and Py-GC/MS: Pyrolysis properties, reaction kinetics and N-containing species evolution

To unveil the nitrogen migration and conversion characteristics, catalytic copyrolysis of biomass pseudo components and polyamide (PA) with different blend ratios (1:0, 5:1, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, 0:1) under an ammonia atmosphere was proposed to boost the yield of N-containing compounds (NCCs) and N-rich biochar. The evolution and distribution of NCCs in liquid, gas and biochar were systematically investigated with a combination of TG-MS, Py-GC/MS and EPR. Synergistic effects and possible reaction pathways were also evaluated. Experimental results showed that PA could obviously boost biomass conversion due to increasing the chance of secondary cleavage, and the comprehensive synergistic effect of biomass-derived H* radicals, acid sites of the catalyst and cracking reactions (-C-N and C-C bonds) that reduced the reaction energy barrier and enhanced the NH3 and HCN yields. NH3 comes from the amino acids that are released from the amino acid pyrolysis and hydrolysis of HCN on the surface of char, while HCN is from the secondary cracking of primary pyrolysis products. Adding biomass increased CO2, CO, CH4, C-O and CO emissions from co-pyrolysis. Additionally, significant synergetic effects were observed when Biomass/PA= 3:1, which improved the NCCs and pyridine yields by 78.58% and 48.23%, respectively, under the HZSM-5 catalyst. A lower proportion of PA addition facilitated the Maillard reaction and amide bond cleavage to enhance the NCCs content and suppressed π-conjugated ring structure compound evolution and coke-derived O-containing compound polymerization, while a higher content of PA was favorable for amine and diaza heterocycle compound formation. Moreover, the addition of PA reduced the HHV and N content in biochar, resulting in lower pyrrole-N content and graphitization degree due to secondary cross-polymerization reaction of reaction volatiles, but it enhanced the polarity due to higher oxygen content (14.98%).

Characteristics of Barotropic Energy Conversion in Rapid Intensifying and Decaying Tropical Cyclones Over the Western North Pacific

AbstractThe prediction of the tropical cyclone (TC) intensity remains a difficult issue. This study analyzes local instantaneous barotropic kinetic energy conversion in the lower troposphere in rapid intensifying (RI) and rapid decaying (RD) TCs over the western North Pacific (WNP) during June through November from 1979 to 2017. The kinetic energy conversion to the synoptic eddies is separated for climatological mean, interannual and intraseasonal flows. It is found that the intraseasonal cyclonic flows display a northwest‐southeast orientation in the RI TCs, but a circular feature in the RD TCs. Intraseasonal and climatological mean zonal flows contribute together to the positive kinetic energy conversion in the northwest quadrant of the RI TCs. Intraseasonal meridional flows induce positive (negative) kinetic energy conversion in the northeast (south) part of the RD TCs. The kinetic energy conversion associated with interannual flows is small for both the RI and RD TCs.

The Use of Crisis Services Following the Mass School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas: Quasi-Experimental Event Study.

Mass shootings result in widespread psychological trauma for survivors and members of the affected community. However, less is known about the broader effects of indirect exposure (eg, media) to mass shootings. Crisis lines offer a unique opportunity to examine real-time data on the widespread psychological effects of mass shootings. Crisis Text Line is a not-for-profit company that provides 24/7 confidential SMS text message-based mental health support and crisis intervention service. This study examines changes in the volume and composition of firearm-related conversations at Crisis Text Line before and after the mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. A quasi-experimental event study design was used to compare the actual volume of firearm-related conversations received by Crisis Text Line post shooting to forecasted firearm conversation volume under the counterfactual scenario that a shooting had not occurred. Conversations related to firearms were identified among all conversations using keyword searches. Firearm conversation volume was predicted using a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model trained on the 3 months of data leading up to the shooting. Additionally, proportions of issue tags (topics coded post conversation by volunteer crisis counselors at Crisis Text Line after the exchange) were compared in the 4 days before (n=251) and after (n=417) the shooting to assess changes in conversation characteristics. The 4-day window was chosen to reflect the number of days conversation volume remained above forecasted levels. There was a significant increase in the number of conversations mentioning firearms following the shooting, with the largest spike (compared to forecasted numbers) occurring the day after the shooting (n=159) on May 25, 2022. By May 28, the volume reverted to within the 95% CI of the forecasted volume (n=77). Within firearm conversations, "grief" issue tags showed a significant increase in proportion in the week following the shooting, while "isolation/loneliness," "relationships," and "suicide" issue tags showed a significant decrease in proportions the week following the shooting. The results suggest that the Uvalde school shooting may have contributed to an increase in demand for crisis services, above what would be expected given historical trends. Additionally, we found that these firearm-related crises conversations immediately post event are more likely to be related to grief and less likely to be related to suicide, loneliness, and relationships. Our findings provide some of the first data showing the real-time repercussions for the broader population exposed to school shooting events. This work adds to a growing evidence base documenting and measuring the rippling effects of mass shootings outside of those directly impacted.

Research on energy conversion characteristics in impeller of Helical-Axial Multiphase Pump during crude transportation

In order to explore the influence of different crude viscosities on the energy conversion characteristics of an impeller of a Helical-Axial Multiphase Pump, a numerical simulation based on the standard k–ε equation and Euler multiphase flow model under different viscosities was carried out. At the same time, the internal flow structure of the Helical-Axial Multiphase Pump was analyzed by experiments when water was transported. The changes in pressure, GVF (gas volume fraction), flow field, and pressurization of the impeller are obtained with different viscosities and inlet gas volume fractions. The results show that the liquid viscosity is greater, the inlet pressure of the impeller is increasing, the velocity vector is greater near the rim and hub side, and the turbulent kinetic energy is increasing near the hub side and rim side, resulting in a greater flow loss. The pressurization capacity of the impeller is weakened, making its head lower. At the same time, the fluctuation of GVF from inlet to outlet is smaller, and the low GVF area is mainly concentrated in high pressure area. The viscosity has a greater impact on static pressure energy of the first half of the impeller and a smaller impact on the second half of the impeller, and the power of the impeller is mainly concentrated in the first half of the impeller.

Experimental study of the effect of dielectric materials on the decomposition of carbon dioxide in a dielectric barrier discharge

The low-temperature nonequilibrium characteristics of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) make it an important candidate for the decomposition and conversion of CO2. In this study, quartz, alumina and zirconia are selected as the dielectrics to investigate the effect of dielectric materials of planar DBD reactor on the discharge and conversion characteristics of CO2. It is shown that under the same input power conditions, zirconia has the highest CO2 conversion rate when used as a dielectric, followed by alumina, and quartz has the lowest. Combined with the analysis of the measured electrical characteristics, it is shown that zirconia has the highest transferred charge, thus further increasing the discharge efficiency. Experimental results of the single dielectric barrier layer-metal mesh electrode reactor show that the CO2 discharge can operate in the lower power range and the CO2 conversion rate is higher than that of the double dielectric barrier layer reactor. Spectroscopic measurements show that the emission intensity of the discharge in the reactor with high relative permittivity materials is higher than that in the case of low relative permittivity materials, and the emission intensity of the single dielectric layer reactor is also higher than that in the case of the double dielectric layer reactor.

Formation of Micro‐Patterned Ga2O3/Se Heterojunction and its Application to Highly Sensitive Avalanche Photodiode

Herein, the formation of square‐shaped micropatterns of a Ga2O3/Se heterojunction avalanche photodiode (APD) at an active area of 10 μm × 10 μm and its application to a visible light sensor with high sensitivity by amplification of photocurrent density for the first time are reported. The miniaturization of the Ga2O3/Se APD improves its signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) by 10 dB as compared to the expected SNR. This is possible because of the improvement in thermal radiation and reduction in resistance loss. The effects of scaling on the photovoltaic conversion characteristics of Ga2O3/Se and TiO2/Se are investigated by varying the active area from 100 μm × 100 μm to 10 μm × 10 μm using photolithography and etching. A remarkable increase in the external quantum efficiency is observed for miniaturized Ga2O3/Se heterojunction APD at widths smaller than 50 μm × 50 μm by a combination of avalanche amplification and the micro‐scaling effect at a bias voltage of 15 V.

Mathematical modeling of pressure characteristics of the deflector-jet pilot stage considering boundary layer flow

The performance of a deflector-jet servo valve significantly depends on the pressure characteristics of its pilot stage. The complex flow field within the deflector-jet pilot stage presents enormous difficulty and challenge in establishing its mathematical model. In this work, according to the energy conversion characteristics of the flow field, the flow process within the pilot stage is divided into five phases for modeling: inside-pipe flow, first jet, first pressure recovery, secondary jet, and secondary pressure recovery. To better reveal the intrinsic operating mechanism of a deflector-jet pilot stage, the boundary layer is introduced into the model. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation and experiment are conducted to validate the developed mathematical model at different supply pressures. The result demonstrates that the velocity distribution of the jets and the pressure characteristics of the pilot stage are significantly influenced by the boundary layer. The boundary layer flow within the V-groove has a greater impact on the pressure characteristics than that within the nozzle. Verified by the CFD simulation and experiment, the developed model can accurately predict the velocity distribution of the jets and pressure characteristics. At different supply pressures, the maximum relative error between the theoretical and experimental results of the dimensionless pressure characteristic is 5.36%.

Thermochemical conversion characteristics of biosolid samples from a wastewater treatment plant in Brisbane, Australia

Environmental context Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic materials. They can be used as fertiliser and solid amendments in agriculture if treated according to regulatory requirements. If farming applications of biosolids decline due to potential pollution from their heavy metal content, an alternative to traditional methods of biosolid disposal is required. In this context, thermal processing of biosolids is an economically and environmentally suitable option to convert large quantities of biosolids into useful energy. Rationale Due to more stringent environmental regulations and frequently required long-distance transportation, the traditional disposal of biosolids from wastewater treatment plants in landfills and farms is becoming unsustainable. A potentially economical and environmental option is the thermochemical conversion of biosolids into energy and value-added products. This paper describes the chemical composition and energy content of a representative biosolid sample collected from a major wastewater-treatment plant in Queensland, Australia. Methodology The thermochemical behaviour and compositional changes in biosolids were investigated under a wide range of pyrolysis and gasification conditions using a horizontal tube furnace (HTF), a fixed-bed reactor and a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). In terms of practical application of by-products, we describe mineral matter transformations in char and ashes during pyrolysis and volatilisation as well as under different gasification conditions. Results HTF experiments revealed that at pyrolysis below 800°C, mainly organic species were released, while losses of inorganic elements (phosphorus, magnesium and zinc) occurred at higher temperatures. In-situ gasification behaviour of biosolid chars in the TGA reactor showed that the gasification reaction of biosolid chars occurred rapidly at temperatures above 720°C, regardless of the pyrolysis temperatures at which those chars were produced. Mineral matter transformations began at temperatures above 600°C, and mainly involved the transformation of amorphous phases into crystalline oxide and phosphide forms. Under gasification conditions, all crystalline phases appeared as different phosphates and alumino-silicates. Discussion The methods described here provide different options for the disposal of biosolids from wastewater by adjusting and optimising thermochemical conversion processes.