Different Types Of Biomass Research Articles

Biomass Conversion into Solid Composite Fuel for Bed-Combustion

The purpose of this research is the conversion of different types of biomass into solid composite fuel. The subject of research is the heat conversion of biomass into solid composite fuel. The research object is the biomass of the Tomsk region (Russia): peat, waste wood, lake sapropel. Physical experiment of biomass conversion is used as method of research. The new experimental unit for thermal conversion of biomass into carbon residue, fuel gas and pyrolysis condensate is described. As a result of research such parameters are obtained: thermotechnical biomass characteristics, material balances and product characteristics of the heat-technology conversion. Different methods of obtaining solid composite fuel from the products of thermal technologies are considered. As a result, it is established: heat-technology provides efficient conversion of the wood chips and peat; conversion of the lake sapropel is inefficient since the solid composite fuel has the high ash content and net calorific value.

Engineering bed models for solid fuel conversion process in grate-fired boilers

A comparison between two numerical models describing the thermo-chemical conversion process of a solid fuel bed in a grate-fired boiler is presented. Both models consider the incoming biomass as subjected to drying, pyrolysis, gasification and combustion. In the first approach the biomass bed is treated as a 0D system, where the thermo-chemical processes are divided in two successive sections: drying and conversion. Phenomenological laws are written to characterize the syngas release as a function of the main governing parameters. The second model is an empirical 1D approach. Temperature, species concentrations and velocity of the syngas provided by the two models are compared. Sensitivity analyses with respect to the drying agent mass flow rate, the initial moisture content and the composition of the biomass are performed. The relative error between the mean values of the temperature and velocity of the syngas predicted by the two models is equal to about 7%. The application to different types of biomass shows that the difference in the predictions increases as the carbon content grows. The phenomenological model, in fact, generally considers higher conversion rates of this element to volatiles with respect to the analogy model.

A systemic approach for dimensioning and designing anaerobic bio-digestion/energy generation biomass supply networks

Anaerobic bio-digestion/energy generation complexes using animal waste raw materials represent an important component of renewable energy initiatives and policies worldwide, and are significant contributors to broaden sustainability efforts. In such projects bio-power feasibility depends heavily on generation complex access to biomass which is of costly transportation. As a result, an important component of renewable energy planning is the optimization of a logistics system to guarantee low-cost access to animal waste. This access is a function of local characteristics including number and geographic location of organic waste sources, operating and maintenance costs of the generation facility, energy prices, and marginal contribution of biomass collected and delivered to the anaerobic bio-digestion unit. Because biomass exhibits high transportation costs per unit of energy ultimately generated, and because different types of biomass have different biogas-generating properties, design of the supply logistics system can be the determinant factor towards economic viability of energy generation from an anaerobic bio-digestion plant. Indeed, to address this problem it is helpful to consider the farms, the logistics system, the anaerobic bio-digestion plant, and the generation plant as subsystems in an integrated system. Additionally, the existence of an outlet for manure may allow farmers to significantly raise boundaries of one constraint they face, namely disposing of animal waste, therefore permitting increases in farm production capacity. This paper suggests and outlines a systematic methodology to address the design of such systems.

Characterization of biomasses in the southern Italy regions for their use in thermal processes

The attention regarding bioenergy sources, such as biomass, as an alternative to fossil fuels has increased tremendously over the past few years consequently to the problems related to global warming.For the using of biomass as fuel is very important the basic knowledge of its physical–chemical properties for the using of the sustainable resource.The identification of biomasses in terms of both quantification and characterization of the chemical composition of biomass is a fundamental step for the use of this fuel for energy purposes. There are many differences between the various types of biomass; firstly, the moisture, the chemical composition and in particular that of the ashes, and the content of inorganic substances.The elements mainly present in biomass, in decreasing order of abundance are: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, sulfur, iron, potassium, chloride, sodium and manganese. In addition, compared to coal, the chemical composition of biomass is significantly different, in particular the biomasses are highly enriched in hydrogen, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, sodium and magnesium, as well as in terms of moisture and volatile substances compared to coal, while result with a lower ash content, iron, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and silicon.The purpose of this work is the quantification and characterization of different types of biomass found in the regions of the southern Italy with similar soil and same climatic conditions, at the end of their use in mixtures in an optical of build several ultrashort bioenergetical chains. Experimental results have shown that the heavy metal content is significantly lower in the fly ash than the bottom ash, and therefore, their mixture may be used as a soil improver to maintain the cycle of nutrients in soils.

Hot treatment and upgrading of syngas obtained by co-gasification of coal and wastes

Nowadays there is a great interest in producing energy through co-gasification of low grade coals and waste blends to increase the use of alternative feedstocks with low prices. The experimental results showed that the viability of co-gasification to process such blends and that by the right manipulation of coal and biomass or waste blends, syngas treatment and upgrading may be simplified and the cost of the overall process may be reduced. Blends of three different coal grades (sub-bituminous coal from Puertollano mines, South African bituminous coal and German brown coal) with two different types of biomass (pine and olive oil bagasse) or polyethylene (PE) were co-gasified. Blend co-gasification showed to be beneficial to reduce the negative characteristics of some coals, such as the high ash and sulphur contents, especially of Puertollano coal. Syngas obtained by these blends was hot cleaned and undesirable syngas components (tar, NH3 and H2S) were measured along the hot treatment tested, which proved to be suitable to treat syngas produced by a wide range of feedstocks. Different routes for syngas cleaning were analysed to reduce unsuitable components to values required by most common end-uses. The results obtained showed that the type of feedstock to be gasified is a key outcome on initial syngas composition, affecting greatly syngas cleaning needs, its application and the economic viability of the overall process.

Integrating physicochemical information to follow the transformations of biomass upon torrefaction and low-temperature carbonization

Morphological and structural changes of different types of biomass after torrefaction and low-temperature carbonization processes have been investigated using a variety of characterization techniques comprising Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas adsorption at different pressures, thermogravimetry, optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques together with chemical analysis. The biomasses selected included softwood chips (pine), hardwood chips (acacia, eucalyptus, forest residues from eucalyptus) and olive stone. Torrefaction led to the enrichment of carbon and a decrease in reactivity, accompanied by a decrease in the hydrogen- and oxygen-bearing functionalities and a slight increase in aromatization. This was physically reflected in cell-wall shrinkage, resulting in a brittle, well-defined vegetal structure with moderate microporosity, in which slight increase in cell-wall reflectance and significant decrease in fluorescence have been produced. Carbonization at 450°C in turn led to a further loss of oxygen functionalities and a large increase in aromaticity, reflecting the virtual disappearance of hemicellulose and cellulose. This caused a significant increase in optical reflectance, loss of fluorescence and development of both meso- and microporosity generating an isotropic solid with a disordered structure similar to that of industrial charcoal. The microscopy techniques also showed the heterogeneity of the treated samples in terms of reflectance distribution or fluorescence properties, which cannot be assessed by bulk characterization techniques. They indicated a greater heterogeneity in the sample treated at torrefaction temperatures. The different characterization techniques have revealed minor differences between hardwood and softwood behavior, essentially attributed to resinous impregnations in the latter, whereas greater differences were observed between woods and olive stone due to significant differences in their internal and external structure.

Where to dispose of urban green waste? Transportation planning for the maintenance of public green spaces

Urban green spaces provide various social and environmental benefits that strongly improve the quality of life in a city. Municipalities are responsible for maintaining their green spaces in order to preserve these potentials. This paper supports municipalities in planning the transportation and disposal logistics of the green waste that is produced by the maintenance activities. The approach combines ecological issues like the seasonality of green waste generation and different types of biomass with economically driven decision making. We show how to determine cost efficient transportation plans for the disposal logistics and how to capture the seasonality of green waste generation when booking capacities at disposal facilities. It is also shown how a municipality can select the disposal facilities to cooperate with in a competitive environment where facilities offer capacities at differing conditions, as is the case for disposal sites that dump the green waste and for conversion plants that use the biomass for producing renewable energy. We illustrate the approach using case data of a major city in Germany.

Primary Study of Woody Biomass and Coal for Energy Production Investigated by TGA-FTIR Analysis

The purpose of this study was to determine the pyrolysis characteristics and gas properties of woody biomass and coal. The main gases from the pyrolysis of biomass, coal, and mixtures of different ratios of the two were identified using TGA-FTIR. The evolution of gases and their characteristics were investigated in real time. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the biomass sources decomposed easily and that most of their weight was lost under lower temperatures than those of coal. TGA-FTIR analysis indicated that H2, CO2, CH4, and CO were the dominant gases released during the pyrolysis of biomass and mixtures. The results indicated that woody biomass could enhance coal pyrolysis or gasification and different types of biomass could have different influences on the thermal behavior of coal.

Use of plastic waste as a fuel in the co-pyrolysis of biomass. Part I: The effect of the addition of plastic waste on the process and products

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using polypropylene, a common polymer used in the polymer industry, in the co-pyrolysis of two types of biomass. This study is crucial because different types of biomass exhibit different behaviours, which are mainly influenced by the chemical composition of the material (amount of cellulose, lignocellulose and hemicellulose). In our previous study, polymer addition to biomass led to synergistic effects, as determined by variations in the amounts of products obtained from the co-pyrolysis of biomass and polypropene relative to those obtained from the pyrolysis of pure biomass or polypropylene. In this work, the effects of using polymer material as an additional eco-fuel on the thermal conversion process are discussed. The addition of polypropylene reduces the amount of heat energy needed in the thermal conversion of biomass.

Evaluation of the production potential of bio-oil from Vietnamese biomass resources by fast pyrolysis

Agricultural activities in Vietnam generate about 62 million tonnes of biomass (rice straw, rice husk, bagasse, corn cob, corn stover, etc.) annually. In this work, four different types of biomass from Vietnam, namely rice straw, rice husk, factory bagasse, and corn cob, have been studied as potential raw materials to produce bio-oil by fast pyrolysis technology. Test runs were conducted in a fluidized-bed reactor at a temperature of 500 °C and residence time less than 2 s. Size and moisture content of the feed were less than 2 mm and 2%, respectively. It was found that yields of bio-oil as a liquid product obtained from pyrolysis of these feedstocks were more than 50% and that obtained from the bagasse was the highest. Bio-oil quality from Vietnamese biomass resources satisfies ASTM D7544-12 standard for pyrolysis liquid biofuels. These results showed the potential of using biomass in Vietnam to produce bio-oil which could be directly used as a combustion fuel or upgraded into transportation fuels and chemicals.

Comparative study of indoor air pollution using traditional and improved cooking stoves in rural households of Northern India

A major fraction of the rural population of India still burns biomass for domestic cooking and heating. Biomass materials such as wood, dung cakes and crop residues are burnt to produce energy for cooking. These are major sources of aerosol and gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere. Indoor measurements of gaseous species and chemical characteristics of aerosols contributed by burning biomass in traditional cooking stoves (TCS) vs. improved cooking stoves (ICS) are reported in this paper. Samples were collected from a village called Khairatpur, located in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh state. The concentrations of aerosol components and gases in the indoor air during the operation of ICS were found to be lower as compared to TCS. On an average, total concentrations of major ions were lower by 32% during ICS operation. The most significant difference was observed for SO42− aerosols (lower by 47%). Among SOx, NOx and NH3 gases, SOx showed maximum reduction (lower by 55%). Estimates of consumption of different types of biomasses showed that 621t biomass is burnt annually by the villagers during cooking with TCS as compared to 365t during ICS cooking. A social survey in the form of a questionnaire revealed that most of the women in the village of this study found ICS better than the TCS in terms of handling, reduced emissions, easier cooking and time & fuel efficiency.

Spatial competition for biogas production using insights from retail location models

Biogas production is an important contemporary topic within agriculture as well as bioenergy production, both from an industrial and an academic point of view. The Danish biogas sector, which has been around for many years, is still struggling to establish itself as an economically viable energy production sector. Through a two-step approach by combining a location-allocation model with a production constrained spatial interaction model, this paper addresses the dual problem of determining optimal location and production capacity. What-if scenarios, in combination with the strategic economic analysis framework developed in this paper, facilitate the analysis and discussion of how national policies can be fulfilled.The capacity expansion of the Danish biogas sector should be centred on large-scale biogas production since large biogas plants are found to have 16% lower transportation costs than small biogas plants. Consequently, this minimizes the single most important production cost factor, transportation.The developed framework can be used and further developed in an analysis of how the spatial availability of, and competition for, different types of biomass can supplement each other in the development towards a bio-based economy.

Pyrolysis behaviors of various biomasses

Thermal behavior of different types of biomass, namely forestry – Eucalyptus globulus sawdust, Norway spruce (Picea abies) thermo mechanical pulp; agricultural – energy grass, Brassica rapa, and by-products – pine cones, grape seeds, was evaluated by thermogravimetry and by analytical pyrolysis. The liquid products from pyrolysis were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass selective detector, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The elemental analysis and the calorific values of the pyrolysis residues were investigated. It has been established that the pyrolysis products consisted mainly of carboxylic acids, ketones, furans, phenols, guaiacols, catechols, and their derivatives, resulting from the degradation of the main structural components of biomass. The distribution of compounds in oils was strongly depended on biomass source, differences in the pyrolysis behavior among the biomass samples being found.

Production and Quality Assessment of Glucose Syrup from Selected Biomass Sources

Aims: Studies were conducted on the production and quality evaluation of glucose syrup from three different types of biomass: Eucalyptus sawdust (soft wood), Mahogany sawdust (hard wood), and Rice husk. Study Design: A 3x1x1x3 Factorial design was used. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria, between October 2009 and October 2013. Methodology: The biomass samples, after thorough cleaning, were pretreated with 1% Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution and then hydrolyzed with 5% Hydrogen tetraoxosulphate six (H2SO4) in an autoclave at 120C for 30 min. The extract was filtered to obtain clear glucose solutions, which were evaluated for some physico – chemical and nutritional properties using standard methods of analysis. Results: There were significant differences (P = .05) in the yield and glucose content of the syrups, with values ranging from 59.33% to 70.40% and 21.63% to 25.20% respectively, with Eucalyptus sawdust having the least value and Rice husk the highest. There were also significant differences (P = .05) in the nutritional properties with values ranging from 1.60% to 2.01% (crude fat), 2.40% to 3.01% (ash), 4.50% to 5.08% (crude Original Research Article British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 4(6): 892-904, 2014 893 protein), 81.57% to 87.99% (moisture content), and 3.11% to 9.60% (carbohydrate). Rice husk had the highest moisture, protein and carbohydrate contents, while soft wood had the highest fat and ash contents. Mineral and heavy metal content also showed a similar trend. Toxicant content also differed significantly (P = .05) in the different biomass samples with soft wood and rice husk giving higher and lower values respectively. Conclusion: Biomass therefore has the potential of being converted to useful products such as glucose syrup. Rice husk produced the best quality glucose with higher yield, followed by soft wood and hard wood in that order.

Effect of Biochar on the Abundance of Soil Bacteria

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of biochar on the abundance of soil bacteria and compare it with the source biomass. Seven different treatments and a control were used in the experimental set-up. Three different types of biomass were selected and three types of biochar were produced from them. Both the materials were applied to the soil at a rate of 5t/ha. All treatments were incubated for 30, 60 and 90 days. Cultural, microscopic and biochemical tests were carried out to identify the bacterial isolates in soils treated with biochar and its source biomass. Bacterial isolates identified in soil and in some of the biomasses before treatments were applied include Bacillus badius, Bacillus krulwichiae, Bacillus siralis, Bacillus sylvestris, Bacillus flexus, Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus and Bacillus thuringiensis while after incubation periods, seven new isolates were identified. This was true for the biomass treated soils where additional one to two isolates reappeared. Conversely, in the biochar treated soils, most of the isolates disappeared except Bacillus badius that survived in all soils till 90 days. Because of its tolerant nature, it was further investigated for cellulase enzyme activity. Interestingly, the isolate did not show any such activity. Conclusively, biochar application may exert negative effect on the distribution and proliferation of soil bacteria with possible effect on soil quality and crop production.

Effects of Biochar on the Abundance of Three Agriculturally Important Soil Bacteria

An in vitro study was conducted to make a comparative study of biochar and biomass on soil bacteria. The responses of three agriculturally important bacteria viz., Bradyrhizobium, Sulphate reducing and Iron oxidizing bacteria, were studied. Total viable counts were also made. Three different types of biomasses viz., rice husk, rice straw and saw dust, and biochars produced thereof were used for the study. The biomasses or biochars were applied to the soil at a rate of 5 t/ha. The study included seven different treatments of biomasses and corresponding biochars including a control. Total counts were made on the original materials as well as on the treated soils at 30, 60 and 90 days of incubation. Bacterial count was higher in all the biomass treated soils than the corresponding biochar treated ones including control. Although the presence of Bradyrhizobium, sulphate reducing and iron oxidizing bacteria were not noted in the fresh soils, their presence, however, was noted after incubation periods. The counts of all three bacteria are however lower in the biochar treated soils than the corresponding biomass treated soils. The paper discusses about the microbial soil health vis-à-vis biochar application, indicating that the materials exert negative effect on the soil microbial population and thereby likely to jeopardize soil health and crop production.

Slagging and Fouling during Coal and Biomass Cofiring: Chemical Equilibrium Model Applied to FBC

A thermodynamic model was applied to foresee the occurrence of fouling, slagging, and bed agglomeration phenomena during fluidized bed monocombustion of three different types of biomass, namely straw pellets, olive cake, and wood pellets. The cocombustion effect in reducing the occurrence of deposits and agglomerates of blends of 5, 15, and 25% (wt.) biomass with coal was also assessed. Chemical fractionation was applied to evaluate the reactive and nonreactive fraction of elements in the fuels, which was used to estimate their partition between the freeboard and bottom zone of the boiler. Qualitative and semiquantitative analytical techniques, namely, X-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy – energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to compare the results from the simulation with the mineralogical and morphological composition of ash and deposits formed during combustion. The thermodynamic modeling revealed to be a powerful tool in foreseeing the formation of melt and liquids salts, dependin...

Rapeseed pellet - a byproduct of biodiesel production - as an excellent renewable energy source / Wytłoki rzepakowe - produkt uboczny w produkcji biodiesla - jako doskonałe źródło energii odnawialnej

Abstract 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.

Inhibition of biomass activity in the via nitrite nitrogen removal processes by veterinary pharmaceuticals

The inhibitory effect of two veterinary pharmaceuticals was studied for different types of biomass involved in via nitrite nitrogen removal processes. Batch tests were conducted to determine the inhibition level of acetaminophen (PAR) and doxycycline (DOX) on the activity of short-cut nitrifying, denitrifying and anoxic ammonium oxidation (anammox) biomass and phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs). All biomass types were affected by PAR and DOX, with anammox being the most sensitive bacteria. DOX inhibited more the biomass treating high strength nitrogenous effluents (HSNE) than low strength nitrogenous effluents (LSNE). The phosphorus uptake inhibition under anoxic conditions was lower than 25% in the presence of PAR up to 400 mg L(-1). The same DOX concentration inhibited anoxic phosphorus uptake more than 65% for biomass treating LSNE and HSNE. Heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria seem to be more robust at high DOX and PAR concentrations than anammox. Both veterinary products inactivated ammonium oxidizing, Accumulibacter phosphatis and denitrifying bacteria.

Gasification improvement of a poor quality solid recovered fuel (SRF). Effect of using natural minerals and biomass wastes blends

The need to produce energy from poor quality carbonaceous materials has increased, in order to reduce European dependency on imported fuels, diversify the use of new and alternative fuels and to guarantee secure energy production routes. The valorisation of a poor quality solid residual fuel (SRF), with high content of ash and volatile matter, through its conversion into fuel gas was studied. The rise of gasification temperature and equivalent ratio (ER) led to higher gas yields and to lower undesirable gaseous components, though higher ER values led to a gas with lower energetic content. To reduce the negative effect of SRF unfavourable characteristics and to diversify the feedstocks used, SRF blended with three different types of biomass wastes: forestry pine, almond shells and olive bagasse was co-gasified. The use of biomass wastes tested was valuable for SRF gasification, as there was an increase in the overall reactivity and in H2 production and a reduction of about 55% in tar released, without great changes in gas yield and in its HHV. The use of natural minerals mixed with silica sand was also studied with the aim of improving SRF gasification performance and fuel gas quality. The best results were obtained in presence of dolomite, as the lowest tar and H2S contents were obtained, while an increase in gas yield was observed. Co-gasification of this poor quality SRF blended with biomass wastes in presence of dolomite increased gas yield by 25% while tar contents decreased by 55%.