Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - December 2016

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-12-01

Solid biomass consumption, primarily wood energy, is still largely governed by heating requirements which are climate-dependent. The main factor for the European rebound in solid biomass consumption as primary energy during the winter of 2015 is that it was not as mild across the continent as the previous winter. Leaving aside climatic variations, the use of solid biomass for producing heat or electricity has tended to increase in the European Union, spurred on by European support policies. A new consumption record of 93.8 Mtoe was posted in 2015... a rise of 3.8 Mtoe over 2014

Solid biomass barometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

The economic and financial crisis has not brought solid biomass energy growth to a standstill. Primary energy production in the European Union member states increased in 2008 by 2,3%, which represents a gain of 1,5% million tonnes of oil equivalent over 2007. This growth was particularly marked in electricity production which increased output by 10,8% over 2007, an additional 5,6 TWh. (A.L.B.)

Pollutants generated by the combustion of solid biomass fuels

CERN Document Server

Jones, Jenny M; Ma, Lin; Williams, Alan; Pourkashanian, Mohamed

2014-01-01

This book considers the pollutants formed by the combustion of solid biomass fuels. The availability and potential use of solid biofuels is first discussed because this is the key to the development of biomass as a source of energy.This is followed by details of the methods used for characterisation of biomass and their classification.The various steps in the combustion mechanisms are given together with a compilation of the kinetic data. The chemical mechanisms for the formation of the pollutants: NOx, smoke and unburned hydrocarbons, SOx, Cl compounds, and particulate metal aerosols

Experience with a biomass-fuelled power plant in Peru. Peru kokunai no biomass nenryoka no hatsuden plant no keiken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-11-01

This paper describes the result of operating a 25-kW biomass-fuelled power plant for 500 hours installed for people in a small village in jungle along the Amazon basin in Peru. The gasifier plant consists of two invert type gas combustors combined with series cyclone dryer filters. Filtration used activated carbons and cotton cloths. The fuel for the plant is wood chips containing water at 5.5% to 11% with calorific power of 20 mJ/kg, consumed at 2.0 kg of lumber per kWh (25 kWh). A gas analysis showed values of CO2 at 13%, CO at 14%, H2 at 18%, CH4 at 3%, and N2 at 52%. Because the fuel of wood chips may cause problems if the size is too large, a size of about 10[times]20[times]30 mm was selected finally. Pressure drop in the gas purifying system was measured using a manometer, which verified that a textile filtering material can be used. The gasoline engine rotation was fixed at 2700 rpm upon discussions. The gasoline engine had no need of modification except at a pipe to the carburetor. This system can be installed at any small village. 1 ref., 1 fig.

Gaseous emissions during concurrent combustion of biomass and non-recyclable municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Laryea-Goldsmith, René; Oakey, John; Simms, Nigel J

2011-02-01

Biomass and municipal solid waste offer sustainable sources of energy; for example to meet heat and electricity demand in the form of combined cooling, heat and power. Combustion of biomass has a lesser impact than solid fossil fuels (e.g. coal) upon gas pollutant emissions, whilst energy recovery from municipal solid waste is a beneficial component of an integrated, sustainable waste management programme. Concurrent combustion of these fuels using a fluidised bed combustor may be a successful method of overcoming some of the disadvantages of biomass (high fuel supply and distribution costs, combustion characteristics) and characteristics of municipal solid waste (heterogeneous content, conflict with materials recycling). It should be considered that combustion of municipal solid waste may be a financially attractive disposal route if a 'gate fee' value exists for accepting waste for combustion, which will reduce the net cost of utilising relatively more expensive biomass fuels. Emissions of nitrogen monoxide and sulphur dioxide for combustion of biomass are suppressed after substitution of biomass for municipal solid waste materials as the input fuel mixture. Interactions between these and other pollutants such as hydrogen chloride, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide indicate complex, competing reactions occur between intermediates of these compounds to determine final resultant emissions. Fluidised bed concurrent combustion is an appropriate technique to exploit biomass and municipal solid waste resources, without the use of fossil fuels. The addition of municipal solid waste to biomass combustion has the effect of reducing emissions of some gaseous pollutants.

Gaseous emissions during concurrent combustion of biomass and non-recyclable municipal solid waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oakey John

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biomass and municipal solid waste offer sustainable sources of energy; for example to meet heat and electricity demand in the form of combined cooling, heat and power. Combustion of biomass has a lesser impact than solid fossil fuels (e.g. coal upon gas pollutant emissions, whilst energy recovery from municipal solid waste is a beneficial component of an integrated, sustainable waste management programme. Concurrent combustion of these fuels using a fluidised bed combustor may be a successful method of overcoming some of the disadvantages of biomass (high fuel supply and distribution costs, combustion characteristics and characteristics of municipal solid waste (heterogeneous content, conflict with materials recycling. It should be considered that combustion of municipal solid waste may be a financially attractive disposal route if a 'gate fee' value exists for accepting waste for combustion, which will reduce the net cost of utilising relatively more expensive biomass fuels. Results Emissions of nitrogen monoxide and sulphur dioxide for combustion of biomass are suppressed after substitution of biomass for municipal solid waste materials as the input fuel mixture. Interactions between these and other pollutants such as hydrogen chloride, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide indicate complex, competing reactions occur between intermediates of these compounds to determine final resultant emissions. Conclusions Fluidised bed concurrent combustion is an appropriate technique to exploit biomass and municipal solid waste resources, without the use of fossil fuels. The addition of municipal solid waste to biomass combustion has the effect of reducing emissions of some gaseous pollutants.

Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - November 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-11-01

solid biomass leaves the other renewable energy sources standing in terms of use and potential. Primary energy output from solid biomass combustion rose in 2009 yet again to a new height of 72.8 Mtoe, which equates to a 3.6% increase on 2008. The reason for this exploit, which prevailed over the tight economic context, is the resolve made by many countries to rely on this energy to achieve their European electricity or heat production target levels

Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - January 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

Consumption of solid biomass in the European Union increased once again in 2013, this time by 2.9 Mtoe year-on-year to 91.5 Mtoe. However there was no straight-out trend as the increase in demand for solid biomass energy was particularly sharp in France and the UK and to a lesser degree in Spain and in Italy - in deep contrast with the needs of a number of major wood-energy consumers, such as Sweden and Poland, whose consumption slipped

Biomass-powered Solid Oxide Fuel Cells : Experimental and Modeling Studies for System Integrations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, M.

2013-01-01

Biomass is a sustainable energy source which, through thermo-chemical processes of biomass gasification, is able to be converted from a solid biomass fuel into a gas mixture, known as syngas or biosyngas. A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a power generation device that directly converts the chemical

Biomass programme: Overview of the 2006 Swiss research programme; Programm Biomasse. Ueberblicksbericht zum Forschungsprogramm 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Binggeli, D.; Guggisberg, B.

2007-07-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) reviews work done within the framework of the Swiss biomass research programme in 2006. The programme concentrates on the efficient conversion of biomass into heat, electrical power and motor fuels. Projects concerned with the optimisation of processes are reported on, including low-particle-emission systems, control systems for bivalent heating installations, use of demanding biomass fuels, combined pellets and solar heating systems and the elimination of ammonia emissions. In the material flow area, measurement campaigns, organic pollutants in compost, the effects of fermented wastes in agriculture and methane losses in biogas conditioning are reported on. New conversion technologies are reviewed, including hydro-thermal gasification, plant-oil fuelled combined heat and power units, flameless burners and catalytic direct liquefaction. In the area of basics, studies and concepts, eco-balances and life-cycle analyses are reported on; the production of synthetic natural gas and the influence of combustion particles are discussed and decentralised power generation from solid biomass is reported on. National and international co-operation is reviewed. The report is concluded with a review of eight pilot and demonstration projects, a review of work to be done in 2007 and a list of research and demonstration projects.

Catalytic conversion of nonfood woody biomass solids to organic liquids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barta, Katalin; Ford, Peter C

CONSPECTUS: This Account outlines recent efforts in our laboratories addressing a fundamental challenge of sustainability chemistry, the effective utilization of biomass for production of chemicals and fuels. Efficient methods for converting renewable biomass solids to chemicals and liquid fuels

Laboratory-scale method for enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass at high-solids loadings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dibble Clare J

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Screening new lignocellulosic biomass pretreatments and advanced enzyme systems at process relevant conditions is a key factor in the development of economically viable lignocellulosic ethanol. Shake flasks, the reaction vessel commonly used for screening enzymatic saccharifications of cellulosic biomass, do not provide adequate mixing at high-solids concentrations when shaking is not supplemented with hand mixing. Results We identified roller bottle reactors (RBRs as laboratory-scale reaction vessels that can provide adequate mixing for enzymatic saccharifications at high-solids biomass loadings without any additional hand mixing. Using the RBRs, we developed a method for screening both pretreated biomass and enzyme systems at process-relevant conditions. RBRs were shown to be scalable between 125 mL and 2 L. Results from enzymatic saccharifications of five biomass pretreatments of different severities and two enzyme preparations suggest that this system will work well for a variety of biomass substrates and enzyme systems. A study of intermittent mixing regimes suggests that mass transfer limitations of enzymatic saccharifications at high-solids loadings are significant but can be mitigated with a relatively low amount of mixing input. Conclusion Effective initial mixing to promote good enzyme distribution and continued, but not necessarily continuous, mixing is necessary in order to facilitate high biomass conversion rates. The simplicity and robustness of the bench-scale RBR system, combined with its ability to accommodate numerous reaction vessels, will be useful in screening new biomass pretreatments and advanced enzyme systems at high-solids loadings.

Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - December 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-12-01

Primary energy production from solid biomass is back on the road to growth, which according to EurObserv'ER stood at about 5.4% between 2011 and 2012. Output rose to 82.3 million tons of oil equivalent, which is a 4.2 Mtoe improvement on 2011, whose exceptionally mild winter put paid to the sector's uninterrupted rise since 1999. This growth was enjoyed by all the solid biomass energy application sectors. Heat sales to heating networks increased 12.9% to 7.9 Mtoe in 2012 while electricity production, boosted by coal-fired power station conversions, gained 7.8% to produce 79.5 TWh

Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - November 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-11-01

The european Union Member states' political resolve to develop the energy potential of solid biomass has started to pay off, as in 2010 there were clear signs that growth of primary energy production had quickened pace. The output figure rose to 79.3 Mtoe in 2010, which is 8% up on 2009 and deserves comparison with the previous year's 4% rise (from 70.6 Mtoe in 2008). The trend, which was driven deeper by Europe's particularly cold winter of 2009- 2010, demonstrates that the economic downturn failed to scuttle the Member states' efforts to structure the solid biomass sector

Clean fossil-fuelled power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, Tony

2008-01-01

Using fossil fuels is likely to remain the dominant means of producing electricity in 2030 and even 2050, partly because power stations have long lives. There are two main ways of reducing CO 2 emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants. These are carbon capture and storage (CCS), which can produce near-zero CO 2 emissions, and increases in plant efficiency, which can give rise to significant reductions in CO 2 emissions and to reduced costs. If a typical UK coal-fired plant was replaced by today's best available technology, it would lead to reductions of around 25% in emissions of CO 2 per MW h of electricity produced. Future technologies are targeting even larger reductions in emissions, as well as providing a route, with CCS, to zero emissions. These two routes are linked and they are both essential activities on the pathway to zero emissions. This paper focuses on the second route and also covers an additional third route for reducing emissions, the use of biomass. It discusses the current status of the science and technologies for fossil-fuelled power generation and outlines likely future technologies, development targets and timescales. This is followed by a description of the scientific and technological developments that are needed to meet these challenges. Once built, a power plant can last for over 40 years, so the ability to upgrade and retrofit a plant during its lifetime is important

Fuelling with flow at Bruce A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, M G [Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., Peterborough, ON (Canada)

1997-12-31

Fuelling with flow is the solution chosen by Bruce A to overcome the potential power pulse caused by a major inlet header failure. Fuelling with flow solves the problem by rearranging the core to place new fuel at the channel inlet and irradiated fuel at the channel outlet. The change has a significant impact on the Bruce A fuel handling system which was designed primarily to do on power fuelling in the against flow direction. Mechanical changes to the fuelling machine include a modification to the existing ram head and the replacement of standard fuel carriers with new fuelling with flow fuel carriers having the capability of opening the channel latch. Changes to the control system are more involved. A new set of operational sequences are required for both the upstream and downstream fuelling machines to achieve the fuel change. Steps based on sensitive ram push are added to reduce the risk of failing to close the latch at the correct position to properly support the fuel string. Changes are also required to the protective interlocks to allow fuelling with flow and reduce risk. A new fuel string supporting shield plug was designed and tested to reduce the risk of endplate cracking that could occur on the irradiated bundle that would have been supported directly by the channel latch. Some operational changes have been incorporated to accommodate this new shield plug. Considerable testing has been carried out on all aspects of fuel handling where fuelling with flow differs from the reference fuelling against flow. (author). 3 figs.

Elemental analysis of various biomass solid fractions in biorefineries by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le, Duy Michael; Sorensen, Hanne R.; Meyer, Anne S.

2017-01-01

, poplar) followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. For all the different biomasses, the biorefinery process concentrated silicon, aluminium, and calcium in the solid fraction, while potassium and magnesium were solubilised in the process and removed from the solid fraction. Sodium concentrations....... Based on ultimate elemental analysis of all biomasses, the formula for biomass was C6H8.4O3.5, which was used for all types of samples (raw biomass, pretreated biomass, and lignin residue) and can be used in future XRF analysis of samples of similar process and biomass feedstock as those used...

Feasibility of a Dual-Fuel Engine Fuelled with Waste Vegetable Oil and Municipal Organic Fraction for Power Generation in Urban Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. De Simio

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Biomass, in form of residues and waste, can be used to produce energy with low environmental impact. It is important to use the feedstock close to the places where waste are available, and with the shortest conversion pathway, to maximize the process efficiency. In particular waste vegetable oil and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste represent a good source for fuel production in urban areas. Dual fuel engines could be taken into consideration for an efficient management of these wastes. In fact, the dual fuel technology can achieve overall efficiencies typical of diesel engines with a cleaner exhaust emission. In this paper the feasibility of a cogeneration system fuelled with waste vegetable oil and biogas is discussed and the evaluation of performance and emissions is reported on the base of experimental activities on dual fuel heavy duty engine in comparison with diesel and spark ignition engines. The ratio of biogas potential from MSW and biodiesel potential from waste vegetable oil was estimated and it results suitable for dual fuel fuelling. An electric power installation of 70 kW every 10,000 people could be achieved.

A Model of the Effect of the Microbial Biomass on the Isotherm of the Fermenting Solids in Solid-State Fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Celuppi Marques

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We compare isotherms for soybeans and soybeans fermented with Rhizopus oryzae, showing that in solid-state fermentation the biomass affects the isotherm of the fermenting solids. Equations are developed to calculate, for a given overall water content of the fermenting solids, the water contents of the biomass and residual substrate, as well as the water activity. A case study, undertaken using a mathematical model of a well-mixed bioreactor, shows that if water additions are made on the basis of the assumption that fermenting solids have the same isotherm as the substrate itself, poor growth can result since the added water does not maintain the water activity at levels favorable for growth. We conclude that the effect of the microbial biomass on the isotherm of the fermenting solids must be taken into account in mathematical models of solid-state fermentation bioreactors.

The UK biomass industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billins, P.

1998-01-01

A brief review is given of the development of the biomass industry in the UK. Topics covered include poultry litter generation of electricity, gasification plants fuelled by short-rotation coppice, on-farm anaerobic digestion and specialized combustion systems, e.g. straw, wood and other agricultural wastes. (UK)

Torrefaction study for energy upgrading on Indonesian biomass as low emission solid fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Alamsyah, R.; Siregar, N. C.; Hasanah, F.

2017-05-01

Torrefaction is a pyrolysis process with low heating rate and temperature lower than 300°C in an inert condition which transforms biomass into a low emission solid fuel with relatively high energy. Through the torrefaction process biomass can be altered so that the end product is easy to grind and simple in the supply chain. The research was aimed at designing torrefaction reactor and upgrading energy content of some Indonesian biomass. The biomass used consist of empty fruit bunches of oil palm (EFB), cassava peel solid waste, and cocopeat (waste of coconut fiber). These biomass were formed into briquette and pellet form and were torrified with 300°C temperature during 1.5 hours without air. The results of terrified biomass and non-torrefied biomass were compared after burning on the stove in term of energy content and air emission quality. The result shows that energy content of biomass have increased by 1.1 up to 1.36 times. Meanwhile emission air resulted from its combustion was met with Indonesian emission regulation.

CANDU 9 fuelling machine carriage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ullrich, D J; Slavik, J F [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

1997-12-31

Continuous, on-power refuelling is a key feature of all CANDU reactor designs and is essential to maintaining high station capacity factors. The concept of a fuelling machine carriage can be traced to the early CANDU designs, such as the Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station. In the CANDU 9 480NU unit, the combination of a mobile carriage and a proven fuelling machine head design comprises an effective means of transporting fuel between the reactor and the fuel transfer ports. It is a suitable alternative to the fuelling machine bridge system that has been utilized in the CANDU 6 reactor units. The CANDU 9 480NU fuel handling system successfully combines features that meet the project requirements with respect to fuelling performance, functionality, seismic qualification and the use of proven components. The design incorporates improvements based on experience and applicable current technologies. (author). 4 figs.

CANDU 9 fuelling machine carriage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullrich, D.J.; Slavik, J.F.

1996-01-01

Continuous, on-power refuelling is a key feature of all CANDU reactor designs and is essential to maintaining high station capacity factors. The concept of a fuelling machine carriage can be traced to the early CANDU designs, such as the Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station. In the CANDU 9 480NU unit, the combination of a mobile carriage and a proven fuelling machine head design comprises an effective means of transporting fuel between the reactor and the fuel transfer ports. It is a suitable alternative to the fuelling machine bridge system that has been utilized in the CANDU 6 reactor units. The CANDU 9 480NU fuel handling system successfully combines features that meet the project requirements with respect to fuelling performance, functionality, seismic qualification and the use of proven components. The design incorporates improvements based on experience and applicable current technologies. (author). 4 figs

Biomass for energy. Danish solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-06-01

Information is given on a number of typical and recently established plants of all types and sizes, for converting the main Danish biomass resources (manures, straw and wood derived from agricultural activities and forestry)into energy. Danish biomass resources and energy and environmental policies are described. In Denmark there is a very wide range of technologies for converting biomass into energy, and these are clarified. In addition, performance data from a number of plants fuelled with biomass fuels are presented. The course of further developments within this field is suggested. The text is illustrated with a considerable number of coloured photographs and also with graphs and diagrams. (ARW)

Development of a Wood Powder Fuelled 35 kW Stirling CHP Unit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pålsson, M.; Carlsen, Henrik

2003-01-01

For biomass fuelled CHP in sizes below 100 kW, Stirling engines are the only feasible alternative today. Using wood powder as fuel, the Stirling engine can be heated directly by the flame like when using a gaseous or liquid fuel burner. However, the combustion chamber will have to be much larger...... recirculation (CGR) a smaller air preheater can be used, while system efficiency will increase compared with using excess air for flame cooling. In a three-year project, a wood powder fuelled Stirling engine CHP unit will be developed and run in field test. The project will use the double-acting four......-cylinder Stirling engine SM3D with an electric output of 35 kW. This engine is a further development of the engine SM3B that has been developed at the Technical University of Denmark. The engine heater is being adapted for use with wood powder as fuel. During a two-year period a combustion system for this engine...

Considerations on the DEMO pellet fuelling system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lang, P.T., E-mail: peter.lang@ipp.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Day, Ch. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Fable, E. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Igitkhanov, Y. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Köchl, F. [Association EURATOM-Ö AW/ATI, Atominstitut, TU Wien, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Mooney, R. [Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Pegourie, B. [CEA, IRFM, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Ploeckl, B. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Wenninger, R. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); EFDA, Garching (Germany); Zohm, H. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Considerations are made for a core particle fuelling system covering all DEMO requirements. • Particle deposition beyond the pedestal top is needed to achieve efficient fuelling. • Conventional pellet technology enabling launching from the torus inboard side can be used. • Efforts have been taken for integrating a suitable pellet guiding system into the EU DEMO model. • In addition, further techniques bearing potential for advanced fuelling performance are considered. - Abstract: The Demonstration Fusion Power Reactor DEMO is the step foreseen to bridge the gap between ITER and the first commercial fusion power plant. One key element in the European work plan for DEMO is the elaboration of a conceptual design for a suitable core particle fuelling system. First considerations for such a system are presented in this contribution. Following the well-considered ITER solution, most analysis performed in this study assumes conventional pellet technology will be used for the fuelling system. However, taking advantage of the less compressed time frame for the DEMO project, several other techniques thought to bear potential for advanced fuelling performance are considered as well. In a first, basic analysis all actuation parameters at hand and their implications on the fuelling performance were considered. Tentative transport modeling of a reference scenario strongly indicates only particles deposited inside the plasma pedestal allow for efficient fuelling. Shallow edge fuelling results in an unbearable burden on the fuel cycle. Sufficiently deep particle deposition seems technically achievable, provided pellets are launched from the torus inboard at sufficient speed. All components required for a DEMO pellet system capable for high speed inboard pellet launch are already available or can be developed in due time with reasonable efforts. Furthermore, steps to integrate this solution into the EU DEMO model are taken.

Considerations on the DEMO pellet fuelling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lang, P.T.; Day, Ch.; Fable, E.; Igitkhanov, Y.; Köchl, F.; Mooney, R.; Pegourie, B.; Ploeckl, B.; Wenninger, R.; Zohm, H.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Considerations are made for a core particle fuelling system covering all DEMO requirements. • Particle deposition beyond the pedestal top is needed to achieve efficient fuelling. • Conventional pellet technology enabling launching from the torus inboard side can be used. • Efforts have been taken for integrating a suitable pellet guiding system into the EU DEMO model. • In addition, further techniques bearing potential for advanced fuelling performance are considered. - Abstract: The Demonstration Fusion Power Reactor DEMO is the step foreseen to bridge the gap between ITER and the first commercial fusion power plant. One key element in the European work plan for DEMO is the elaboration of a conceptual design for a suitable core particle fuelling system. First considerations for such a system are presented in this contribution. Following the well-considered ITER solution, most analysis performed in this study assumes conventional pellet technology will be used for the fuelling system. However, taking advantage of the less compressed time frame for the DEMO project, several other techniques thought to bear potential for advanced fuelling performance are considered as well. In a first, basic analysis all actuation parameters at hand and their implications on the fuelling performance were considered. Tentative transport modeling of a reference scenario strongly indicates only particles deposited inside the plasma pedestal allow for efficient fuelling. Shallow edge fuelling results in an unbearable burden on the fuel cycle. Sufficiently deep particle deposition seems technically achievable, provided pellets are launched from the torus inboard at sufficient speed. All components required for a DEMO pellet system capable for high speed inboard pellet launch are already available or can be developed in due time with reasonable efforts. Furthermore, steps to integrate this solution into the EU DEMO model are taken.

Study of solid chemical evolution in torrefaction of different biomasses through solid-state "1"3C cross-polarization/magic angle spinning NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and TGA (thermogravimetric analysis)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Alonso, Elvira; Dupont, Capucine; Heux, Laurent; Da Silva Perez, Denilson; Commandre, Jean-Michel; Gourdon, Christophe

2016-01-01

The objective of this work is to compare mass loss and chemical evolution of the solid phase, versus time, during dynamic torrefaction of different types of biomass. For this purpose, two experiments, ThermoGravimetric Analysis and solid-state "1"3C Cross-Polarization/Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, were run on four representative biomasses. Overall mass loss and chemical evolution of the solid phase were followed, respectively, as a function of temperature and time. Thanks to this coupled information, it was shown that the knowledge of both solid mass loss and chemical evolution is necessary to characterize torrefaction severity. Moreover, biomasses containing higher proportions of xylan lost mass faster than those containing lower proportions. Lignin showed a protecting role towards cellulose, which would lead to a faster degradation of non-woody biomasses in comparison with woody biomasses. Three parameters would have an influence on solid chemical evolution during torrefaction: xylan content in hemicellulose, lignin content in biomass, and cellulose crystallinity. - Highlights: • Torrefaction of four biomasses was studied with TGA and solid-state NMR. • Both solid mass loss and chemical evolution characterize torrefaction severity. • Biomasses containing a higher proportion of xylan lose mass faster. • Lignin shows a stronger protecting role in degradation of woody biomasses. • Xylan, lignin and crystalline cellulose values influence solid chemical evolution.

Solid state fermentation (SSF): diversity of applications to valorize waste and biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Lizardi-Jiménez, M A; Hernández-Martínez, R

2017-05-01

Solid state fermentation is currently used in a range of applications including classical applications, such as enzyme or antibiotic production, recently developed products, such as bioactive compounds and organic acids, new trends regarding bioethanol and biodiesel as sources of alternative energy, and biosurfactant molecules with environmental purposes of valorising unexploited biomass. This work summarizes the diversity of applications of solid state fermentation to valorize biomass regarding alternative energy and environmental purposes. The success of applying solid state fermentation to a specific process is affected by the nature of specific microorganisms and substrates. An exhaustive number of microorganisms able to grow in a solid matrix are presented, including fungus such as Aspergillus or Penicillum for antibiotics, Rhizopus for bioactive compounds, Mortierella for biodiesel to bacteria, Bacillus for biosurfactant production, or yeast for bioethanol.

Transport and supply logistics of biomass fuels: Vol. 1. Supply chain options for biomass fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, J; Browne, M; Palmer, H; Hunter, A; Boyd, J

1996-10-01

The study which forms part of a wider project funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, looks at the feasibility of generating electricity from biomass-fuelled power stations. Emphasis is placed on supply availabilty and transport consideration for biomass fuels such as wood wastes from forestry, short rotation coppice products, straw, miscanthus (an energy crop) and farm animal slurries. The study details the elements of the supply chain for each fuel from harvesting to delivery at the power station. The delivered cost of each fuel, the environmental impact of the biomass fuel supply and other relevant non-technical issues are addressed. (UK)

Natural gas–biomass dual fuelled microturbines: Comparison of operating strategies in the Italian residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantaleo, Antonio M.; Camporeale, Sergio; Shah, Nilay

2014-01-01

This paper compares different operating strategies for small scale (100 kWe) combined heat and power (CHP) plants fired by natural gas and solid biomass to serve a residential energy demand. The focus is on a dual fuel micro gas turbine (MGT) cycle. Various biomass/natural gas energy input ratios are modelled, in order to assess the trade-offs between: (i) lower energy conversion efficiency and higher investment cost when increasing the biomass input rate; (ii) higher primary energy savings and revenues from feed-in tariff available for biomass electricity fed into the grid. The strategies of baseload (BL), heat driven (HD) and electricity driven (ED) plant operation are compared, for an aggregate of residential end-users in cold, average and mild climate conditions. On the basis of the results from thermodynamic assessment and simulation at partial load operation, CAPEX and OPEX estimates, and Italian energy policy scenario (incentives available for biomass electricity, on-site and high efficiency CHP), the maximum global energy efficiency, primary energy savings and investment profitability is found, as a function of biomass/natural gas ratio, plant operating strategy and energy demand typology. The thermal and electric conversion efficiency ranged respectively between 46 and 38% and 30 and 19% for the natural gas and biomass fired case studies. The IRR of the investment was highly influenced by the load/CHP thermal power ratio and by the operation mode. The availability of high heat demand levels was also a key factor, to avoid wasted cogenerated heat and maximize CHP sales revenues. BL operation presented the highest profitability because of the higher revenues from electricity sales. Climate area was another important factor, mainly in case of low load/CHP ratios. Moreover, at low load/CHP power ratio and for the BL operation mode, the dual fuel option presented the highest profitability. This is due to the lower cost of biomass fuel in comparison to natural

The case for wood-fuelled heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bent, Ewan

2001-01-01

This article looks at the wood heating industry in the UK and examines the heat market and the growth potential in the domestic, public, agricultural and commercial sectors. The current status of wood-fueled heating technology is considered, along with log and chip boilers, and the use of pellet fuel. The economics of wood-fuelled heating, the higher level of utilisation of wood-fuelled heating by utilities in northern European countries compared with the UK, and the barriers to the exploitation of wood fuelled heating are examined

Numerical modelling of biomass combustion: Solid conversion processes in a fixed bed furnace

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Md. Rezwanul; Naser, Jamal

2017-06-01

Increasing demand for energy and rising concerns over global warming has urged the use of renewable energy sources to carry a sustainable development of the world. Bio mass is a renewable energy which has become an important fuel to produce thermal energy or electricity. It is an eco-friendly source of energy as it reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Combustion of solid biomass is a complex phenomenon due to its large varieties and physical structures. Among various systems, fixed bed combustion is the most commonly used technique for thermal conversion of solid biomass. But inadequate knowledge on complex solid conversion processes has limited the development of such combustion system. Numerical modelling of this combustion system has some advantages over experimental analysis. Many important system parameters (e.g. temperature, density, solid fraction) can be estimated inside the entire domain under different working conditions. In this work, a complete numerical model is used for solid conversion processes of biomass combustion in a fixed bed furnace. The combustion system is divided in to solid and gas phase. This model includes several sub models to characterize the solid phase of the combustion with several variables. User defined subroutines are used to introduce solid phase variables in commercial CFD code. Gas phase of combustion is resolved using built-in module of CFD code. Heat transfer model is modified to predict the temperature of solid and gas phases with special radiation heat transfer solution for considering the high absorptivity of the medium. Considering all solid conversion processes the solid phase variables are evaluated. Results obtained are discussed with reference from an experimental burner.

Demonstration of Pressurizing Coal/Biomass Mixtures Using Posimetric Solids Pump Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Westendorf, Tiffany; Acharya, Harish; Cui, Zhe; Furman, Anthony; Giammattei, Mark; Rader, Jeff; Vazquez, Arturo

2012-12-31

This document is the Final Technical Report for a project supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract No. DE-FE0000507), GE Global Research, GE Energy, and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This report discusses key project accomplishments for the period beginning August 7, 2009 and ending December 31, 2012. In this project, pressurized delivery of coal/biomass mixtures using GE Posimetric* solids pump technology was achieved in pilot scale experiments. Coal/biomass mixtures containing 10-50 wt% biomass were fed against pressures of 65-450 psi. Pressure capability increased with decreasing biomass content for a given pump design, and was linked to the interaction of highly compressible coal/biomass mixtures with the pump outlet design. Biomass pretreatment specifications for particle size and moisture content were defined based on bench-scale flowability, compressibility, friction, and permeability experiments that mimic the behavior of the Posimetric pump. A preliminary economic assessment of biomass pretreatment and pump operation for coal/biomass mixtures (CBMs) was conducted.

Advanced fuelling system for ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raman, Roger [University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)], E-mail: raman@aa.washington.edu

2008-12-15

Steady-state high-performance discharges in reactors, such as the Advanced Tokamak (AT) scenarios would rely on optimized density and pressure profiles that must be maintained. This maximizes the bootstrap current fraction, reduces reactor recycling power and reduces thermal stresses. Other than a system for the balance of current drive not provided by bootstrap current drive, no other sources of input power, such as from neutral beams, are allowed. For these systems, a precision fuelling system would be the ideal way to control the fusion burn by controlling and maintaining the required pressure profile. This requires a fuelling system that is capable of depositing fuel at any radial location within the plasma while at the same time not altering the density profile to a level that degrades the required pressure profile. Present fuelling systems are incapable of meeting these requirements. An advanced fuelling system based on Compact Toroid injection has the potential to meet these needs while simultaneously providing a source of toroidal momentum input. Description of a conceptual Compact Toroid fueller for ITER is presented in conjunction with a plan for developing this much needed technology.

Production of Solid sustainable Energy Carriers from biomass by means of TORrefaction (SECTOR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witt, Janet; Bienert, Kathrin [DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnuetzige GmbH, Leipzig (Germany). Bereich Bioenergiesysteme; Zwart, Robin; Kiel, Jaap; Englisch, Martin; Wojcik, Magdalena

2012-07-01

SECTOR is a large-scale European project with a strong consortium of over 20 partners from industry and science. The project is focussed on the further development of torrefaction-based technologies for the production of solid bioenergy carriers up to pilot-plant scale and beyond, and on supporting the market introduction of torrefaction-based bioenergy carriers as a commodity renewable solid fuel. The torrefaction of biomass materials is considered to be a very promising technology for the promotion of the large-scale implementation of bioenergy. During torrefaction biomass is heated up in the absence of oxygen to a temperature of 250-320 C. By combining torrefaction with pelletisation or briquetting, biomass materials can be converted into a high-energy-density commodity solid fuel or bioenergy carrier with improved behaviour in (long-distance) transport, handling and storage, and also with superior properties in many major end-use applications. Torrefaction has the potential to provide a significant contribution to an enlarged raw material portfolio for biomass fuel production inside Europe by including both agricultural and forestry biomass. In this way, the SECTOR project is expected to shorten the time-to-market of torrefaction technology and to promote market introduction within stringent sustainability boundary conditions. The European Union provides funding for this project within the Seventh Framework Programme. The project has a duration of 42 months and started in January 2012. (orig.)

Production of Solid Fuel by Torrefaction Using Coconut Leaves As Renewable Biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lola Domnina Bote Pestaño

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The reserves of non-renewable energy sources such as coal, crude oil and natural gas are not limitless, they gradually get exhausted and their price continually increases. In the last four decades, researchers have been focusing on alternate fuel resources to meet the ever increasing energy demand and to avoid dependence on crude oil. Amongst different sources of renewable energy, biomass residues hold special promise due to their inherent capability to store solar energy and amenability to subsequent conversion to convenient solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. At present, among the coconut farm wastes such as husks, shell, coir dust and coconut leaves, the latter is considered the most grossly under-utilized by in situ burning in the coconut farm as means of disposal. In order to utilize dried coconut leaves and to improve its biomass properties, this research attempts to produce solid fuel by torrefaction using dried coconut leaves for use as alternative source of energy. Torrefaction is a thermal method for the conversion of biomass operating in the low temperature range of 200oC-300oC under atmospheric conditions in absence of oxygen. Dried coconut leaves were torrefied at different feedstock conditions. The key torrefaction products were collected and analyzed. Physical and combustion characteristics of both torrefied and untorrefied biomass were investigated. Torrefaction of dried coconut leaves significantly improved the heating value compared to that of the untreated biomass.  Proximate compositions of the torrefied biomass also improved and were comparable to coal. The distribution of the products of torrefaction depends highly on the process conditions such as torrefaction temperature and residence time. Physical and combustion characteristics of torrefied biomass were superior making it more suitable for fuel applications. Article History: Received June 24th 2016; Received in revised form August 16th 2016; Accepted 27th 2016; Available

PRODUCTION OF NEW BIOMASS/WASTE-CONTAINING SOLID FUELS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David J. Akers; Glenn A. Shirey; Zalman Zitron; Charles Q. Maney

2001-04-20

CQ Inc. and its team members (ALSTOM Power Inc., Bliss Industries, McFadden Machine Company, and industry advisors from coal-burning utilities, equipment manufacturers, and the pellet fuels industry) addressed the objectives of the Department of Energy and industry to produce economical, new solid fuels from coal, biomass, and waste materials that reduce emissions from coal-fired boilers. This project builds on the team's commercial experience in composite fuels for energy production. The electric utility industry is interested in the use of biomass and wastes as fuel to reduce both emissions and fuel costs. In addition to these benefits, utilities also recognize the business advantage of consuming the waste byproducts of customers both to retain customers and to improve the public image of the industry. Unfortunately, biomass and waste byproducts can be troublesome fuels because of low bulk density, high moisture content, variable composition, handling and feeding problems, and inadequate information about combustion and emissions characteristics. Current methods of co-firing biomass and wastes either use a separate fuel receiving, storage, and boiler feed system, or mass burn the biomass by simply mixing it with coal on the storage pile. For biomass or biomass-containing composite fuels to be extensively used in the U.S., especially in the steam market, a lower cost method of producing these fuels must be developed that includes both moisture reduction and pelletization or agglomeration for necessary fuel density and ease of handling. Further, this method of fuel production must be applicable to a variety of combinations of biomass, wastes, and coal; economically competitive with current fuels; and provide environmental benefits compared with coal. Notable accomplishments from the work performed in Phase I of this project include the development of three standard fuel formulations from mixtures of coal fines, biomass, and waste materials that can be used in

Biogas. Biofuels. Urban waste. Solid biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

The European production of primary energy from biogas reached 7.5*10 6 toe in 2008, it means a 4.4% increase on 2007. The bio-fuel consumption rose to 10.5 Mtoe in 2008, i.e. 2.5 Mtoe more than in 2007, this 31.4% growth seems relatively slow when compared with previous performances of 45.7% (between 2006 and 2007) and 70.9% (between 2005 and 2006). Primary energy production by combustion of renewable municipal solid waste in the European Union rose slightly in 2008 by 3% over 2007 to reach 6806 ktoe. The solid biomass that is made up of wood and its waste in addition to organic and animal waste was one of renewable energy production's safe bets. The primary energy production from this sector rose by 4.6% and reached 70292 ktoe. In all the renewable energy sources we have reviewed Germany ranks first in terms of global production. (A.C.)

Application of mathematical modelling when determining the parameters effect of biomass densification process on solid biofuels quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Križan Peter

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to present the design of experiment (DOE and evaluation methodology for this experimental plan in order to determine the parameters effect of biomass densification process on final solid biofuels quality. One of the recovery possibilities for waste biomass raw materials is production of solid biofuels. Using a variety combination of influencing variables can be improve the final quality of solid biofuels. Raw biomass material variables influence, especially (type of raw material, particle size, moisture content, compression pressure and compression temperature can be recognized during the production of solid biofuels. Their effect can be seen through the quality indicators; especially mentioned variables significantly influence the mechanical quality indicators of solid biofuels. In this experimental research authors would like to investigate properties and behaviour of wood raw waste biomass during densification. This contribution discusses the analysis and design of experimental process, its individual steps and their subsequent DOE leading to the development of a mathematical model that will describe this process. This paper also presents the research findings regarding the effect of influencing variables on final density of solid biofuels during densification. Aim of the experimental process is to determine the mutual interaction between solid biofuels density and influencing variables during densification. Effect of compression pressure, compression temperature, moisture content and particle size on solid biofuels density from wood sawdust was determined.

SCR in biomass and waste fuelled plants. Benchmarking of Swedish and European plants; SCR i biobraensle- och avfallseldade anlaeggningar. Erfarenheter fraan svenska och europeiska anlaeggningar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldschmidt, Barbara; Olsson, Henrik; Lindstroem, Erica

2010-11-15

In this report the state-of-art of SCR technology in biomass and waste fired plants is investigated. The aim of the investigation is to answer the question why new Swedish biomass combustion and co-combustion plants often prefer SNCR technology, whilst European waste combustion plants often choose SCR technology. In the report positives and negatives of various types of SCR installations are discussed, high-dust versus tail-end, 'normal' SCR versus low-temperature SCR, etc. Experiences, e g catalyst lifetime, deactivation and maintenance requirement, are discussed. The investigation is based partly on literature, but mainly on interviews with plant owners and with suppliers of SCR installations. The interviewed suppliers are mentioned in the reference list and the interviewed plant owners are mentioned in appendix A and B. The experiences from the Swedish and European plants are quite similar. Tail-end SCR is often operated without serious problems in both biomass and waste fuelled plants. The catalyst lifetimes are as long or even longer than for coal fired plants with high-dust SCR. In waste incineration plants high-dust SCR causes big problems and these plants are almost always equipped with tail-end SCR. In co-combustion boilers, where coal and biomass is co-combusted, high-dust SCR is more common, especially if the boilers were originally coal fired. In plants with both SNCR and high-dust SCR, i.e. slip-SCR, the SCR installation is considered to be much less of a problem. Although the activity loss of the catalyst is as quick as in conventional high-dust SCR, the catalyst can be changed less often. This is due to the fact that installed slip-SCR catalysts often are as large as conventional SCR catalysts, although less NO{sub x} reduction is required after the initial SNCR step. Thus, the catalyst lifetime is prolonged.

Solid Biomass Climate Change Interventions Examined in a Context of Inherent Safety, Media Shifting and Emerging Risks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedlund, Frank Huess; Astad, John

2014-01-01

benefits over safety concerns seems to run deep and not confined to the realm of only solid biomass. Danish environmental ambitions are very high and the costs to society of introducing solid biomass fuels are breathtaking. In this setting, the general failure to address safety risk s appears particularly...

Fuel cycle modelling of open cycle thorium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashley, S.F.; Lindley, B.A.; Parks, G.T.; Nuttall, W.J.; Gregg, R.; Hesketh, K.W.; Kannan, U.; Krishnani, P.D.; Singh, B.; Thakur, A.; Cowper, M.; Talamo, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study three open cycle Th–U-fuelled nuclear energy systems. • Comparison of these systems is made to a reference U-fuelled EPR. • Fuel cycle modelling is performed with UK NNL code “ORION”. • U-fuelled system is economically favourable and needs least separative work per kWh. • Th–U-fuelled systems offer negligible waste and proliferation resistance advantages. - Abstract: In this study, we have sought to determine the advantages, disadvantages, and viability of open cycle thorium–uranium-fuelled (Th–U-fuelled) nuclear energy systems. This has been done by assessing three such systems, each of which requires uranium enriched to ∼20% 235 U, in comparison to a reference uranium-fuelled (U-fuelled) system over various performance indicators, spanning material flows, waste composition, economics, and proliferation resistance. The values of these indicators were determined using the UK National Nuclear Laboratory’s fuel cycle modelling code ORION. This code required the results of lattice-physics calculations to model the neutronics of each nuclear energy system, and these were obtained using various nuclear reactor physics codes and burn-up routines. In summary, all three Th–U-fuelled nuclear energy systems required more separative work capacity than the equivalent benchmark U-fuelled system, with larger levelised fuel cycle costs and larger levelised cost of electricity. Although a reduction of ∼6% in the required uranium ore per kWh was seen for one of the Th–U-fuelled systems compared to the reference U-fuelled system, the other two Th–U-fuelled systems required more uranium ore per kWh than the reference. Negligible advantages and disadvantages were observed for the amount and the properties of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) generated by the systems considered. Two of the Th–U-fuelled systems showed some benefit in terms of proliferation resistance of the SNF generated. Overall, it appears that there is little

Assessment on steam gasification of municipal solid waste against biomass substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couto, Nuno Dinis; Silva, Valter Bruno; Rouboa, Abel

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Steam gasification as an alternative for MSW treatment was studied. • A previously developed numerical model for MSW gasification was used. • Results were validated with data gathered from the literature. • Results were compared with previously studied biomass substrates. • Environment and economic assessment based on the results was conducted. - Abstract: Waste management is becoming one of the main concerns of our time. Not only does it takes up one of the largest portions of municipal budgets but it also entails extensive land use and pollution to the environment using current treatment methods. Steam gasification of Portuguese municipal solid wastes was studied using a previously developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, and experimental and numerical results were found to be in agreement. To assess the potential of Portuguese wastes, these results were compared to those obtained from previously investigated Portuguese biomass substrates and steam-to-biomass ratio was used to characterize and understand the effects of steam in the gasification process. The properties of syngas produced from municipal solid waste and from biomass substrates were compared and results demonstrated that wastes present the lowest carbon conversion, gas yield and cold gas efficiency with the highest tar content. Nevertheless, the pre-existing collection and transportation infrastructure that is currently available for municipal waste does not exist for the compared biomass resources which makes it an interesting process. In addition a detailed economic study was carried out to estimate the environmental and economic benefits of installing the described system. The hydrogen production cost was also estimated and compared with alternative methods.

Solid biomass barometer - EurObserv'ER - December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

The European Reanalysis and Observations for Monitoring (EURO4M) project experts report that the year 2014 was unusually hot on the European continent, with the highest temperatures on record, following on from 2013 whose winter conditions were also exceptionally mild, and ahead of 2015 which is also set to be very warm. This situation led to a fall in solid biomass consumption for heating across the European Union. In 2014 electricity output increased by 4.5% on its 2013 level to 84.8 TWh, as the vagaries of climate have less impact on demand and it was also boosted by the expansion of biomass cogeneration and new coal-fired power plant conversions

Hydrodeoxygenation of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapor Model Compounds over MoS₂ Based Catalysts: A Step in Understanding and Optimizing Fuel Production from Solid Biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dabros, Trine Marie Hartmann

This thesis is dedicated to the investigation, development, and optimization of catalysts and operating conditions for catalytic hydropyrolysis and pyrolysis vapor hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) with the aim of producing liquid fuel from solid biomass.......This thesis is dedicated to the investigation, development, and optimization of catalysts and operating conditions for catalytic hydropyrolysis and pyrolysis vapor hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) with the aim of producing liquid fuel from solid biomass....

Development of innovative fuelling systems for fusion energy science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouge, M.J.; Baylor, L.R.; Combs, S.K.; Fisher, P.W.

1996-01-01

The development of innovative fueling systems in support of magnetic fusion energy, particularly the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), is described. The ITER fuelling system will use a combination of deuterium-tritium (D-T) gas puffing and pellet injection to achieve and maintain ignited plasmas. This combination will provide a flexible fuelling source with D-T pellets penetrating beyond the separatrix to sustain the ignited fusion plasma and with deuterium-rich gas fuelling the edge region to meet divertor requirements in a process called isotopic fuelling. More advanced systems with potential for deeper penetration, such as multistage pellet guns and compact toroid injection, are also described

Advanced circulating fluidised bed technology (CFB) for large-scale solid biomass fuel firing power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaentti, Timo; Zabetta, Edgardo Coda; Nuortimo, Kalle [Foster Wheeler Energia Oy, Varkaus (Finland)

2013-04-01

Worldwide the nations are taking initiatives to counteract global warming by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to increase boiler efficiency and the use of biomass and other solid renewable fuels are well in line with these objectives. Circulating fluidised bed boilers (CFB) are ideal for efficient power generation, capable to fire a broad variety of solid biomass fuels from small CHP plants to large utility power plants. Relevant boiler references in commercial operation are made for Finland and Poland.

A Supply-Chain Analysis Framework for Assessing Densified Biomass Solid Fuel Utilization Policies in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenyan Wang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Densified Biomass Solid Fuel (DBSF is a typical solid form of biomass, using agricultural and forestry residues as raw materials. DBSF utilization is considered to be an alternative to fossil energy, like coal in China, associated with a reduction of environmental pollution. China has abundant biomass resources and is suitable to develop DBSF. Until now, a number of policies aimed at fostering DBSF industry have been proliferated by policy makers in China. However, considering the seasonality and instability of biomass resources, these inefficiencies could trigger future scarcities of biomass feedstocks, baffling the resilience of biomass supply chains. Therefore, this review paper focuses on DBSF policies and strategies in China, based on the supply chain framework. We analyzed the current developing situation of DBSF industry in China and developed a framework for policy instruments based on the supply chain steps, which can be used to identify and assess the deficiencies of current DBSF industry policies, and we proposed some suggestions. These findings may inform policy development and identify synergies at different steps in the supply chain to enhance the development of DBSF industry.

Health and Safety Aspects of Solid Biomass Storage, Transportation and Feeding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koppejan, J. [Procede Biomass, Enschede (Netherlands); Loennermark, A.; Persson, H.; Larsson, I.; Blomqvist, P. [SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Boraas (Sweden); Arshadi, M.; Valencia-Reyes, E. [Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden); Melin, S. [University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Howes, Pat [AEA Group, London (United Kingdom); Wheeler, P. [Lend Lease, Sydney (Australia); Baxter, D. [Joint Research Institute JRC, European Commission EC, Brussels (Belgium); Nikolaisen, L. [Danish Technological Institute, Taastrup (Denmark)

2013-05-15

This publication focuses on the health and safety issues of the supply chain of solid biofuels with the objective to highlight commonly used mitigation methodologies to promote a better working environment when dealing with solid biofuels. It has been compiled as a joint effort by experts active in Tasks 32, 36, 37 and 40 of the IEA Bioenergy Agreement, with their own specific fields of expertise. Only through this cooperation, it was possible to touch upon the full range of issues in one publication that one may come across when developing projects in which solid biomass fuels are produced, traded or used. The properties of a biomass material and the intended use determine how the material should be safely transported and stored. Selfheating, off-gassing and dust explosions are significant challenges for the industry that have already resulted in significant losses of capital investments and even tragic loss of life. Likewise, exposure to biologically active material, such as moulds and spores may form a serious hazard for the health of workers involved. With the growth of the bioenergy sector, it is important not only that opportunities for bioenergy are implemented in an efficient and economic manner, but also safely.

Determination of Total Solids and Ash in Algal Biomass: Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Wychen, Stefanie; Laurens, Lieve M. L.

2016-01-13

This procedure describes the methods used to determine the amount of moisture or total solids present in a freeze-dried algal biomass sample, as well as the ash content. A traditional convection oven drying procedure is covered for total solids content, and a dry oxidation method at 575 deg. C is covered for ash content.

Fuelling tomorrow's transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, S.; Donovan, N.

1995-11-01

Fuelling Tomorrow's Transport provides a thorough analysis of key industry trends; developments in technology, fuel use and efficiency; environmental and legislative constraints; and company and governmental policy. It discusses in detail the changes facing the transport industry and analyses how the various technological, political and economic developments will affect the industry into the next century. Key issues addressed include: current and future fuel use in road, marine and aviation transport; growth in the transport sector and the impact on the oil market; likely scenarios for future transport fuelling; the latest developments in alternative fuels and engines, including electricity, natural gas, nuclear power and liquid hydrogen, and the commercial feasibility of these technologies; government policy and current and proposed legislative and fiscal incentives for the development and take-up of alternative fuels and engines; the driving force of the environmental debate; the current research and development programmes of individual companies; and the commercial openings offered by these developments. (author)

Characterized hydrochar of algal biomass for producing solid fuel through hydrothermal carbonization.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ki Young; Lee, Kwanyong; Kim, Daegi

2018-06-01

The aim of this work was to study the characterized hydrochar of algal biomass to produce solid fuel though hydrothermal carbonization. Hydrothermal carbonization conducted at temperatures ranging from 180 to 270 °C with a 60 min reaction improved the upgrading of the fuel properties and the dewatering of wet-basis biomasses such as algae. The carbon content, carbon recovery, energy recovery, and atomic C/O and C/H ratios in all the hydrochars in this study were improved. These characteristic changes in hydrochar from algal biomass are similar to the coalification reactions due to dehydration and decarboxylation with an increase in the hydrothermal reaction temperature. The results of this study indicate that hydrothermal carbonization can be used as an effective means of generating highly energy-efficient renewable fuel resources using algal biomass. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Candu 600 fuelling machine testing, the romanian experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valeca, S.; Doca, C.; Iorga, C.

2013-01-01

The Candu 600 Fuelling Machine is a complex mechanism which must run in safety conditions and with high reliability in the Candu Reactor. The testing and commissioning process of this nuclear equipment meets the high standards of NPPs requirements using special technological facilities, modern measurement instruments as well the appropriate IT resources for data acquisition and processing. The paper presents the experience of the Institute for Nuclear Research Pitesti, Romania, in testing Candu 600 Fuelling Machines, inclusive the implied facilities, and in development of four simulators: two dedicated for the training of the Candu 600 Fuelling Machine Operators, and another two to simulate some process signals and actions. (authors)

Study on biogas premixed charge diesel dual fuelled engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duc, Phan Minh; Wattanavichien, Kanit

2007-01-01

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a small IDI biogas premixed charge diesel dual fuelled CI engine used in agricultural applications. Engine performance, diesel fuel substitution, energy consumption and long term use have been concerned. The attained results show that biogas-diesel dual fuelling of this engine revealed almost no deterioration in engine performance but lower energy conversion efficiency which was offset by the reduced fuel cost of biogas over diesel. The long term use of this engine with biogas-diesel dual fuelling is feasible with some considerations

Biomass measurement by flow cytometry during solid-state fermentation of basidiomycetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Steudler, Susanne; Böhmer, Ulrike; Weber, Jost; Bley, Thomas

2015-02-01

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a robust process that is well suited to the on-site cultivation of basidiomycetes that produce enzymes for the treatment of lignocellulosics. Reliable methods for biomass quantification are essential for the analysis of fungal growth kinetics. However, direct biomass determination is not possible during SSF because the fungi grow into the substrate and use it as a nutrient source. This necessitates the use of indirect methods that are either very laborious and time consuming or can only provide biomass measurements during certain growth periods. Here, we describe the development and optimization of a new rapid method for fungal biomass determination during SSF that is based on counting fungal nuclei by flow cytometry. Fungal biomass was grown on an organic substrate and its concentration was measured by isolating the nuclei from the fungal hyphae after cell disruption, staining them with SYTOX(®) Green, and then counting them using a flow cytometer. A calibration curve relating the dry biomass of the samples to their concentrations of nuclei was established. Multiple buffers and disruption methods were tested. The results obtained were compared with values determined using the method of ergosterol determination, a classical technique for fungal biomass measurement during SSF. Our new approach can be used to measure fungal biomass on a range of different scales, from 15 mL cultures to a laboratory reactor with a working volume of 10 L (developed by the Research Center for Medical Technology and Biotechnology (fzmb GmbH)). © 2014 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. © 2014 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Fuelling study of CANDU reactors using neutron absorber poisoned fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, J.J.; Chan, P.K.; Bonin, H.W., E-mail: s25815@rmc.ca [Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

A comparative fuelling study is conducted to determine the potential gain in operating margin for CANDU reactors incurred by implementing a change to the design of the conventional 37-element natural uranium (NU) fuel. The change involves insertion of minute quantities of neutron absorbers, Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, into the fuel pellets. The Reactor Fuelling Simulation Program (RFSP) is used to conduct core-following simulations, for the regular 37-element NU fuel, which is to be used as control for comparison. Preliminary results are presented for fuelling with the regular 37-element NU fuel, which indicate constraints on fuelling that may be relaxed with addition of neutron absorbers. (author)

Gas fuelled heavy-duty trucks for municipal services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsberg, A. (City of Helsinki Construction Services (Finland)); Hietanen, L. (Lassila and Tikanoja, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)); Nylund, N.-O. (TEC TransEnergy Consulting, Espoo (Finland))

2009-07-01

Helsinki City Public Works Department (HKR) and the environmental management company Lassila and Tikanoja joined forces to demonstrate the suitability of heavy-duty gas fuelled trucks for municipal services. HKR acquired two and Lassila and Tikanoja five Mercedes-Benz Econic trucks. HKR's trucks are equipped with interchangeable platforms, Lassila an Tikanoja's trucks with refuse collection equipment. The trucks are subjected to a two-year follow-up study to establish reliability, operational costs and exhaust emissions. Diesel trucks representing up-to-date technology are used as reference. If the gas fuelled trucks perform well, this can lead to increased numbers of natural gas trucks in municipal services, and in the long run to the introduction of biogas fuelled trucks. (orig.)

Physico-chemical properties and biological effects of diesel and biomass particles

KAUST Repository

Longhin, Eleonora

2016-05-15

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Diesel combustion and solid biomass burning are the major sources of ultrafine particles (UFP) in urbanized areas. Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, including lung cancer, are possible outcomes of combustion particles exposure, but differences in particles properties seem to influence their biological effects.Here the physico-chemical properties and biological effects of diesel and biomass particles, produced under controlled laboratory conditions, have been characterized. Diesel UFP were sampled from a Euro 4 light duty vehicle without DPF fuelled by commercial diesel and run over a chassis dyno. Biomass UFP were collected from a modern automatic 25 kW boiler propelled by prime quality spruce pellet. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of both diesel and biomass samples showed aggregates of soot particles, but in biomass samples ash particles were also present. Chemical characterization showed that metals and PAHs total content was higher in diesel samples compared to biomass ones.Human bronchial epithelial (HBEC3) cells were exposed to particles for up to 2 weeks. Changes in the expression of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism were observed after exposure to both UFP already after 24 h. However, only diesel particles modulated the expression of genes involved in inflammation, oxidative stress and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increased the release of inflammatory mediators and caused phenotypical alterations, mostly after two weeks of exposure.These results show that diesel UFP affected cellular processes involved in lung and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Biomass particles exerted low biological activity compared to diesel UFP. This evidence emphasizes that the study of different emission sources contribution to ambient PM toxicity may have a fundamental role in the development of more effective strategies for air quality improvement.

Performance and emission of CI engine fuelled with camelina sativa oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruczyński, Stanisław W.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Camelina sativa as a potential source of alternative fuel. ► Neat camelina sativa oil as a fuel for CI engine. ► The engine performance and emissions of CI engine fuelled with neat camelina sativa oil. ► Comparison of rate of heat release for camelina sativa oil and diesel oil. - Abstract: The paper describes the results of the tests of CI Perkins 1104C-44 engine fuelled with camelina sativa oil. The engine was not especially calibrated for fuelling with the vegetable fuel. During the test the engine performance and emissions were analysed. For comparison the same speed characteristic was examined for standard fuelling of the engine with diesel oil. In order to understand the engine performance and emission the mass fraction burnt and the rate of heat release was calculated and compared for the same energy provided to the engine cylinder with the injected fuels. The results show that there is possible to receive relatively good engine performance for fuelling the engine with camelina sativa oil but there is a need to change the calibration parameters of the engine fuel system when the engine is fuelled with this fuel.

Visualized fuelling process and 3 dimensional reactivity device and core monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, B.; Cusson, R.; Crowell, T.

2006-01-01

A new reactor fueling animated graphical display and a 3 dimensional view of the reactor core display are presented that are useful for the physics fuelling engineer, the Control Room Operators, the fuel handling operators and the fuel handling support engineers. Data is downloaded from the online fuelling computer to a data server that is network accessible. The fuelling display and 3Dview display can run on any network connected Computer. The animated graphical fuelling display offers a huge reduction in cognitive workload for all users. The authors recommend that animated graphical displays be developed and utilized wherever personnel have to visualize complex equipment operation. (author)

Enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass at high-solids loadings – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modenbach, Alicia A.; Nokes, Sue E.

2013-01-01

Enzymatic hydrolysis is the unit operation in the lignocellulose conversion process that utilizes enzymes to depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass. The saccharide components released are the feedstock for fermentation. When performed at high-solids loadings (≥15% solids, w/w), enzymatic hydrolysis potentially offers many advantages over conversions performed at low- or moderate-solids loadings, including increased sugar and ethanol concentrations and decreased capital and operating costs. The goal of this review is to provide a consolidated source of information on studies using high-solids loadings in enzymatic hydrolysis. Included in this review is a brief discussion of the limitations, such as a lack of available water, difficulty with mixing and handling, insufficient mass and heat transfer, and increased concentration of inhibitors, associated with the use of high solids, as well as descriptions and findings of studies that performed enzymatic hydrolysis at high-solids loadings. Reactors designed and/or equipped for improved handling of high-solids slurries are also discussed. Lastly, this review includes a brief discussion of some of the operations that have successfully scaled-up and implemented high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis at pilot- and demonstration-scale facilities. -- Highlights: •High solids enzymatic hydrolysis needed for conversion process to be cost-effective. •Limitations must be addressed before benefits of high-solid loadings fully realized. •Some success with high-solids loadings at pilot and demonstration scale

Biomass fuels in district heating systems. Final report. Biobrensel i fjernvarmesystem. Sluttrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otterstad, B.

1987-02-01

The report deals with an energy conservation project on district heating. The project gives a cost comparison between a biomass fuelled system for the local water heating/electric power supply and the development of hydroelectric power. The computer program ESENTRAL is used in the simulation. 3 drawings.

Design of on-power fuelling machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, W.H.

2004-01-01

In May 1957, CGE was asked to design a fuelling machine for NPD2 Reactor. Two fuelling machines were required, one at each end of the reactor, that could either push the fuel bundles through the reactor or accept the bundles being pushed out. The machines had to connect on to the end fittings of the same tube, seal, fill with heavy water and pressure up to 1000 psi without external leaks. Each machine had to remove the tube seal plug from its end fitting and store it in an indexing magazine, which also had to hold up to six fuel bundles, or retrieve that many, if the magazine was empty. There was also the provision to store a spare plug. When finished moving fuel bundles, the tube plugs were to be replaced and tested for leaks, before the fuelling machines would be detached from the end fittings. This was all to be done by remote control. By late September 1957, sufficient design features were on paper and CGE management made a presentation to AECL at Chalk River Laboratories and this proposal was later accepted

Natural gas fuelling stations installation code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrigar, C; Burford, G; Adragna, M; Hawryn, S

2004-07-01

This Canadian Standard applies to natural gas fuelling stations that can be used for fleet and public dispensing operations. This document is divided into 11 sections that address the scope of the Standard; definitions and reference publications; general requirements; compressors; storage; dispensing; flow control devices; storage vessel dispatch and receiving; design, installation and testing of piping, tubing and fittings; and installation of vehicle refuelling appliances (VRAs) connected to storage piping. The most recent revision to the Standard includes requirements for indoor fuelling of natural gas vehicles. This Standard, like all Canadian Standards, was subject to periodic review and was most recently reaffirmed in 2004. tabs., figs.

Evolution of on-power fuelling machines on Canadian natural uranium power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaac, P.

1984-10-01

The evolution of the on-power fuel changing process and fuelling machines on CANDU heavy-water pressure tube power reactors from the first nuclear power demonstration plant, 22 MWe NPD, to the latest plants now in design and development is described. The high availability of CANDU's is largely dependent on on-power fuelling. The on-power fuelling performance record of the 16 operating CANDU reactors, covering a 22 year period since the first plant became operational, is given. This shows that on-power fuel changing with light (unshielded), highly mobile and readily maintainable fuelling machines has been a success. The fuelling machines have contributed very little to the incapabilities of the plants and have been a key factor in placing CANDUs in the top ten list of world performance. Although fuel handling technology has reached a degree of maturity, refinements are continuing. A new single-ended fuel changing concept for horizontal reactors under development is described. This has the potential for reducing capital and operating costs for small reactors and increasing the fuelling capability of possible large reactors of the future

Biomass Maps | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Maps Biomass Maps These maps illustrate the biomass resource in the United States by county . Biomass feedstock data are analyzed both statistically and graphically using a geographic information Data Science Team. Solid Biomass Resources Map of Total Biomass Resources in the United States Solid

Waste activated sludge fermentation: effect of solids retention time and biomass concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Q; Sparling, R; Oleszkiewicz, J A

2009-12-01

Laboratory scale, room temperature, semi-continuous reactors were set-up to investigate the effect of solids retention time (SRT, equal to HRT hydraulic retention time) and biomass concentration on generation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) from the non-methanogenic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) originating from an enhanced biological phosphorus removal process. It was found that VFA yields increased with SRT. At the longest SRT (10d), improved biomass degradation resulted in the highest soluble to total COD ratio and the highest VFA yield from the influent COD (0.14g VFA-COD/g TCOD). It was also observed that under the same SRT, VFA yields increased when the biomass concentration decreased. At a 10d SRT the VFA yield increased by 46%, when the biomass concentration decreased from 13g/L to 4.8g/L. Relatively high nutrient release was observed during fermentation. The average phosphorus release was 17.3mg PO(4)-P/g TCOD and nitrogen release was 25.8mg NH(4)-N/g TCOD.

Comparative exergy analyses of gasoline and hydrogen fuelled ices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieminen, J.; Dincer, I.; Yang, Y.

2009-01-01

Comparative exergy models for naturally aspirated gasoline and hydrogen fuelled spark ignition internal combustion engines were developed according to the second laws of thermodynamics. A thorough graphical analysis of heat transfer, work, thermo mechanical, and intake charge exergy functions was made. An irreversibility function was developed as a function of entropy generation and graphed. A second law analysis yielded a proportional exergy distribution as a fraction of the intake charge exergy. It was found that the hydrogen fuelled engine had a greater proportion of the intake charge exergy converted into work exergy, indicating a second law efficiency of 50.13% as opposed to 44.34% for a gasoline fuelled engine. The greater exergy due to heat transfer or thermal availability associated with the hydrogen fuelled engine is postulated to be a part of the reason for decreased work output of a hydrogen engine. Finally, a second law analysis of both hydrogen and gasoline combustion reactions indicate a greater combustion irreversibility associated with gasoline combustion. A percentage breakdown of the combustion irreversibilities were also constructed according to information found in literature searches. (author)

Discrete-continuum multiscale model for transport, biomass development and solid restructuring in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Nadja; Rupp, Andreas; Prechtel, Alexander

2017-09-01

Upscaling transport in porous media including both biomass development and simultaneous structural changes in the solid matrix is extremely challenging. This is because both affect the medium's porosity as well as mass transport parameters and flow paths. We address this challenge by means of a multiscale model. At the pore scale, the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method is used to solve differential equations describing particularly the bacteria's and the nutrient's development. Likewise, a sticky agent tightening together solid or bio cells is considered. This is combined with a cellular automaton method (CAM) capturing structural changes of the underlying computational domain stemming from biomass development and solid restructuring. Findings from standard homogenization theory are applied to determine the medium's characteristic time- and space-dependent properties. Investigating these results enhances our understanding of the strong interplay between a medium's functional properties and its geometric structure. Finally, integrating such properties as model parameters into models defined on a larger scale enables reflecting the impact of pore scale processes on the larger scale.

Estimation of optimal biomass fraction measuring cycle formunicipal solid waste incineration facilities in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Seongmin; Cha, Jae Hyung; Hong, Yoon-Jung; Lee, Daekyeom; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Jeon, Eui-Chan

2018-01-01

This study estimates the optimum sampling cycle using a statistical method for biomass fraction. More than ten samples were collected from each of the three municipal solid waste (MSW) facilities between June 2013 and March 2015 and the biomass fraction was analyzed. The analysis data were grouped into monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual intervals and the optimum sampling cycle for the detection of the biomass fraction was estimated. Biomass fraction data did not show a normal distribution. Therefore, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare the average values for each sample group. The Kruskal-Wallis test results showed that the average monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual values for all three MSW incineration facilities were equal. Therefore, the biomass fraction at the MSW incineration facilities should be calculated on a yearly cycle which is the longest period of the temporal cycles tested. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fixed bed gasification of solid biomass fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haavisto, I [Condens Oy, Haemeenlinna (Finland)

1997-12-31

Fixed bed biomass gasifiers are feasible in the effect range of 100 kW -10 MW. Co-current gasification is available only up to 1 MW for technical reasons. Counter-current gasifiers have been used in Finland and Sweden for 10 years in gasification heating plants, which are a combination of a gasifier and an oil boiler. The plants have proved to have a wide control range, flexible and uncomplicated unmanned operation and an excellent reliability. Counter-current gasifiers can be applied for new heating plants or for converting existing oil and natural gas boilers into using solid fuels. There is a new process development underway, aiming at motor use of the producer gas. The development work involves a new, more flexible cocurrent gasifier and a cleaning step for the counter-current producer gas. (orig.)

Fixed bed gasification of solid biomass fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haavisto, I. [Condens Oy, Haemeenlinna (Finland)

1996-12-31

Fixed bed biomass gasifiers are feasible in the effect range of 100 kW -10 MW. Co-current gasification is available only up to 1 MW for technical reasons. Counter-current gasifiers have been used in Finland and Sweden for 10 years in gasification heating plants, which are a combination of a gasifier and an oil boiler. The plants have proved to have a wide control range, flexible and uncomplicated unmanned operation and an excellent reliability. Counter-current gasifiers can be applied for new heating plants or for converting existing oil and natural gas boilers into using solid fuels. There is a new process development underway, aiming at motor use of the producer gas. The development work involves a new, more flexible cocurrent gasifier and a cleaning step for the counter-current producer gas. (orig.)

A centre-triggered magnesium fuelled cathodic arc thruster uses sublimation to deliver a record high specific impulse

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Patrick R. C.; Bilek, Marcela; McKenzie, David R.

2016-08-01

The cathodic arc is a high current, low voltage discharge that operates in vacuum and provides a stream of highly ionised plasma from a solid conducting cathode. The high ion velocities, together with the high ionisation fraction and the quasineutrality of the exhaust stream, make the cathodic arc an attractive plasma source for spacecraft propulsion applications. The specific impulse of the cathodic arc thruster is substantially increased when the emission of neutral species is reduced. Here, we demonstrate a reduction of neutral emission by exploiting sublimation in cathode spots and enhanced ionisation of the plasma in short, high-current pulses. This, combined with the enhanced directionality due to the efficient erosion profiles created by centre-triggering, substantially increases the specific impulse. We present experimentally measured specific impulses and jet power efficiencies for titanium and magnesium fuels. Our Mg fuelled source provides the highest reported specific impulse for a gridless ion thruster and is competitive with all flight rated ion thrusters. We present a model based on cathode sublimation and melting at the cathodic arc spot explaining the outstanding performance of the Mg fuelled source. A further significant advantage of an Mg-fuelled thruster is the abundance of Mg in asteroidal material and in space junk, providing an opportunity for utilising these resources in space.

The Feasibility of Pellet Re-Fuelling of a Fusion Reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, Tinghong; Jørgensen, L. W.; Nielsen, P.

1980-01-01

The feasibility of re-fuelling a fusion reactor by injecting pellets of frozen hydrogen isotopes is reviewed. First a general look is taken of the dominant energy fluxes received by the pellet, the re-fuelling rate required and the relation between pellet size, injection speed and frequency...

Electrochemical performance and stability of Ni1-xCox-based cermet anode for direct methane-fuelled solid oxide fuel cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicharee Wongsawatgul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon deposition on Ni-based anode is well-known as a major barrier for the practical use and commercialization of hydrocarbon-fuelled solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs. In this work, Co alloying in Ni-YSZ was studied as an alternative anode material for using CH4 as a fuel. The Ni-YSZ and Ni-Co alloyed-YSZ were prepared by the traditional impregnation method without further mixing processes. After sintering and reduction in H2 atmosphere, the introduced Co can completely dissolved into the Ni lattice and changed the morphology with an increase in the Ni-YSZ grain size and showed a better uniform microstructure. The Co alloying also enhanced the electrochemical performance under CH4 fuel by reducing the resistance and anodic overvoltage. Moreover, the Co addition enhanced the stability of the cell with CH4 a constant load current of 80 mA for 60 h. This performance related to the carbon deposition on the anode surface. The Co alloying showed a high efficiency to suppress the carbon deposition and improved the electrochemical performance of an SOFC cell operating under CH4 fuel.

'Reference Biospheres' for solid radioactive waste disposal: the BIOMASS Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crossland, I.G.; Pinedo, P.; Kessler, J.H.; Torres-Vidal, C.; Walters, B.

2005-01-01

The BIOMASS Theme 1 project has developed a methodology for the logical and defensible construction of 'assessment biospheres': mathematical representations of biospheres used in the total system performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal. The BIOMASS Methodology provides a systematic approach to decision making, including decisions on how to address biosphere change. The BIOMASS Methodology was developed through consultation and collaboration with many relevant organisations, including regulators, operators and a variety of independent experts. It has been developed to be practical and to be consistent with recommendations from ICRP and IAEA on radiation protection in the context of the disposal of long-lived solid radioactive wastes. The five main steps in the methodology are described in this paper. The importance of a clear assessment context, to clarify intentions and to support a coherent biosphere assessment process within an overall repository performance assessment, is strongly emphasised. A well described assessment context is an important tool for ensuring consistency across the performance assessment as a whole. The use of interaction matrices has been found to be helpful in clarifying the interactions between different habitats within the biosphere system and the significant radionuclide transfer pathways within the biosphere system. Matrices also provide a useful means of checking for consistency

Biomass energy: Another driver of land acquisitions?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotula, Lorenzo; Finnegan, Lynn; MacQueen, Duncan

2011-08-15

As governments in the global North look to diversify their economies away from fossil fuel and mitigate climate change, plans for biomass energy are growing fast. These are fuelling a sharp rise in the demand for wood, which, for some countries, could outstrip domestic supply capacity by as much as 600 per cent. It is becoming clear that although these countries will initially look to tap the temperate woodlands of developed countries, there are significant growth rate advantages that may lead them to turn to the tropics and sub-tropics to fill their biomass gap in the near future. Already there is evidence of foreign investors acquiring land in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia to establish tree plantations for biomass energy. If left unchecked, these trends could increase pressures on land access and food security in some of the world's poorest countries and communities.

Design of fuelling machine bridge and carriage to meet seismic qualification requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghare, A.B.; Chhatre, A.G.; Vyas, A.K.; Bhambra, H.S.

1996-01-01

During each refuelling operation, the boundary of Primary heat transport system is extended up to Fuelling Machines. A breach in the pressure boundary of Fuelling Machine in this condition would cause a loss of coolant accident. Fuelling Machines are also used for transit storage of spent fuel bundles till discharged to fuel transfer system. Therefore, a fuelling machine, including its support structures, is required to be seismically qualified for both on-reactor ( coupled ) mode and off-reactor (uncoupled) mode. The fuelling machine carriage used in the first generation of Indian PHWRs is a mobile equipment on wheels moving over fixed rails. As this configuration was found unsuitable for withstanding strong seismic disturbances, a bridge type design with fixed columns was evolved for the next generation of reactors. Initially, the seismic analysis of the fuelling machine bridge and carriage was done using static structural analysis and values of natural frequencies for various structures were computed. The structures were suitably modified based on the results of this analysis. Subsequently, a detailed dynamic seismic analysis using finite element model has been completed for both coupled and uncoupled conditions. The qualification of the structure has been carried out as per ASME section 111 Division 1, sub section NF. Details of the significant design features, static and dynamic analysis, results and conclusions are given in the presentation. (author). 4 refs., 4 tabs., 7 figs

Design of fuelling machine bridge and carriage to meet seismic qualification requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghare, A B; Chhatre, A G; Vyas, A K; Bhambra, H S [Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd., Mumbai (India)

1997-12-31

During each refuelling operation, the boundary of Primary heat transport system is extended up to Fuelling Machines. A breach in the pressure boundary of Fuelling Machine in this condition would cause a loss of coolant accident. Fuelling Machines are also used for transit storage of spent fuel bundles till discharged to fuel transfer system. Therefore, a fuelling machine, including its support structures, is required to be seismically qualified for both on-reactor ( coupled ) mode and off-reactor (uncoupled) mode. The fuelling machine carriage used in the first generation of Indian PHWRs is a mobile equipment on wheels moving over fixed rails. As this configuration was found unsuitable for withstanding strong seismic disturbances, a bridge type design with fixed columns was evolved for the next generation of reactors. Initially, the seismic analysis of the fuelling machine bridge and carriage was done using static structural analysis and values of natural frequencies for various structures were computed. The structures were suitably modified based on the results of this analysis. Subsequently, a detailed dynamic seismic analysis using finite element model has been completed for both coupled and uncoupled conditions. The qualification of the structure has been carried out as per ASME section 111 Division 1, sub section NF. Details of the significant design features, static and dynamic analysis, results and conclusions are given in the presentation. (author). 4 refs., 4 tabs., 7 figs.

ORC power plant for electricity production from forest and agriculture biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borsukiewicz-Gozdur, A.; Wiśniewski, S.; Mocarski, S.; Bańkowski, M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Results for three variants of CHP plant fuelled by sawmill biomass are presented. • Octamethyltrisiloxane, MDM, methanol and H 2 O working fluids was conducted in CHP. • CHP with internal regeneration and “dry” working fluid has the highest electric power. • Power output, drying heat and drying temperature depend on CHP variant and ORC fluid. - Abstract: The paper presents the calculation results for three variants of CHP plant fuelled by sawmill biomass. The plant shall produce electricity and heat for a drying chamber. An analysis of the system efficiency for four different working fluids was conducted: octamethyltrisiloxane, methylcyclohexane, methanol and water. The highest electric power was obtained for the system with internal regeneration and methylcyclohexane applied as the “dry” working fluid, the highest temperature to supply the drying chamber was obtained for the system with external regeneration and octamethyltrisiloxane applied as the working fluid. The results of the analysis indicate that, by proper choice of the working fluid and of the regeneration variant (internal or external), it is possible to “adjust” the work of the system to the needs and expectations of the plant investor (user)

Electricity production by advanced biomass power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solantausta, Y [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Production Technologies; Bridgwater, T [Aston Univ. Birmingham (United Kingdom); Beckman, D [Zeton Inc., Burlington, Ontario (Canada)

1996-11-01

This report gives the results of the Pyrolysis Collaborative Project organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA) under Biomass Agreement. The participating countries or organizations were Canada, European Community (EC), Finland, United States of America, and the United Kingdom. The overall objective of the project was to establish baseline assessments for the performance and economics of power production from biomass. Information concerning the performance of biomass-fuelled power plants based on gasification is rather limited, and even less data is available of on pyrolysis based power applications. In order to gain further insight into the potential for these technologies, this study undertook the following tasks: (1) Prepare process models to evaluate the cost and performance of new advanced biomass power production concepts, (2) Assess the technical and economic uncertainties of different biomass power concepts, (3) Compare the concepts in small scale and in medium scale production (5 - 50 MW{sub e}) to conventional alternatives. Processes considered for this assessment were biomass power production technologies based on gasification and pyrolysis. Direct combustion technologies were employed as a reference for comparison to the processes assessed in this study. Wood was used a feedstock, since the most data was available for wood conversion

The design and development of AGR fuelling machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calnan, J.P.; Hardon, L.

1986-01-01

The main functional requirements and essential generic design aspects of the UK AGR fuelling machines are listed and described as a precursor to reviewing some detail features of the individual station designs. The paper highlights the variability of engineering solutions adopted to meet the common challenge of on-load refuelling the first generation AGR stations. Design development from first to second generation stations is illustrated by detailed reference to the Hinkley B/Hunterston B and Heysham II/Torness fuelling machine designs. The paper concludes with a brief speculative view on the possible direction of future design development. (author)

On-power fuelling machine of Dhruva research reactor: An indigenous effort (Paper No. 043)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, T.K.; Andhansare, M.G.

1987-02-01

On-power fuelling machine of Dhruva Research Reactor has been indigenously designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned. This is being used for fuelling of Dhruva Research reactor regularly since June 1985. This paper deals with the developmental efforts made during design and manufacture for meeting the functional requirements of the fuelling machine. This paper also highlights the special features of the components like servo valves, hydraulic motors, S.S. bellows, bearings, roller chains, solenoid valves etc. needed for reliable operation and maintenance of the fuelling machine whose down time should be minimum to achieve maximum reactor availability. (author). 17 figs

A New and Sound Technology for Biogas from Solid Waste and Biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, G.; Grossmann, J.; Sieber, M.; Burkhardt, M.

2009-01-01

Organic waste, as a main constituent of municipal solid waste, has as well as solid biomass a high potential for biogas generation. Despite the importance of biogas generation from these materials, the availability of large-scale biogas processes lacks behind the demand. A newly developed double-stage solid-liquid biogas process, consisting of an open hydrolysis stage and a fixed-bed methane reactor, allows the biogas production from almost all biodegradable solid waste and renewable resources like maize, grass, sugar cane, etc. Furthermore, residues from industrial processes, like the glycerine waste water from biodiesel production, can also be converted into biogas successfully. Due to the strong separation of hydrolysis and methanation, the process is extremely stable. No malfunction has been detected so far. The open hydrolysis releases CO 2 and allows oxidation of sulfur. Consequently, the biogas has a high methane (>72%) and low H 2 S concentration (<100 ppm). Stirrers or other agitation equipment are not necessary; only liquids are pumped. The biogas generation becomes controllable for the first time; thus, the actual generation can be easily adapted to the consumption

Design and Optimization of an Integrated Biomass Gasification and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang-Møller, Christian

of the different operating conditions reveals an optimum for the chosen pressure ratio with respect to the resulting electrical efficiency. Furthermore, the SOFC operating temperature and fuel utilization should be maintained at a high level and the cathode temperature gradient maximized. Based on 1st and 2nd law...... based on biomass will improve the competitiveness of decentralized CHP production from biomass as well as move the development towards a more sustainable CHP production. The aim of this research is to contribute to enhanced electrical efficiencies and sustainability in future decentralized CHP plants....... The work deals with the coupling of thermal biomass gasification and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and specific focus is kept on exploring the potential performance of hybrid CHP systems based on the novel two-stage gasification concept and SOFCs. The two-stage gasification concept is developed...

CNG Fuelling Stations Design Philosophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radwan, H.

2004-01-01

I. Overview (a) Compressed Natural Gas - CNG:- Natural Gas, as an alternative fuel for vehicles, is supplied from the Natural Gas Distribution Network to the CNG fuelling stations to be compressed to 250 bars. It is then dispensed, to be stored on board of the vehicle at about 200 bars in a cylinder installed in the rear, under carriage, or on top of the vehicle. When the Natural Gas is required by the engine, it leaves the cylinder traveling through a high pressure pipe to a high pressure regulator, where the pressure is reduced close to atmospheric pressure, through a specially designed mixer, where it is properly mixed with air. The mixture then flows into the engine's combustion chamber, and is ignited to create the power required to drive the vehicle. (b) CNG Fuelling Stations General Description: as Supply and Metering The incoming gas supply and metering installation primarily depend on the pressure and flow demands of the gas compressor. Natural Gas Compressor In general, gas compressors for natural gas filling stations have relatively low flow rates

Economics of power generation from imported biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lako, P.; Van Rooijen, S.N.M.

1998-02-01

Attention is paid to the economics of import of biomass to the Netherlands, and subsequent utilisation for power generation, as a means to reduce dependence on (imported) fossil fuels and to reduce CO2 emission. Import of wood to the extent of 40 PJ or more from Baltic and South American states seems to be readily achievable. Import of biomass has various advantages, not only for the European Union (reduced CO2 emissions) but also for the countries of origin (employment creation). However, possible disadvantages or risks should be taken into account. With that in mind, import of biomass from Baltic states seems very interesting, although it should be noted that in some of those countries the alternative of fuel-switching to biomass seems to be more cost-effective than import of biomass from those countries. Given the expected increase in inland biomass consumption in the Baltic countries and the potential substantial future demand for biomass in other Western European countries it is expected that the biomass supply from Baltic countries will not be sufficient to fulfill the demand. An early focus on import from other countries seems advisable. Several power generation options are available with short to medium term potential and long term potential. The margin between costs of biomass-fuelled power and of coal fired power will be smaller, due to substantial improvements in power generating efficiency and reductions of investment costs of options for power generation from biomass, notably Biomass Gasification Combined Cycle. 18 refs

Biomass Supply and Trade Opportunities of Preprocessed Biomass for Power Generation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Batidzirai, B.; Junginger, M.; Klemm, M.; Schipfer, F.; Thrän, D.

2016-01-01

International trade of solid biomass is expected to increase significantly given the global distribution of biomass resources and anticipated expansion of bioenergy deployment in key global power markets. Given the unique characteristics of biomass, its long-distance trade requires optimized

Density Limits with Different Fuelling Methods in the HL-2A Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Longwen; Zhou Yan; Chen Chengyuan; Cao Zeng; Song Xianming; Li Wei; Dong Yunbo; Hong Wenyu; Yang Qingwei; Duan Xuru

2009-01-01

Density limits with different fuelling methods have been compared in HL-2A, i.e. direct gas puffing and supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) from outer midplane, and divertor gas fuelling. The maximum densities for low current discharges are 3.4x10 19 m -3 , 4.3x10 19 m -3 and 4.7x10 19 m -3 for the 3 kinds of fuelling methods. The corresponding density ratios to Greenwald density limit are 0.9, 1.1, 1.2, respectively. The behavior of density limit disruption is analyzed as well. (magnetically confined plasma)

Role of recycling flux in gas fuelling in the Large Helical Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazawa, J.; Masuzaki, S.; Yamada, H.

2004-01-01

The 'effective' fuelling efficiency of hydrogen gas puffing ranges from 10% to 50% in the Large Helical Device. A local increase in neutral particle pressure at the gas puff port was measured in the experiment. The pressure increase rate corresponds to ∼ 10% of the gas puff flux. The other 90% of the gas puff flux increases the density and/or the plasma outflow. A particle balance model reveals that the recycling flux estimated from the particle flux on the divertor plates increases during the gas puffing. It is shown that the high effective fuelling efficiency is possibly due to the large recycling flux. At the limit of small recycling flux, the effective fuelling efficiency decreases to ∼10%. In the helium gas puff discharge, the effective fuelling efficiency is larger than the hydrogen gas puffing and approaches 100%. This can be related to the large recycling coefficient of more than 0.95. (author)

Combined Municipal Solid Waste and biomass system optimization for district energy applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Rentizelas, Athanasios A; Tolis, Athanasios I; Tatsiopoulos, Ilias P

2014-01-01

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal has been a controversial issue in many countries over the past years, due to disagreement among the various stakeholders on the waste management policies and technologies to be adopted. One of the ways of treating/disposing MSW is energy recovery, as waste is considered to contain a considerable amount of bio-waste and therefore can lead to renewable energy production. The overall efficiency can be very high in the cases of co-generation or tri-generation. In this paper a model is presented, aiming to support decision makers in issues relating to Municipal Solid Waste energy recovery. The idea of using more fuel sources, including MSW and agricultural residue biomass that may exist in a rural area, is explored. The model aims at optimizing the system specifications, such as the capacity of the base-load Waste-to-Energy facility, the capacity of the peak-load biomass boiler and the location of the facility. Furthermore, it defines the quantity of each potential fuel source that should be used annually, in order to maximize the financial yield of the investment. The results of an energy tri-generation case study application at a rural area of Greece, using mixed MSW and biomass, indicate positive financial yield of investment. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed on the effect of the most important parameters of the model on the optimum solution, pinpointing the parameters of interest rate, investment cost and heating oil price, as those requiring the attention of the decision makers. Finally, the sensitivity analysis is enhanced by a stochastic analysis to determine the effect of the volatility of parameters on the robustness of the model and the solution obtained. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the effects on the environment of newer solid fuel systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saebye, A.

1995-09-01

During a period of 5 winter months, the emission was measured on 13 boilers where the straw was fuelled in batches, 4 where the straw was fuelled automatically and 4 burner boilers plus 13 automatically fired boilers that were fuelled with biomass other than straw. The accuracy of the measured emission values of dust and CO can not be compared with those resulting from laboratory testing. The report gives a picture of how the fuel feeding systems function. It was found that the emission of dusts and carbon monoxide from batch-fired straw-fuelled boilers was significantly lower than that of boilers tested in 1976-1991. The average emission of these 13 boilers was 352 mg/Nm 3 dust and 10000 ppm CO at 10% O 2 , whilst the best results were an emission of 180 mg/Nm 3 and 1400 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . The automatically fired straw-fuelled boilers emitted more dust and CO than the best of the batch-fired boilers. Here the average emission was 816 mg/Nm 3 and 7100 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . The best of these boilers emitted 221 mg/Nm 3 and 4900 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . Average emission from the burner boilers was 192 mg/Nm 3 dust and 10200 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . Here the best boilers emitted 38 mg/Nm 3 dust and 4100 ppm CO (which is above the allowed limits) at 10% O 2 . Average emission from the automatically-fired boilers burning biomass fuels other than straw was 169 mg/Nm 3 dust and 911 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . The best of these boilers emitted 33 mg/Nm 3 and 90 ppm CO at 10% O 2 . In the case of all boiler types the total heat losses was very high. In addition to the general need of further development of the combustion technology it is considered vital to concentrate on the training of manufacturers and boiler installers. (AB)

Biomass stabilization in the anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnaiz, C. [Universidad de Sevilla, Dept. de Ingenieria Quimica y Ambiental, Sevilla (Spain); Gutierrez, J.C. [Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Dept. de Ciencias Ambientales, Sevilla (Spain); Lebrato, J. [Universidad de Sevilla, Grupo Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales, Sevilla (Spain)

2005-07-01

Sludge stabilization processes include both volatile solid destruction and biomass stabilization. Traditionally, both processes have been considered together, in such a way that, when volatile solid destruction is achieved, the biomass is considered stabilized. In this study, volatile solids reduction and biomass stabilization in the anaerobic digestion of primary, secondary and mixed sludges from municipal wastewater treatment plants were researched in batch cultures by measurements of suspended solids and suspended lipid-phosphate. The estimated kinetic constants were higher in all sludge types tested for the biomass stabilization process, indicating that volatile solids destruction and biomass stabilization are not parallel processes, since the latter one is reached before the former. (Author)

Thermodynamic simulation of biomass gas steam reforming for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sordi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology to simulate a small-scale fuel cell system for power generation using biomass gas as fuel. The methodology encompasses the thermodynamic and electrochemical aspects of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC, as well as solves the problem of chemical equilibrium in complex systems. In this case the complex system is the internal reforming of biomass gas to produce hydrogen. The fuel cell input variables are: operational voltage, cell power output, composition of the biomass gas reforming, thermodynamic efficiency, electrochemical efficiency, practical efficiency, the First and Second law efficiencies for the whole system. The chemical compositions, molar flows and temperatures are presented to each point of the system as well as the exergetic efficiency. For a molar water/carbon ratio of 2, the thermodynamic simulation of the biomass gas reforming indicates the maximum hydrogen production at a temperature of 1070 K, which can vary as a function of the biomass gas composition. The comparison with the efficiency of simple gas turbine cycle and regenerative gas turbine cycle shows the superiority of SOFC for the considered electrical power range.

International biomass. International markets of biomass-energy - Public synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardette, Yves-Marie; Dieckhoff, Lea; Lorne, Daphne; Postec, Gwenael; Cherisey, Hugues de; RANTIEN, Caroline

2014-11-01

This publication proposes a synthesis of a study which aimed at analysing the present and future place of wood-energy in the European Union as the main renewable resource used to produce heat and electricity. This study comprised an analysis of European markets of solid biomass and of regulation, case studies on wood-energy producer markets (North America, Eastern Europe, Brazil and Africa), a study of preparation modes (shredding, granulation, roasting) and biomass transport. This study is based on bibliographical searches in national and European sources, and on field data collected by the various bodies involved in this study. This synthesis notably discusses the following issues: solid biomass is the main renewable resource for the EU and has many applications; European objectives for solid biomass by 2020 are very ambitious; markets are becoming international to face the EU's increasing demand; pellet production in North America is strongly increasing; in Europe, eastern European countries are the main exporters; Brazil has an export potential which is still to be confirmed; the African trade with Europe is still in its infancy. Finally, the development perspectives of roasted wood trade are discussed

Stress and fatigue analysis of fuelling machine housing of 500 MWe PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, B.K.; Ramana, W.V.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Kakodkar, A.

1987-01-01

One of the most appealing features of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors is the online refuelling capability. For this a fuelling machine is used. This machine opens a reactor channel by removing a seal plug and a shield plug and then does the necessary fuelling by pushing fuel bundles from a fuel magazine by rams. After necessary fuelling the machine closes the channel automatically. One of the most important parts of the fuelling machine is its pressure housing which becomes a part of the reactor channel during refuelling operation. It houses the fuel magazine, separators and rams. Beside channel pressure and other mechanical loads, the pressure housing experiences thermal transients during refuelling. The housing consists of two cylindrical shells having one end-closer in each. They are connected with each other by a large sized coupling. There are many holes on both the end-closers to accommodate ram movement, separators and magazine rive mechanisms. Some of these holes intersect with each other in the housing end-closers and hence end-closers are reinforced accordingly. This also makes the end-closers nonsymmetric. In the following sections the various analysis done to compute general stress distribution, stress concentration factors near to various holes, temperature transients during refuelling and also allowable fatigue cycles for pressure housing of fuelling machine for the proposed 500 MWe are described. (orig.)

Stress and fatigue analysis of fuelling machine housing of 500 MWe PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, B.K.; Ramana, W.V.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Kakodkar, A.

1987-01-01

One of the most appealing features of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors is the online refuelling capability. For this a fuelling machine is used. This machine opens a reactor channel by removing a seal plug and a shield plug and then does the necessary fuelling by pushing fuel bundles from a fuel magazine by rams. After necessary fuelling the machine closes the channel automatically. One of the most important parts of the fuelling machine is its pressure housing which becomes a part of the reactor channel during refuelling operation. It houses the fuel magazine, separators and rams. Beside channel pressure and other mechanical loads, the pressure housing experiences thermal transients during refuelling. The housing consists of two cylindrical shells having one end-closer in each. They are connected with each other by a large sized coupling. There are many holes on both the end-closers to accommodate ram movement, separators and magazine drive mechanisms. Some of these holes intersect with each other in the housing end-closures and hence end-closures are reinforced accordingly. This also makes the end-closures nonsymmetric. In the following sections the various analysis done to compute general stress distribution, stress concentration factors near to various holes, temperature transients during refuelling and also allowable fatigue cycles for pressure housing of fuelling machine for the proposed 500 MWe are described

Rheology of concentrated biomass

Science.gov (United States)

J.R. Samaniuk; J. Wang; T.W. Root; C.T. Scott; D.J. Klingenberg

2011-01-01

Economic processing of lignocellulosic biomass requires handling the biomass at high solids concentration. This creates challenges because concentrated biomass behaves as a Bingham-like material with large yield stresses. Here we employ torque rheometry to measure the rheological properties of concentrated lignocellulosic biomass (corn stover). Yield stresses obtained...

Utilization of reduced fuelling ripple set in ROP detector layout optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastanya, Doddy

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► ADORE is an ROP detect layout optimization algorithm in CANDU reactors. ► The effect of using reduced set of fuelling ripples in ADORE is assessed. ► Significant speedup can be realized by adopting this approach. ► The quality of the results is comparable to results from full set of ripples. - Abstract: The ADORE (Alternative Detector layout Optimization for REgional overpower protection system) algorithm for performing the optimization of regional overpower protection (ROP) for CANDU® reactors has been recently developed. This algorithm utilizes the simulated annealing (SA) stochastic optimization technique to come up with an optimized detector layout for the ROP systems. For each history in the SA iteration where a particular detector layout is evaluated, the goodness of this detector layout is measured in terms of its trip set point value which is obtained by performing a probabilistic trip set point calculation using the ROVER-F code. Since during each optimization execution thousands of candidate detector layouts are evaluated, the overall optimization process is time consuming. Since for each ROVER-F evaluation the number of fuelling ripples controls the execution time, reducing the number of fuelling ripples will reduce the overall execution time. This approach has been investigated and the results are presented in this paper. The challenge is to construct a set of representative fuelling ripples which will significantly speedup the optimization process while guaranteeing that the resulting detector layout has similar quality to the ones produced when the complete set of fuelling ripples is employed.

Combined Municipal Solid Waste and biomass system optimization for district energy applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rentizelas, Athanasios A.; Tolis, Athanasios I.; Tatsiopoulos, Ilias P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Combined energy conversion of MSW and agricultural residue biomass is examined. • The model optimizes the financial yield of the investment. • Several system specifications are optimally defined by the optimization model. • The application to a case study in Greece shows positive financial yield. • The investment is mostly sensitive on the interest rate, the investment cost and the heating oil price. - Abstract: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal has been a controversial issue in many countries over the past years, due to disagreement among the various stakeholders on the waste management policies and technologies to be adopted. One of the ways of treating/disposing MSW is energy recovery, as waste is considered to contain a considerable amount of bio-waste and therefore can lead to renewable energy production. The overall efficiency can be very high in the cases of co-generation or tri-generation. In this paper a model is presented, aiming to support decision makers in issues relating to Municipal Solid Waste energy recovery. The idea of using more fuel sources, including MSW and agricultural residue biomass that may exist in a rural area, is explored. The model aims at optimizing the system specifications, such as the capacity of the base-load Waste-to-Energy facility, the capacity of the peak-load biomass boiler and the location of the facility. Furthermore, it defines the quantity of each potential fuel source that should be used annually, in order to maximize the financial yield of the investment. The results of an energy tri-generation case study application at a rural area of Greece, using mixed MSW and biomass, indicate positive financial yield of investment. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed on the effect of the most important parameters of the model on the optimum solution, pinpointing the parameters of interest rate, investment cost and heating oil price, as those requiring the attention of the decision makers

Combined Municipal Solid Waste and biomass system optimization for district energy applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rentizelas, Athanasios A., E-mail: arent@central.ntua.gr; Tolis, Athanasios I., E-mail: atol@central.ntua.gr; Tatsiopoulos, Ilias P., E-mail: itat@central.ntua.gr

2014-01-15

Highlights: • Combined energy conversion of MSW and agricultural residue biomass is examined. • The model optimizes the financial yield of the investment. • Several system specifications are optimally defined by the optimization model. • The application to a case study in Greece shows positive financial yield. • The investment is mostly sensitive on the interest rate, the investment cost and the heating oil price. - Abstract: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal has been a controversial issue in many countries over the past years, due to disagreement among the various stakeholders on the waste management policies and technologies to be adopted. One of the ways of treating/disposing MSW is energy recovery, as waste is considered to contain a considerable amount of bio-waste and therefore can lead to renewable energy production. The overall efficiency can be very high in the cases of co-generation or tri-generation. In this paper a model is presented, aiming to support decision makers in issues relating to Municipal Solid Waste energy recovery. The idea of using more fuel sources, including MSW and agricultural residue biomass that may exist in a rural area, is explored. The model aims at optimizing the system specifications, such as the capacity of the base-load Waste-to-Energy facility, the capacity of the peak-load biomass boiler and the location of the facility. Furthermore, it defines the quantity of each potential fuel source that should be used annually, in order to maximize the financial yield of the investment. The results of an energy tri-generation case study application at a rural area of Greece, using mixed MSW and biomass, indicate positive financial yield of investment. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed on the effect of the most important parameters of the model on the optimum solution, pinpointing the parameters of interest rate, investment cost and heating oil price, as those requiring the attention of the decision makers

Core fuelling to produce peaked density profiles in large tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikkelsen, D.R.; McGuire, K.M.; Schmidt, G.L.; Zweben, S.J.

1995-01-01

Peaking the density profile increases the usable bootstrap current and the average fusion power density; this could reduce the current drive power and increase the net output of power producing tokamaks. The use of neutral beams and pellet injection to produce peaked density profiles is assessed. It is shown that with radially 'hollow' diffusivity profiles (and no particle pinch) moderately peaked density profiles can be produced by particle source profiles that are peaked off-axis. The fuelling penetration requirements can therefore be relaxed and this greatly improves the feasibility of generating peaked density profiles in large tokamaks. In particular, neutral beam fuelling does not require Megavolt particle energies. Even with beam voltages of ∼ 200 keV, however, exceptionally good particle confinement is needed to achieve net electrical power generation. The required ratio of particle to thermal diffusivities is an order of magnitude outside the range reported for tokamaks. In a system with no power production requirement (e.g., neutron sources) neutral beam fuelling should be capable of producing peaked density profiles in devices as large as ITER. Fuelling systems with low energy cost per particle - such as cryogenic pellet injection - must be used in power producing tokamaks when τ P ∼ τ E . Simulations with pellet injection speeds of 7 km/s show that the peaking factor, n e0 / e >, approaches 2. (author). 65 refs, 8 figs

The Swedish Ash Programme 2002-2008. Biomass, wastes, peat - any solid fuel but coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bjurstroem, Henrik; Herbert, Roger

2009-07-15

In Sweden, producers of combustion residues have since 2002 implemented a collaborative applied RandD programme aimed at the utilisation of combustion residues (ash). The fuels are biomass, wastes, peat - any solid fuel but coal. In this report, the main lines of the programme are described: Covers for landfills and mine tailings; Civil works, e.g. road-buildings, where both geotechnical and environmental questions have been addressed; Cement and concrete applications; Compensating soils for removing biomass and the mineral nutrients in the biomass. The emphasis of the Programme is on environmental questions, even if technical questions have been treated. The time perspective in this context is much longer than the 3-5 years that are usual in an applied RandD programme, i.e. decades after ash has been placed on a site, e.g. in a road, or spread to forest soil. New test fields have been created in the programme and old test fields have been evaluated in order to gather available information

Renewable energy from agro-residues in China. Solid biofuels and biomass briquetting technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Longjian; Han, Lujia [Center for Biomass Resource Utilization, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University (East Campus), 17 Qing-Hua-Dong-Lu, Hai-Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Xing, Li [Service Center for Trading Technology Service, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

2009-12-15

China has the abundant agro-residue resources, producing more than 630 million tons of agro-residues in 2006, and amounting to about 20% of total energy consumption in rural areas. Efficient utilization of enormous agro-residues resource is crucial for providing bioenergy, releasing risk of environmental pollution, and increasing farmers' income. The paper presented the feasibility of densified solid biofuels technology for utilizing agro-residues in China. The output and distribution of agro-residues in recent 10 years, the R and D of briquetting technology, and the market of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China have been analyzed. The result indicated that the abundant agro-residue resources can provide the economical and sustainable raw material for densified solid biofuels development in China. The R and D of briquetting technology at present can strongly support the large scale production of densified solid biofuels. With continued improvement and cost reduction of briquetting technology, along with the support of nation energy policy on biomass energy, the market of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China will be more fully deployed. Based on the above mentioned key factors, development of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China will be promising and feasible. (author)

Renewable energy from agro-residues in China. Solid biofuels and biomass briquetting technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Longjian; Han, Lujia; Xing, Li

2009-01-01

China has the abundant agro-residue resources, producing more than 630 million tons of agro-residues in 2006, and amounting to about 20% of total energy consumption in rural areas. Efficient utilization of enormous agro-residues resource is crucial for providing bioenergy, releasing risk of environmental pollution, and increasing farmers' income. The paper presented the feasibility of densified solid biofuels technology for utilizing agro-residues in China. The output and distribution of agro-residues in recent 10 years, the R and D of briquetting technology, and the market of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China have been analyzed. The result indicated that the abundant agro-residue resources can provide the economical and sustainable raw material for densified solid biofuels development in China. The R and D of briquetting technology at present can strongly support the large scale production of densified solid biofuels. With continued improvement and cost reduction of briquetting technology, along with the support of nation energy policy on biomass energy, the market of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China will be more fully deployed. Based on the above mentioned key factors, development of densified solid biofuels from agro-residues in China will be promising and feasible. (author)

Production of phenolic-rich bio-oil from catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass using magnetic solid base catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhi-bo; Lu, Qiang; Ye, Xiao-ning; Li, Wen-tao; Hu, Bin; Dong, Chang-qing

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Phenolic-rich bio-oil was selectively produced from catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass using magnetic solid base catalyst. • The actual yield of twelve major phenolic compounds reached 43.9 mg/g. • The peak area% of all phenolics reached 68.5% at the catalyst-to-biomass ratio of 7. • The potassium phosphate/ferroferric oxide catalyst possessed promising recycling properties. - Abstract: A magnetic solid base catalyst (potassium phosphate/ferroferric oxide) was prepared and used for catalytic fast pyrolysis of poplar wood to selectively produce phenolic-rich bio-oil. Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pyrolysis temperature and catalyst-to-biomass ratio on the product distribution. The actual yields of important pyrolytic products were quantitatively determined by the external standard method. Moreover, recycling experiments were performed to determine the re-utilization abilities of the catalyst. The results showed that the catalyst exhibited promising activity to selectively produce phenolic-rich bio-oil, due to its capability of promoting the decomposition of lignin to generate phenolic compounds and meanwhile inhibiting the devolatilization of holocellulose. The maximal phenolic yield was obtained at the pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C and catalyst-to-biomass ratio of 2. The concentration of the phenolic compounds increased monotonically along with the increasing of the catalyst-to-biomass ratio, with the peak area% value increasing from 28.1% in the non-catalytic process to as high as 68.5% at the catalyst-to-biomass ratio of 7. The maximal total actual yield of twelve quantified major phenolic compounds was 43.9 mg/g, compared with the value of 29.0 mg/g in the non-catalytic process. In addition, the catalyst could be easily recovered and possessed promising recycling properties.

Advanced fuelling system for use as a burn control tool in a burning plasma device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raman, R. [Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States)

2007-07-01

Steady-state Advanced Tokamak (AT) scenarios rely on optimized density and pressure profiles to maximize the bootstrap current fraction. Under this mode of operation, the fuelling system must deposit small amounts of fuel where it is needed, and as often as needed, so as to compensate for fuel losses, but not to adversely alter the established density and pressure profiles. Conventional fuelling methods have not demonstrated successful fuelling of ATtype discharges and may be incapable of deep fuelling long pulse ELM-free discharges in ITER. The capability to deposit fuel at any desired radial location within the tokamak would provide burn control capability through alteration of the density profile. The ability to peak the density profile would ease ignition requirements, while operating ITER with density profiles that are peaked would increase the fusion power output. An advanced fuelling system should also be capable of fuelling well past internal transport barriers. Compact Toroid (CT) fuelling [R. Raman, et al., 'Experimental demonstration of tokamak fuelling by compact toroid injection,' Nucl. Fusion, 37, 967 (1997)] has the potential to meet these needs, while simultaneously providing a source of toroidal momentum input. A CT is a selfcontained toroidal plasmoid with embedded magnetic fields. The 20 Hz injector consists of the formation region, compression, acceleration and transport regions. Fuel gas is puffed into the formation region, and a combination of magnetic field and electric current ionizes this gas and creates a self-contained plasma ring (the 'CT'). Then a fast current pulse compresses and accelerates the CT by electromagnetic forces. The accelerated CT will travel at a speed of over 30 cm/{mu}s and for reactors will create a particle inventory perturbation of < 1% per pulse. At this level of particle inventory perturbation, optimized density profiles will not be adversely perturbed. Experimental data needed for the design of

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-06-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)-(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized.

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-01-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)–(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized. (focus issue review)

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-01-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)–(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized. PMID:27877800

Ethanol production from biomass by repetitive solid-state fed-batch fermentation with continuous recovery of ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moukamnerd, Churairat; Kino-oka, Masahiro; Sugiyama, Minetaka; Kaneko, Yoshinobu; Harashima, Satoshi; Katakura, Yoshio [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Biotechnology; Boonchird, Chuenchit [Mahidol Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Dept. of Biotechnology; Noda, Hideo [Kansai Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., Amagasaki (Japan); Ninomiya, Kazuaki [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). Inst. of International Environment Technology; Shioya, Suteaki [Sojo Univ., Kumamoto (Japan). Dept. of Applied Life Science

2010-09-15

To save cost and input energy for bioethanol production, a consolidated continuous solid-state fermentation system composed of a rotating drum reactor, a humidifier, and a condenser was developed. Biomass, saccharifying enzymes, yeast, and a minimum amount of water are introduced into the system. Ethanol produced by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation is continuously recovered as vapor from the headspace of the reactor, while the humidifier compensates for the water loss. From raw corn starch as a biomass model, 95 {+-} 3, 226 {+-} 9, 458 {+-} 26, and 509 {+-} 64 g l{sup -1} of ethanol solutions were recovered continuously when the ethanol content in reactor was controlled at 10-20, 30-50, 50-70 and 75-85 g kg-mixture{sup -1}, respectively. The residue showed a lesser volume and higher solid content than that obtained by conventional liquid fermentation. The cost and energy for intensive waste water treatment are decreased, and the continuous fermentation enabled the sustainability of enzyme activity and yeast in the system. (orig.)

Kinetics of Enzymatic High-Solid Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass Studied by Calorimetry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Søren Nymand; Rasmussen, Erik Lumby; McFarland, K.C.

2011-01-01

analysis of the interrelationships of enzyme load and the rate, time, and extent of the reaction. The results suggest that the hydrolysis rate of pretreated corn stover is limited initially by available attack points on the substrate surface (conversion) but becomes proportional to enzyme dosage......Enzymatic hydrolysis of high-solid biomass (>10% w/w dry mass) has become increasingly important as a key step in the production of second-generation bioethanol. To this end, development of quantitative real-time assays is desirable both for empirical optimization and for detailed kinetic analysis...... rate with a detection limit of about 500 pmol glucose s−1. Hence, calorimetry is shown to be a highly sensitive real-time method, applicable for high solids, and independent on the complexity of the substrate. Dose–response experiments with a typical cellulase cocktail enabled a multidimensional...

Biomass Data | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Data Biomass Data These datasets detail the biomass resources available in the United Coverage File Last Updated Metadata Biomethane Zip 72.2 MB 10/30/2014 Biomethane.xml Solid Biomass Zip 69.5

Thermodynamic Performance Study of Biomass Gasification, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Micro Gas Turbine Hybrid Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang-Møller, Christian; Rokni, Masoud

2010-01-01

A system level modelling study of three combined heat and power systems based on biomass gasification is presented. Product gas is converted in a micro gas turbine (MGT) in the first system, in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) in the second system and in a combined SOFC–MGT arrangement in the third...

Removing fuelling transient using neutron absorbers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paquette, S.; Chan, P.K.; Bonin, H.W., E-mail: Stephane.Paquette@rmc.ca [Royal Military College of Canada, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Dept., Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Pant, A. [Cameco Fuel Manufacturing, Port Hope, Ontario (Canada)

2012-07-01

Preliminary criticality and burnup calculation results indicate that by employing a small amount of neutron absorber the fuelling transient, currently occurring in a CANDU 37-element fuel bundle, can be significantly reduced. A parametric study using the Los Alamos National Laboratories' MCNP 5 code and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's WIMS-AECL 3.1 is presented in this paper. (author)

Fuel cells fuelled by Saccharides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schechner, P.; Mor, L.; Sabag, N.; Rubin, Z.; Bubis, E.

2005-01-01

Full Text:Saccharides, like glucose, fructose and lactose, are ideal renewable fuels. They have high energy content, are safe, transportable, easy to store, non-flammable, non poisonous, non-volatile, odorless, easy to produce anywhere and abundant. Fuel Cells are electro-chemical devices capable to convert chemical energy into electrical energy from fuels, with theoretical efficiencies higher than 0.8 at room temperatures and with low pollutant emissions. Fuel Cells that can produce electricity form saccharides will be able to replace batteries, power electrical plants from biomass wastes, and serve as engines for transportation. In spite of these advantages, saccharide fuelled fuel cells are no available yet. Two obstacles hinder the feasibility of this potentially revolutionary device. The first is the high stability of the saccharides, which requires a good catalyst to extract the electrons from the saccharide fuel. The second is related to the nature of the Fuel Cells: the physical process takes place at the interface surface between the fuel and the electrode. In order to obtain high densities, materials with high surface to volume ratio are needed. Efforts to overcome these obstacles will be described. The use of saccharides as a fuel was treated from the thermodynamic point of view and compared with other common fuels currently used in fuel cells. We summarize measurements performed in a membrane less Alkaline Fuel Cell, using glucose as a fuel and KOH as electrolyte. The anode has incorporated platinum particles and operated at room temperature. Measurements were done, at different concentrations of glucose, of the Open Circuit Voltage, Polarization Curves and Power Density as function of the Current Density. The maximum Power Density reached was 0.61 mW/cm 2 when the Current density was 2.13 mA/cm 2 and the measured Open Circuit Voltage was 0.771 V

Gasification and co-gasification of biomass wastes: Effect of the biomass origin and the gasifier operating conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lapuerta, Magin; Hernandez, Juan J.; Pazo, Amparo; Lopez, Julio [Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales (Edificio Politecnico), Avenida Camilo Jose Cela s/n. 13071 Ciudad Real (Spain)

2008-09-15

Air gasification of different biomass fuels, including forestry (pinus pinaster pruning) and agricultural (grapevine and olive tree pruning) wastes as well as industry wastes (sawdust and marc of grape), has been carried out in a circulating flow gasifier in order to evaluate the potential of using these types of biomass in the same equipment, thus providing higher operation flexibility and minimizing the effect of seasonal fuel supply variations. The potential of using biomass as an additional supporting fuel in coal fuelled power plants has also been evaluated through tests involving mixtures of biomass and coal-coke, the coke being a typical waste of oil companies. The effect of the main gasifier operating conditions, such as the relative biomass/air ratio and the reaction temperature, has been analysed to establish the conditions allowing higher gasification efficiency, carbon conversion and/or fuel constituents (CO, H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}) concentration and production. Results of the work encourage the combined use of the different biomass fuels without significant modifications in the installation, although agricultural wastes (grapevine and olive pruning) could to lead to more efficient gasification processes. These latter wastes appear as interesting fuels to generate a producer gas to be used in internal combustion engines or gas turbines (high gasification efficiency and gas yield), while sawdust could be a very adequate fuel to produce a H{sub 2}-rich gas (with interest for fuel cells) due to its highest reactivity. The influence of the reaction temperature on the gasification characteristics was not as significant as that of the biomass/air ratio, although the H{sub 2} concentration increased with increasing temperature. (author)

Method to separate lignin-rich solid phase from acidic biomass suspension at an acidic pH

Science.gov (United States)

Yasarla, Kumar Lakshmi Rakesh; Ramarao, Bandaru V; Amidon, Thomas

2017-09-05

A method of separating a lignin-rich solid phase from a solution suspension, by pretreating a lignocellulosic biomass with a pretreatment fluid having remove soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles; separating the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass from the pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles; flocculating the separated pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles using polyethylene oxide (i.e., PEO) or cationic Poly acrylamide (i.e., CPAM) as a flocculating agent; and filtering the flocculated separated pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles to remove agglomerates.

Stress analysis of fuelling machine magazine housing of PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.K.; Mehra, V.K.; Charan, J.J.; Kakodkar, A.

1983-01-01

PWR has fuelling machines for on-line refuelling of the core. Magazine housing of this fuelling machine is a thick pressure vessel. It has a cylindrical vessel with flat head on one side and reservable flange closure on the other side. The vessel has many small and big openings. This paper describes the two sets of experiments conducted for its stress analysis. First set of experiment was conducted on a 1:5 photoelastic model which was stress frozen under load of internal pressure. The second set of experiment involved strain gauge measurements at some important locations of the magazine housing. The paper summarises results of the experiments. In conclusion comparison is made between the experimental results and the results of finite element analysis. (orig.)

Ambient temperature does not affect fuelling rate in absence of digestive constraints in long-distance migrant shorebird fuelling up in captivity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petit, Magali; Vezina, Francois; Piersma, Theunis; Heldmaier, G.

Pre-flight fuelling rates in free-living red knots Calidris canutus, a specialized long-distance migrating shorebird species, are positively correlated with latitude and negatively with temperature. The single published hypothesis to explain these relationships is the heat load hypothesis that

Energy consumption of biomass in the residential sector of Italy in 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerardi, V.; Perrella, G.

2001-01-01

The report aims at showing the situation in Italian residential sector in the year 1999 about the consumption of biomass like energy source. Data presented are the result of a statistical survey on the Italian family. Taking into account the year 1999, the survey allowed to estimate a national consumption of vegetal fuels equal to about 14 Mt, with an average value by family of 3 t. The following aspects have been put in evidence: the consumption of biomass in Italy is characterised mainly bu the use of wood, 98.5% out of the total vegetal fuel consumption. Olive pits, charcoal and nutshells can be considered as marginal. Biomass supplying system by the families is related to the single biomass typology; in the case of wood there is a substantial equilibrium between the purchase (42.5%) and the self production/supplies (47%). In the case of olive pits the supplying system is mostly the purchase, on the contrary for the nutshells is the self production/supplies; Biomass are mostly used in the principal house (84.8% of the families using biomass); the families expressed satisfaction; the energetic systems that use vegetal fuels have a complementary character in relation to the systems not fuelled with biomass [it

METEV: Measurement Technologies for Emissions from Ethanol Fuelled Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandtroem-Dahl, Charlotte

2009-11-15

The interest of using alcohols, and especially ethanol, as vehicle fuel is high in Sweden. The advantages are many, such as; being renewable, the ethanol can be produced locally and it is easily mixed with gasoline. Alcohol fuels are considered to be a substantial part of the alternative fuel market, especially in Brazil, USA and Sweden. With this growing interest it is of most importance to investigate the emission performance of vehicles fuelled with alcohols. The focus in this study is on measurement and calculation of hydrocarbon emissions. The emission regulations in different countries have different ways to treat alcohol fuelled vehicles. When alcohols are used as blending components in gasoline, uncombusted alcohols from the fuel are emitted in the exhaust in various amounts. If a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) is used to measure hydrocarbons, the uncombusted alcohol will be included in the measurement. The alcohol is, per definition, however not a hydrocarbon (hydrocarbons contains only hydrogen and carbon). In the US regulations, the alcohol content is measured separately, and the FID measurement is adjusted for the alcohol part. This is not performed in the European regulations. The aim of this project is to highlight the need for a discussion regarding the methodology for measuring hydrocarbon and alcohol emissions from flexible fuelled vehicles operating on alcohol fuel blends.

Government policies increasingly promote renewable energy sources : wood energy markets in the UNECE region, 2009-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Olle Olsson; Bengt Hillring; Rens Hartkamp; Kenneth Skog; Henry Spelter; Francisco Aguilar; Warren Mabee; Christopher Gaston; Antje Wahl

2010-01-01

Sustainability issues about wood fuels are increasingly being debated, but the European Union has decided not to impose EU-wide sustainability criteria for solid biomass. United Kingdom energy companies plan massive increases in their utilization of wood energy, further fuelling European demand for wood energy. In order to increase control of the value chain, European...

Analysis of energetic and exergetic efficiency, and environmental benefits of biomass integrated gasification combined cycle technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mínguez, María; Jiménez, Angel; Rodríguez, Javier; González, Celina; López, Ignacio; Nieto, Rafael

2013-04-01

The problem of the high carbon dioxide emissions linked to power generation makes necessary active research on the use of biofuels in gas turbine systems as a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Gasification of biomass waste is particularly of interest in obtaining a fuel to be run in gas turbines, as it is an efficient biomass-to-biofuel conversion process, and an integration into a combined cycle power plant leads to a high performance with regard to energetic efficiency. The goal of this study was to carry out an energetic, exergetic and environmental analysis of the behaviour of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant fuelled with different kinds of biomass waste by means of simulations. A preliminary economic study is also included. Although a technological development in gasification technology is necessary, the results of simulations indicate a high technical and environmental interest in the use of biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BioIGCC) systems for large-scale power generation from biomass waste.

Comparative evaluation of torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of solid biofuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kambo, Harpreet Singh; Dutta, Animesh

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A comparative characterization of HTC and torrefaction is proposed. • The reaction temperature is the most governing parameter in the HTC process. • The inorganic compositions of biomass were significantly reduced via HTC. • The hydrochar produced at 260 °C shows fuel qualities comparable to that of coal. - Abstract: The work presented in this study demonstrates the potential of using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) on miscanthus feedstock for the production of a carbon-rich solid fuel, referred to as hydrochar, whose physicochemical properties are comparable to that of coal. The effects of the processing conditions on the mass yield, energy yield and higher heating values (HHVs) were examined by varying the reaction temperature (190, 225, and 260 °C), the reaction time (5, 15, and 30 min) and the feedstock-to-water ratio (1:6 and 1:12). The results show that the reaction temperature is the most significant parameter governing the physicochemical properties of biomass. Increasing reaction temperature reduces the mass yield; however, it also significantly enhances the energy density of solid products. The hydrochar samples produced at 260 °C show a maximum energy density of 26–30 MJ/kg, with 66–74% of energy retained in the solid product. In comparison, the energy density, grindability, and hydrophobicity of the solid samples produced via torrefaction (a conventional thermal pre-treatment) were considerably lower than the hydrochar samples, even if the reaction time was kept much higher than HTC. Furthermore, the inorganic metallic composition of miscanthus feedstock almost remained unaffected after torrefaction; however, it was significantly reduced (30–70%) via HTC.

Green Deal Sustainability of Solid Biomass. Report 1 - 2012; Green Deal Duurzaamheid Vaste Biomassa. Rapportage 1 - 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-15

In the title Green Deal, Dutch energy producers agreed late 2012 to report annually on the sustainability of the currently used solid biomass for energy production. This report provides insight over 2012 in the nature and origin of biomass, applied certification systems to demonstrate the sustainability, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emission [Dutch] In de titel Green Deal hebben Nederlandse energieproducenten eind 2012 afgesproken jaarlijks te rapporteren over de duurzaamheid van de gebuikte vaste biomassa voor de energieproductie. Deze rapportage over 2012 biedt inzicht in onder meer de aard en herkomst van de biomassa, gehanteerde certificeringssystemen om de duurzaamheid aan te tonen en de reductie in broeikasgasemissies.

Fuelling Economic Growth: The Role of Public–Private Sector ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2009-04-26

Apr 26, 2009 ... At the same time, however, traditional sources of research funding – from ... Fuelling Economic Growth: The Role of Public–Private Sector ... IDRC congratulates first cohort of Women in Climate Change Science Fellows.

Energy use of biomass composed by agroforestry and organic matter from the urban solid waste and applicable techniques for better performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Frutos, Jose Luis; Iza Lopez, Jon Mario; Orella Saenz, Josu

2009-01-01

The energy crises, increase of the price of petroleum, fear to the shortage of supplies, shift towards more sustainable energy policies, make return the view towards renewable production systems of energy. A common error is to use the term 'biomass' like synonymous of energy, without considering that the relation between useful energy and biomass is as variable as variable they are the elements that can conform the biomass. The useful energy can be extracted of the biomass by two conduits: either by direct combustion, or by products obtained from the transformations of physical-chemistry-biological processes. The present work to try to analyze the power advantage of the biomass as mixture of residues of the wood, agricultural residues and the MO contained in the urban solid residues, as well as the main usable systems for its advantage. (author)

Experimental investigations on CRDI diesel engine fuelled with acid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reported that NOx emission amplified by means of an amplification in the proportion ... performance and emission characteristics of CRDI engine when fuelled with diesel, ..... rate of NOx formation is primarily a function of flame temperature, the ...

Exergy analysis of biomass-to-synthetic natural gas (SNG) process via indirect gasification of various biomass feedstock

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vitasari, C.R.; Jurascik, M.; Ptasinski, K.J.

2011-01-01

This paper presents an exergy analysis of SNG production via indirect gasification of various biomass feedstock, including virgin (woody) biomass as well as waste biomass (municipal solid waste and sludge). In indirect gasification heat needed for endothermic gasification reactions is produced by

Synergistic combination of biomass torrefaction and co-gasification: Reactivity studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Geng, Ping; Liu, Rui

2017-12-01

Two typical biomass feedstocks obtained from woody wastes and agricultural residues were torrefied or mildly pyrolized in a fixed-bed reactor. Effects of the torrefaction conditions on product distributions, compositional and energetic properties of the solid products, char gasification reactivity, and co-gasification behavior between coal and torrefied solids were systematically investigated. Torrefaction pretreatment produced high quality bio-solids with not only increased energy density, but also concentrated alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEM). As a consequence of greater retention of catalytic elements in the solid products, the chars derived from torrefied biomass exhibited a faster conversion than those derived from raw biomass during CO 2 gasification. Furthermore, co-gasification of coal/torrefied biomass blends exhibited stronger synergy compared to the coal/raw biomass blends. The results and insights provided by this study filled a gap in understanding synergy during co-gasification of coal and torrefied biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass energy - Definitions, resources and transformation processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damien, Alain

2013-01-01

Biomass energy is today considered as a new renewable energy source, and thus, has entered a regulatory framework aiming at encouraging its development for CO 2 pollution abatement. This book addresses the constraints, both natural and technological, of the exploitation of the biomass resource, and then the economical and regulatory aspects of this industry. This second edition provides a complement about the plants used and the new R and D progresses made in this domain. Content: 1 - Definitions and general considerations: natural organic products, regulatory and standardized definitions, energy aspects of biomass fuels; 2 - Resources: energy production dedicated crops, biomass by-products, biomass from wastes; 3 - Biomass to energy transformation processes: combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction, methanation, alcoholic fermentation, landfill biogas, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, methanol synthesis, trans-esterification, synthetic natural gas production, bio-hydrogen production; 4 - Biofuels: solid fuels, solid automotive biofuels, gaseous biofuels, liquid biofuels, comparative efficiency; 5 - Situation of biomass energy: regulations, impact on non-energy purpose biomass, advantages and drawbacks

Co-liquefaction of Elbistan Lignite with Manure Biomass; Part 2 - Effect of Biomass Type, Waste to Lignite Ratio and Solid to Liquid Ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Karaca, Hüseyin; Koyunoglu, Cemil

2017-12-01

pulp and waste plastic liquefied and to understand hydrogen quantity change after liquefaction, (H/C)atomic ratio of products obtained. Due to the highest oil conversion of manure biomass and highest (H/C)atomic ratio results show manure is the favourable biomass for EL amongst the other biomass used. And liquid/solid ratio optimized. About high total conversion of oil products the optimum ratio obtained as 3/1. And also EL with manure liquefied with the w/EL ratio between 0:1 to 1:1. As a result, by thinking about the yield values obtained, the optimum waste to lignite ratio found to be 1:1.

Biomass hydrolysis inhibition at high hydrogen partial pressure in solid-state anaerobic digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Cazier, E A; Trably, E; Steyer, J P; Escudie, R

2015-08-01

In solid-state anaerobic digestion, so-called ss-AD, biogas production is inhibited at high total solids contents. Such inhibition is likely caused by a slow diffusion of dissolved reaction intermediates that locally accumulate. In this study, we investigated the effect of H2 and CO2 partial pressure on ss-AD. Partial pressure of H2 and/or CO2 was artificially fixed, from 0 to 1 557mbars for H2 and from 0 to 427mbars for CO2. High partial pressure of H2 showed a significant effect on methanogenesis, while CO2 had no impact. At high [Formula: see text] , the overall substrate degradation decreased with no accumulation of metabolites from acidogenic bacteria, indicating that the hydrolytic activity was specifically impacted. Interestingly, such inhibition did not occur when CO2 was added with H2. This result suggests that CO2 gas transfer is probably a key factor in ss-AD from biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of hydrogen fuelling on confinement properties in radiative improved mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalupin, D; Dumortier, P; Messiaen, A; Tokar, M Z; Unterberg, B; Verdoolaege, Geert; Wassenhove, G Van; Weynants, R

2003-01-01

The radiative improved (RI) mode at TEXTOR is a high confinement regime, which is obtained by the seeding of neon into deuterium plasmas. Recent experiments were aimed to study the influence of external gas fuelling on the confinement properties of the RI mode. In particular, it was found that a hydrogen puff into such plasmas leads to lower confinement compared with the discharges fuelled with the same amount of deuterium gas. This paper attempts to explain the reduction of confinement in RI plasmas with an external hydrogen puff and its relation to the level of impurity concentration, which is a critical parameter for RI mode confinement

A 100% renewable electricity generation system for New Zealand utilising hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, I.G.; Page, S.C.; Williamson, A.G.

2010-01-01

The New Zealand electricity generation system is dominated by hydro generation at approximately 60% of installed capacity between 2005 and 2007, augmented with approximately 32% fossil-fuelled generation, plus minor contributions from geothermal, wind and biomass resources. In order to explore the potential for a 100% renewable electricity generation system with substantially increased levels of wind penetration, fossil-fuelled electricity production was removed from an historic 3-year data set, and replaced by modelled electricity production from wind, geothermal and additional peaking options. Generation mixes comprising 53-60% hydro, 22-25% wind, 12-14% geothermal, 1% biomass and 0-12% additional peaking generation were found to be feasible on an energy and power basis, whilst maintaining net hydro storage. Wind capacity credits ranged from 47% to 105% depending upon the incorporation of demand management, and the manner of operation of the hydro system. Wind spillage was minimised, however, a degree of residual spillage was considered to be an inevitable part of incorporating non-dispatchable generation into a stand-alone grid system. Load shifting was shown to have considerable advantages over installation of new peaking plant. Application of the approach applied in this research to countries with different energy resource mixes is discussed, and options for further research are outlined.

Cost comparison of 4x500 MW coal-fuelled and 4x850 MW CANDU nuclear generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, M.

1981-01-01

The lifetime costs for a 4x850 MW CANDU generating station are compared to those for 4x500 MW bituminous coal-fuelled generating stations. Two types of coal-fuelled stations are considered; one burning U.S. coal which includes flue gas desulfurization and one burning Western Canadian coal. Current estimates for the capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, fuel costs, decommissioning costs and irradiated fuel management costs are shown. The results show: (1) The accumulated discounted costs of nuclear generation, although initially higher, are lower than coal-fuelled generation after two or three years. (2) Fuel costs provide the major contribution to the total lifetime costs for coal-fuelled stations whereas capital costs are the major item for the nuclear station. (3) The break even lifetime capacity factor between nuclear and U.S. coal-fuelled generation is projected to be 5%; that for nuclear and Canadian coal-fuelled generation is projected to be 9%. (4) Large variations in the costs are required before the cost advantage of nuclear generation is lost. (5) Comparison with previous results shows that the nuclear alternative has a greater cost advantage in the current assessment. (6) The total unit energy cost remains approximately constant throughout the station life for nuclear generation while that for coal-fuelled generation increases significantly due to escalating fuel costs. The 1978 and 1979 actual total unit energy cost to the consumer for several Ontario Hydro stations are detailed, and projected total unit energy costs for several Ontario Hydro stations are shown in terms of escalated dollars and in 1980 constant dollars

Safety - a Neglected Issue When Introducing Solid Biomass Fuel in Thermal Power Plants? Some Evidence of an Emerging Risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedlund, Frank Huess; Astad, John

2013-01-01

The paper examines recent evidence from Denmark and abroad with climate change projects that aim to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by converting coal fired thermal power plants to solid biomass fuel. The paper argues that projects appear to be pursued narrow-mindedly with insufficient att...

Coal-fuelled systems for peaking power with 100% CO2 capture through integration of solid oxide fuel cells with compressed air energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Nease, Jake; Adams, Thomas A.

2014-04-01

In this study, a coal-fuelled integrated solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and compressed air energy storage (CAES) system in a load-following power production scenario is discussed. Sixteen SOFC-based plants with optional carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and syngas shifting steps are simulated and compared to a state-of-the-art supercritical pulverised coal (SCPC) plant. Simulations are performed using a combination of MATLAB and Aspen Plus v7.3. It was found that adding CAES to a SOFC-based plant can provide load-following capabilities with relatively small effects on efficiencies (1-2% HHV depending on the system configuration) and levelized costs of electricity (∼0.35 ¢ kW-1 h-1). The load-following capabilities, as measured by least-squares metrics, show that this system may utilize coal and achieve excellent load-tracking that is not adversely affected by the inclusion of CCS. Adding CCS to the SOFC/CAES system reduces measurable direct CO2 emission to zero. A seasonal partial plant shutdown schedule is found to reduce fuel consumption by 9.5% while allowing for cleaning and maintenance windows for the SOFC stacks without significantly affecting the performance of the system (∼1% HHV reduction in efficiency). The SOFC-based systems with CCS are found to become economically attractive relative to SCPC above carbon taxes of 22 ton-1.

The use of oxygen-enriched air for biomass gasification: initial scoping study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-07-01

The article reports an initial scoping study which is aimed at assessing the potential impact of using non-cryogenic oxygen, or oxygen-enriched air, for biomass gasification with respect to cost, design and operation of stationary biomass-fuelled generators in the range 5 to 15 MW(e). The study is expected to lead to identification of options worthy of more detailed study. The format of the scoping study is as follows: (i) using data on performance and cost from the manufacturers, minimum cost-saving potential is assessed; (ii) the performance and component costs of various gasifier types and engine types are reviewed to identify possible savings in monetary cost; (iii) an assessment of the likely impact of low-cost fuels is made and (iv) areas for detailed investigation are highlighted.

System and process for biomass treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Dunson, Jr., James B; Tucker, III, Melvin P; Elander, Richard T; Lyons, Robert C

2013-08-20

A system including an apparatus is presented for treatment of biomass that allows successful biomass treatment at a high solids dry weight of biomass in the biomass mixture. The design of the system provides extensive distribution of a reactant by spreading the reactant over the biomass as the reactant is introduced through an injection lance, while the biomass is rotated using baffles. The apparatus system to provide extensive assimilation of the reactant into biomass using baffles to lift and drop the biomass, as well as attrition media which fall onto the biomass, to enhance the treatment process.

Experimental study on the performance and emissions of a compression ignition engine fuelled with butanol diesel blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maki, Duraid F.; Prabhakaran, P.

2010-01-01

An experimental investigation on the application of the blends of butanol with diesel to a direct injection diesel engine was carried out. Experimental tests were carried out to study the performance and emissions of the engine fuelled with the blends compared with those fuelled by diesel. The test results show that it is feasible and applicable for the blends with butanol to replace conventional diesel as the fuel for diesel engine; the fuel consumption, brake efficiency, exhaust temperature, and volumetric efficiency of the engine fuelled by the blends were comparable with that fuelled by diesel. The characteristics of the emissions were also studied. CO, CO 2 , HC and NO X are measured and compared with the base fuel case when the conventional diesel is used alone. The results were different for different speeds, loads and blends. (author)

Catalytic Gasification of Lignocellulosic Biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chodimella, Pramod; Seshan, Kulathuiyer; Schlaf, Marcel; Zhang, Z. Conrad

2015-01-01

Gasification of lignocellulosic biomass has attracted substantial current research interest. Various possible routes to convert biomass to fuels have been explored. In the present chapter, an overview of the gasification processes and their possible products are discussed. Gasification of solid

Pellet fuelling and ELMy H-mode physics at JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, L.D.

2001-01-01

As the reference operating regime for ITER, investigations of the ELMy H-mode have received high priority in the JET experimental programme. Recent experiments have concentrated in particular on operation simultaneously at high density and high confinement using high field side (HFS) pellet launch. The enhanced fuelling efficiency of HFS pellet fuelling is found to scale favourably to a large machine such as JET. The achievable density of ELMy H-mode plasmas in JET has been significantly increased using HFS fuelling although at the expense of confinement degradation back to L-mode levels. Initial experiments using control of the pellet injection frequency have shown that density and confinement can simultaneously be increased close to the values necessary for ITER. The boundaries of the available ELMy H-mode operational space have also been extensively explored. The power necessary to maintain the high confinement normally associated with ELMy H-mode operation is found to be substantially higher than the H-mode threshold power. The compatibility of ELMy H-modes with divertor operation acceptable for a fusion device has been studied. Narrow energy scrape-off widths are measured which place stringent limits on divertor power handling. Deuterium and tritium codeposition profiles are measured to be strongly in/out asymmetric. Successful modelling of these profiles requires the inclusion of the (measured) scrape-off layer flows and of the production in the divertor of hydrocarbon molecules with sticking coefficients below unity. Helium exhaust and compression are found to be within the limits sufficient for a reactor. (author)

Technical and Feasibility Analysis of Gasoline and Natural Gas Fuelled Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charalambos Chasos

2014-03-01

Full Text Available There is recent interest for the utilisation of natural gas for empowering the internal combustion engines (ICE of vehicles. The production of novel natural gas ICE for vehicles, as well as the conversion of existing gasoline fuelled ICE of vehicles to natural gas fuelled ICE are new technologies which require to be analysed and assessed. The objective of the present study is to examine the adaptation of natural gas as vehicle fuel and carry out a technical analysis and an economical feasibility analysis of the two types of ICE vehicles, namely gasoline and natural gas fuelled vehicles. The technical model uses the physical properties of the two fuels and the performance factors of internal combustion engines including brake thermal efficiency. The resulting exhaust gas emissions are also estimated by the technical model using combustion calculations which provide the expected levels of exhaust gas emissions. Based on the analysis with the technical model, comparisons of the two types of engines are performed. Furthermore, the estimated performance characteristics of the two types of engines, along with local statistical data on annual fuel imports and annual fuel consumption for transportation and data on the vehicles fleet for the case study of Cyprus are used as input in the economical model. For the base year 2013, data of natural gas price is also used in the economical model. The economical model estimates the capital cost, the carbon dioxide emissions avoidance of fines, the net present value and the internal rate of return of the investment of large scale adaptation of natural gas fuelled vehicles for the case study. From the results and comparisons, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are provided for the adaptation of natural gas vehicles which can provide improved performance with reduced pollutant emissions.

Treatment of biomass to obtain ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Dunson, Jr., James B.; Elander, Richard T [Evergreen, CO; Tucker, III, Melvin P.; Hennessey, Susan Marie [Avondale, PA

2011-08-16

Ethanol was produced using biocatalysts that are able to ferment sugars derived from treated biomass. Sugars were obtained by pretreating biomass under conditions of high solids and low ammonia concentration, followed by saccharification.

Biomass gasification for energy production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundberg, H.; Morris, M.; Rensfelt, E. [TPS Termiska Prosesser Ab, Nykoeping (Sweden)

1997-12-31

Biomass and waste are becoming increasingly interesting as fuels for efficient and environmentally sound power generation. Circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification for biomass and waste has been developed and applied to kilns both in the pulp and paper industry and the cement industry. A demonstration plant in Greve-in- Chianti, Italy includes two 15 MW{sub t}h RDF-fuelled CFB gasifiers of TPS design, the product gas from which is used in a cement kiln or in steam boiler for power generation. For CFB gasification of biomass and waste to reach a wider market, the product gas has to be cleaned effectively so that higher fuel to power efficiencies can be achieved by utilizing power cycles based on engines or gas turbines. TPS has developed both CFB gasification technology and effective secondary stage tar cracking technology. The integrated gasification - gas-cleaning technology is demonstrated today at pilot plant scale. To commercialise the technology, the TPS`s strategy is to first demonstrate the process for relatively clean fuels such as woody biomass and then extend the application to residues from waste recycling. Several demonstration projects are underway to commercialise TPS`s gasification and gas cleaning technology. In UK the ARBRE project developed by ARBRE Energy will construct a gasification plant at Eggborough, North Yorkshire, which will provide gas to a gas turbine and steam turbine generation system, producing 10 MW and exporting 8 Mw of electricity. It has been included in the 1993 tranche of the UK`s Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and has gained financial support from EC`s THERMIE programme as a targeted BIGCC project. (author)

Biomass gasification for energy production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundberg, H; Morris, M; Rensfelt, E [TPS Termiska Prosesser Ab, Nykoeping (Sweden)

1998-12-31

Biomass and waste are becoming increasingly interesting as fuels for efficient and environmentally sound power generation. Circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification for biomass and waste has been developed and applied to kilns both in the pulp and paper industry and the cement industry. A demonstration plant in Greve-in- Chianti, Italy includes two 15 MW{sub t}h RDF-fuelled CFB gasifiers of TPS design, the product gas from which is used in a cement kiln or in steam boiler for power generation. For CFB gasification of biomass and waste to reach a wider market, the product gas has to be cleaned effectively so that higher fuel to power efficiencies can be achieved by utilizing power cycles based on engines or gas turbines. TPS has developed both CFB gasification technology and effective secondary stage tar cracking technology. The integrated gasification - gas-cleaning technology is demonstrated today at pilot plant scale. To commercialise the technology, the TPS`s strategy is to first demonstrate the process for relatively clean fuels such as woody biomass and then extend the application to residues from waste recycling. Several demonstration projects are underway to commercialise TPS`s gasification and gas cleaning technology. In UK the ARBRE project developed by ARBRE Energy will construct a gasification plant at Eggborough, North Yorkshire, which will provide gas to a gas turbine and steam turbine generation system, producing 10 MW and exporting 8 Mw of electricity. It has been included in the 1993 tranche of the UK`s Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and has gained financial support from EC`s THERMIE programme as a targeted BIGCC project. (author)

Biomass Energy Production in California: The Case for a Biomass Policy Initiative; Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morris, G.

2000-12-14

During the 1980s California developed the largest and most divers biomass energy industry in the world. Biomass energy production has become an important component of the state's environmental infrastructure, diverting solid wastes from open burning and disposal in landfills to a beneficial use application.

Characterization of carbonaceous aerosol emissions from selected combustion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, J.P.G.; Espino, M.P.M.; Pabroa, P.C.B.; Bautista, A.T. VII

2015-01-01

Carbonaceous Particulates are carbon-containing solid or liquid matter which form a significant portion of the fine particulate mass (PM2.5) and these have known profound adverse effects on health, climate and visibility. This study aims to characterize carbonaceous aerosol emissions from different combustion sources to establish fingerprints for these for use in the refinement of improvement of the resolution of sources apportionment studies being done by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), i.e. to resolve vehicular emission sources. Fine air particulate sample were collected in pre-baked Quartz filters using an improvised collection set-up with a Gent sampler. Concentrations of organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC, respectively) in PM2.5 were measured for the different combustion sources—vehicular emissions, tire pyrolysis, and biomass burning, using a thermal-optical method of analysis following the IMPROVE_A protocol. Measured OC ad EC concentrations are shown as percentages with respect to the total carbon (TC) and are illustrated in a 100% stacked chart. Predominance of the EC2 fraction is exhibited in both the diesel fuelled vehicle and tire pyrolysis emissions with EC2/OC2 ratio distinguishing one from the other, EC2/OC2 is 1.63 and 8.41, respectively. Predominance of either OC2 or OC3 fraction is shown in the unleaded gasoline and LPG Fuelled vehicles and in biomass burning with the OC2/OC3 ratio distinguishing one from the others. OC2/OC3 ratios are 1.33 for unleaded gasoline fuelled vehicle, 1.89 for LPG-fuelled vehicle, 0.55 for biomass burning (leaves) and 0.82 biomass burning (wood). The study has shown probable use of the EC2/OC2 and OC2/OC3 ratios to distinguish fingerprints for combustion sources covered in this study. (author)

Complex thermal energy conversion systems for efficient use of locally available biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalina, Jacek

2016-01-01

This paper is focused on a theoretical study in search for new technological solutions in the field of electricity generation from biomass in small-scale distributed cogeneration systems. The purpose of this work is to draw readers' attention to possibilities of design complex multi-component hybrid and combined technological structures of energy conversion plants for effective use of locally available biomass resources. As an example, there is presented analysis of cogeneration system that consists of micro-turbine, high temperature fuel cell, inverted Bryton cycle module and biomass gasification island. The project assumes supporting use of natural gas and cooperation of the plant with a low-temperature district heating network. Thermodynamic parameters, energy conversion effectiveness and economic performance are examined. Results show relatively high energy conversion performance and on the other hand weak financial indices of investment projects at the current level of energy prices. It is however possible under certain conditions to define an optimistic business model that leads to a feasible project. - Highlights: • Concept of biomass energy conversion plant is proposed and theoretically analysed. • MCFC type fuel cell is fuelled with biomass gasification gas. • Natural gas fired microturbine is considered as a source of continuous power. • Inverted Bryton Cycle is considered for utilisation of high temperature exhaust gas.

Process and device for processing biomass into biogas. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Verarbeitung einer Biomasse zu Biogas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jendrike, H.

1983-04-21

The invention concerns a process for processing biomass such as liquid manure, solid manure or slaughterhouse waste by anaerobic decomposition in an alkaline medium into biogas. In order to achieve more intensive processing of the biomass, particularly in order to increase biogas production by removing a floating or sinking layer, a deposited biomass sinking layer is whirled at certain spacing. The whirled biomass sinking layer is sucked up and is pressed on to a biomass floating layer which forms.

Refining fast pyrolysis of biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerhof, Roel Johannes Maria

2011-01-01

Pyrolysis oil produced from biomass is a promising renewable alternative to crude oil. Such pyrolysis oil has transportation, storage, and processing benefits, none of which are offered by the bulky, inhomogeneous solid biomass from which it originates. However, pyrolysis oil has both a different

Effects of fuelling by using high-pressure supersonic molecular beam in the HL-1M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Lianghua; Feng Beibin; Feng Zhen; Dong Jiafu; Li Wenzhong; Xu Deming; Hong Wenyu

2002-01-01

Supersonic molecular beam (SMB), as a new fuelling method, has been successfully developed and used in HL-1M tokamak and HT-7 superconducting tokamak. The hydrogen clusters have been found in the beam produced by high working-gas pressure in recent experiments. With a penetration depth of hydrogen particles greater than 17 cm, the rate of increase of electron density for SMB injection, dn e -bar/dt, approaches that of the small ice pellet injection. The plasma density increases step by step after multi-pulse SMB injection, just as multi-pellet fuelling. Comparison of fuelling effects was made between SMB and ice pellet injection on the same shot of ohmic discharge in HL-1M

Kinetics of enzymatic high-solid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass studied by calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Søren N; Lumby, Erik; McFarland, Kc; Borch, Kim; Westh, Peter

2011-03-01

Enzymatic hydrolysis of high-solid biomass (>10% w/w dry mass) has become increasingly important as a key step in the production of second-generation bioethanol. To this end, development of quantitative real-time assays is desirable both for empirical optimization and for detailed kinetic analysis. In the current work, we have investigated the application of isothermal calorimetry to study the kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis of two substrates (pretreated corn stover and Avicel) at high-solid contents (up to 29% w/w). It was found that the calorimetric heat flow provided a true measure of the hydrolysis rate with a detection limit of about 500 pmol glucose s(-1). Hence, calorimetry is shown to be a highly sensitive real-time method, applicable for high solids, and independent on the complexity of the substrate. Dose-response experiments with a typical cellulase cocktail enabled a multidimensional analysis of the interrelationships of enzyme load and the rate, time, and extent of the reaction. The results suggest that the hydrolysis rate of pretreated corn stover is limited initially by available attack points on the substrate surface (conversion) but becomes proportional to enzyme dosage (excess of attack points) at later stages (>10% conversion). This kinetic profile is interpreted as an increase in polymer end concentration (substrate for CBH) as the hydrolysis progresses, probably due to EG activity in the enzyme cocktail. Finally, irreversible enzyme inactivation did not appear to be the source of reduced hydrolysis rate over time.

Biomass valorisation by staged degasification A new pyrolysis-based thermochemical conversion option to produce value-added chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wild, P. J.; den Uil, H.; Reith, J. H.; Kiel, J. H. A.; Heeres, H. J.

Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass leads to an array Of useful solid, liquid and gaseous products. Staged degasification is a pyrolysis-based conversion route to generate value-added chemicals from biomass. Because of different thermal stabilities of the main biomass constituents hemicellulose.

Spatial graduation of fuel taxes; consequences for cross-border and domestic fuelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rietveld, P.; Bruinsma, F.R.; Vuuren, D.J. van [Vrije University, Amsterdam (Niger). Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics, Department of Spatial Economics and Tinbergen Institute

2001-07-01

Substantial differences exist among fuel taxes between various countries. These differences represent a form of fiscal competition that has undesirable side effects because it leads to cross-border fuelling and hence to extra kilometres driven. One possible way of dealing with this problem of low fuel taxes in neighbouring countries is to introduce a spatial differentiation of taxes: low near the border and higher farther away. This paper contains an empirical analysis of the consequences of such a spatial graduation of fuel taxes for The Netherlands. Impacts on fuelling behaviour, vehicle kilometres driven, tax receipts, and sales by owners of gas stations are analysed. The appropriate slope of the graduation curve in order to prevent fuel-fetching trips is also discussed. Our conclusion is that in a small country such as The Netherlands, a spatial graduation of fuel taxes will lead to considerable problems, even when the graduation curve is not steep that fuel-fetching trips are prevented. The reason is that - given their activity patterns - car drivers will change the location of their fuelling activity leading to substantial problems for owners of gas stations in areas with high taxes. (author)

Lipase Production in Solid-State Fermentation Monitoring Biomass Growth of Aspergillus niger Using Digital Image Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Julio C. V.; da Terzi, Selma C.; Bevilaqua, Juliana Vaz; Damaso, Mônica C. T.; Couri, Sônia; Langone, Marta A. P.; Senna, Lilian F.

The aim of this study was to monitor the biomass growth of Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation (SSF) for lipase production using digital image processing technique. The strain A. niger 11T53A14 was cultivated in SSF using wheat bran as support, which was enriched with 0.91% (m/v) of ammonium sulfate. The addition of several vegetable oils (castor, soybean, olive, corn, and palm oils) was investigated to enhance lipase production. The maximum lipase activity was obtained using 2% (m/m) castor oil. In these conditions, the growth was evaluated each 24 h for 5 days by the glycosamine content analysis and digital image processing. Lipase activity was also determined. The results indicated that the digital image process technique can be used to monitor biomass growth in a SSF process and to correlate biomass growth and enzyme activity. In addition, the immobilized esterification lipase activity was determined for the butyl oleate synthesis, with and without 50% v/v hexane, resulting in 650 and 120 U/g, respectively. The enzyme was also used for transesterification of soybean oil and ethanol with maximum yield of 2.4%, after 30 min of reaction.

Lipase production in solid-state fermentation monitoring biomass growth of aspergillus niger using digital image processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Júlio C V; da C Terzi, Selma; Bevilaqua, Juliana Vaz; Damaso, Mônica C T; Couri, Sônia; Langone, Marta A P; Senna, Lilian F

2008-03-01

The aim of this study was to monitor the biomass growth of Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation (SSF) for lipase production using digital image processing technique. The strain A. niger 11T53A14 was cultivated in SSF using wheat bran as support, which was enriched with 0.91% (m/v) of ammonium sulfate. The addition of several vegetable oils (castor, soybean, olive, corn, and palm oils) was investigated to enhance lipase production. The maximum lipase activity was obtained using 2% (m/m) castor oil. In these conditions, the growth was evaluated each 24 h for 5 days by the glycosamine content analysis and digital image processing. Lipase activity was also determined. The results indicated that the digital image process technique can be used to monitor biomass growth in a SSF process and to correlate biomass growth and enzyme activity. In addition, the immobilized esterification lipase activity was determined for the butyl oleate synthesis, with and without 50% v/v hexane, resulting in 650 and 120 U/g, respectively. The enzyme was also used for transesterification of soybean oil and ethanol with maximum yield of 2.4%, after 30 min of reaction.

OUT Success Stories: Biomass Gasifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, J.

2000-01-01

The world's first demonstration of an efficient, low-pressure biomass gasifier capable of producing a high-quality fuel is now operating in Vermont. The gasifier converts 200 tons of solid biomass per day into a clean-burning gas with a high energy content for electricity generation

Leaching From Biomass Gasification Residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allegrini, Elisa; Boldrin, Alessio; Polletini, A.

2011-01-01

The aim of the present work is to attain an overall characterization of solid residues from biomass gasification. Besides the determination of chemical and physical properties, the work was focused on the study of leaching behaviour. Compliance and pH-dependence leaching tests coupled with geoche......The aim of the present work is to attain an overall characterization of solid residues from biomass gasification. Besides the determination of chemical and physical properties, the work was focused on the study of leaching behaviour. Compliance and pH-dependence leaching tests coupled...

Decentralised power generation using solid biomass - Know-how on combined heat and power generation for investors; Dezentrale Stromerzeugung mit Feststoffbiomasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmid, M.; Gaegauf, Ch.; Sattler, M.

2007-01-15

This comprehensive report made by the Centre of Appropriate Technology and Social Ecology in Langenbruck, Switzerland presents a summary of know-how for investors on combined heat and power generation using solid biomass in installations with an electrical rating of up to one megawatt. Topics covered include a review of the reasons for using biomass to generate electricity - with the results of an analysis of potential in Switzerland and the European Union - and of economic assessment methods for the choice of technology and manufacturers. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of technologies is presented and existing biomass-fired installations in Switzerland are listed. A comparison with centrally-refined combustibles is presented and examples of cost and profitability calculations are given. Finally technological background information is presented, including information on 'forgotten' technologies.

Researches concerning the use of mixed Hydrogen in the combustion of dense biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negreanu, Gabriel-Paul; Mihaescu, Lucian; Pisa, Ionel; Berbece, Viorel; Lazaroiu, Gheorghe

2014-01-01

The paper deals with theoretical basis and experimental tests of mixed hydrogen diffusion in the dense system of biomass. Research regarding hydrogen diffusion in the porous system of biomass is part of wider research focusing on using hydrogen as an active medium for solid biomass combustion. In parallel with hydrogen diffusion in solid biomass, tests regarding biomass combustion previously subjected to a hydrogen flux will be carried out. Keywords: biomass, hydrogen diffusion, combustion, experimental tests

Modelling of biomass pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakova, Nadezhda; Petkov, Venko; Mihailov, Emil

2015-01-01

Pyrolysis is an essential preliminary step in a gasifier. The first step in modelling the pyrolysis process of biomass is creating a model for the chemical processes taking place. This model should describe the used fuel, the reactions taking place and the products created in the process. The numerous different polymers present in the organic fraction of the fuel are generally divided in three main groups. So, the multistep kinetic model of biomass pyrolysis is based on conventional multistep devolatilization models of the three main biomass components - cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Numerical simulations have been conducted in order to estimate the influence of the heating rate and the temperature of pyrolysis on the content of the virgin biomass, active biomass, liquid, solid and gaseous phases at any moment. Keywords: kinetic models, pyrolysis, biomass pyrolysis.

Biomass energy conversion: conventional and advanced technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, B C; Hauserman, W B [Energy and Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States)

1995-12-01

Increasing interest in biomass energy conversion in recent years has focused attention on enhancing the efficiency of technologies converting biomass fuels into heat and power, their capital and operating costs and their environmental emissions. Conventional combustion systems, such as fixed-bed or grate units and entrainment units, deliver lower efficiencies (<25%) than modem coal-fired combustors (30-35%). The gasification of biomass will improve energy conversion efficiency and yield products useful for heat and power generation and chemical synthesis. Advanced biomass gasification technologies using pressurized fluidized-bed systems, including those incorporating hot-gas clean-up for feeding gas turbines or fuel cells, are being demonstrated. However, many biomass gasification processes are derivatives of coal gasification technologies and do not exploit the unique properties of biomass. This paper examines some existing and upcoming technologies for converting biomass into electric power or heat. Small-scale 1-30 MWe units are emphasized, but brief reference is made to larger and smaller systems, including those that bum coal-biomass mixtures and gasifiers that feed pilot-fuelled diesel engines. Promising advanced systems, such as a biomass integrated gasifier/gas turbine (BIG/GT) with combined-cycle operation and a biomass gasifier coupled to a fuel cell, giving cycle efficiencies approaching 50% are also described. These advanced gasifiers, typically fluid-bed designs, may be pressurized and can use a wide variety of biomass materials to generate electricity, process steam and chemical products such as methanol. Low-cost, disposable catalysts are becoming available for hot-gas clean-up (enhanced gas composition) for turbine and fuel cell systems. The advantages, limitations and relative costs of various biomass gasifier systems are briefly discussed. The paper identifies the best known biomass power projects and includes some information on proposed and

Biomass energy conversion: conventional and advanced technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, B.C.; Hauserman, W.B.

1995-01-01

Increasing interest in biomass energy conversion in recent years has focused attention on enhancing the efficiency of technologies converting biomass fuels into heat and power, their capital and operating costs and their environmental emissions. Conventional combustion systems, such as fixed-bed or grate units and entrainment units, deliver lower efficiencies (<25%) than modem coal-fired combustors (30-35%). The gasification of biomass will improve energy conversion efficiency and yield products useful for heat and power generation and chemical synthesis. Advanced biomass gasification technologies using pressurized fluidized-bed systems, including those incorporating hot-gas clean-up for feeding gas turbines or fuel cells, are being demonstrated. However, many biomass gasification processes are derivatives of coal gasification technologies and do not exploit the unique properties of biomass. This paper examines some existing and upcoming technologies for converting biomass into electric power or heat. Small-scale 1-30 MWe units are emphasized, but brief reference is made to larger and smaller systems, including those that bum coal-biomass mixtures and gasifiers that feed pilot-fuelled diesel engines. Promising advanced systems, such as a biomass integrated gasifier/gas turbine (BIG/GT) with combined-cycle operation and a biomass gasifier coupled to a fuel cell, giving cycle efficiencies approaching 50% are also described. These advanced gasifiers, typically fluid-bed designs, may be pressurized and can use a wide variety of biomass materials to generate electricity, process steam and chemical products such as methanol. Low-cost, disposable catalysts are becoming available for hot-gas clean-up (enhanced gas composition) for turbine and fuel cell systems. The advantages, limitations and relative costs of various biomass gasifier systems are briefly discussed. The paper identifies the best known biomass power projects and includes some information on proposed and

Comparative analysis of heat pump and biomass boiler for small detached house heating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olkowski Tomasz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the work is to answer the question - which of the two selected heat sources is more economically beneficial for small detached house: heat pump or biomass boiler fuelled with wood-pellets? The comparative analysis of these sources was carried out to discuss the issue. First, cost of both, equipment and operation of selected heat systems were analysed. Additionally, CO2 emission levels associated with these heat systems were determined. The comparative analysis of the costs of both considered heat systems showed that equipment cost of heat pump system is considerably bigger than the cost of biomass boiler system. The comparison of annual operation costs showed that heat pump operation cost is slightly lower than operation cost of biomass boiler. The analysis of above results shows that lower operation cost of heat pump in comparison with biomass boiler cost lets qualify heat pump as more economically justified only after 38 years of work. For both analysed devices, CO2 emission levels were determined. The considerations take into account the fact that heat pump consumes electricity. It is mostly generated through combustion of coal in Poland. The results show that in Poland biomass boiler can be described as not only more economically justified system but also as considerably more ecological.

Comparative analysis of heat pump and biomass boiler for small detached house heating

Science.gov (United States)

Olkowski, Tomasz; Lipiński, Seweryn; Olędzka, Aneta

2017-10-01

The purpose of the work is to answer the question - which of the two selected heat sources is more economically beneficial for small detached house: heat pump or biomass boiler fuelled with wood-pellets? The comparative analysis of these sources was carried out to discuss the issue. First, cost of both, equipment and operation of selected heat systems were analysed. Additionally, CO2 emission levels associated with these heat systems were determined. The comparative analysis of the costs of both considered heat systems showed that equipment cost of heat pump system is considerably bigger than the cost of biomass boiler system. The comparison of annual operation costs showed that heat pump operation cost is slightly lower than operation cost of biomass boiler. The analysis of above results shows that lower operation cost of heat pump in comparison with biomass boiler cost lets qualify heat pump as more economically justified only after 38 years of work. For both analysed devices, CO2 emission levels were determined. The considerations take into account the fact that heat pump consumes electricity. It is mostly generated through combustion of coal in Poland. The results show that in Poland biomass boiler can be described as not only more economically justified system but also as considerably more ecological.

Direct Succinic Acid Production from Minimally Pretreated Biomass Using Sequential Solid-State and Slurry Fermentation with Mixed Fungal Cultures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerico Alcantara

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Conventional bio-based succinic acid production involves anaerobic bacterial fermentation of pure sugars. This study explored a new route for directly producing succinic acid from minimally-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass via a consolidated bioprocessing technology employing a mixed lignocellulolytic and acidogenic fungal co-culture. The process involved a solid-state pre-fermentation stage followed by a two-phase slurry fermentation stage. During the solid-state pre-fermentation stage, Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei were co-cultured in a nitrogen-rich substrate (e.g., soybean hull to induce cellulolytic enzyme activity. The ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was grown separately on carbon-rich birch wood chips to induce ligninolytic enzymes, rendering the biomass more susceptible to cellulase attack. The solid-state pre-cultures were then combined in a slurry fermentation culture to achieve simultaneous enzymatic cellulolysis and succinic acid production. This approach generated succinic acid at maximum titers of 32.43 g/L after 72 h of batch slurry fermentation (~10 g/L production, and 61.12 g/L after 36 h of addition of fresh birch wood chips at the onset of the slurry fermentation stage (~26 g/L production. Based on this result, this approach is a promising alternative to current bacterial succinic acid production due to its minimal substrate pretreatment requirements, which could reduce production costs.

Inventory of the possibilities to process biomass using the existing industrial infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Aart, F.J.J.M.; Barkhuysen, K.

1999-07-01

In the Netherlands, the government has formulated objectives for stimulating the use of sustainable energy and reducing CO 2 emissions. The replacement of fossil fuels by biomass is a major cornerstone of this policy. This has already resulted in a number of study projects, experiments and, in some cases, implementation projects in the co-fuelling of biomass in pulverised coal- or gas-fired power stations. Since the total energy use in the Netherlands depends only in part on power stations, it is still the question whether the total potential for the application of biomass in the Netherlands is being utilised. In order to study this question, Novem commissioned KEMA to make an inventory of the possibilities of processing biomass in industry via the existing infrastructure. The most important umbrella organisations, interest groups, sector organisations and leading companies have been approached in order to obtain insight into the potential of using biomass, and the willingness to do so. The following sectors of industry were selected: foodstuffs and luxury foods, chemicals, building materials, basic metals, metal products, glass and the fodder drying industry. In the cement industry and in the fodder drying industry, there is interest and there exist possibilities for using biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels in the existing industrial processes. The recommendation is to study in greater detail the feasibility of using biomass in the fodder drying industry. In the other sectors of industry which were investigated, there appeared to be little opportunity to use biomass in industrial processes. 4 refs

Plasma heating and fuelling in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusev, V.K.; Barsukov, A.G.; Belyakov, V.A.

2005-01-01

The results of the last two years of plasma investigations at Globus-M are presented. Described are improvements helping to achieve high performance OH plasmas, which are used as the target for auxiliary heating and fuelling experiments. Increased energy content, high beta poloidal and good confinement are reported. Experiments on NBI plasma heating with a wide range of plasma parameters were performed. Some results are presented and analyzed. Experiments on RF plasma heating in the frequency range of fundamental ion cyclotron harmonics are described. In some experiments which were performed for the first time in spherical tokamaks, promising results were achieved. Noticeable ion heating was recorded at low launched power and a high concentration of hydrogen minority in deuterium plasmas. Simulations of RF wave absorption are briefly discussed. Described also are modification of the plasma gun and test-stand experiments. Fuelling experiments performed at Globus-M are discussed. (author)

Life-cycle impacts from novel thorium–uranium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashley, S.F.; Fenner, R.A.; Nuttall, W.J.; Parks, G.T.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • LCA performed for three open cycle Th–U-fuelled nuclear energy systems. • LCA for open cycle U-fuelled nuclear energy system (Areva’s EPR) used as benchmark. • U-fuelled EPR had lowest emissions per kWh over all systems studied in this work. • LCA model developed for thorium recovered from monazitic beach sands. • LCA model developed for the production of heavy water. - Abstract: Electricity generated from nuclear power plants is generally associated with low emissions per kWh generated, an aspect that feeds into the wider debate surrounding nuclear power. This paper seeks to investigate how life-cycle emissions would be affected by including thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle, and in particular its inclusion in technologies that could prospectively operate open Th–U-based nuclear fuel cycles. Three potential Th–U-based systems operating with open nuclear fuel cycles are considered: AREVA’s European Pressurised Reactor; India’s Advanced Heavy Water Reactor; and General Atomics’ Gas-Turbine Modular Helium Reactor. These technologies are compared to a reference U-fuelled European Pressurised Reactor. A life-cycle analysis is performed that considers the construction, operation, and decommissioning of each of the reactor technologies and all of the other associated facilities in the open nuclear fuel cycle. This includes the development of life-cycle analysis models to describe the extraction of thorium from monazitic beach sands and for the production of heavy water. The results of the life-cycle impact analysis highlight that the reference U-fuelled system has the lowest overall emissions per kWh generated, predominantly due to having the second-lowest uranium ore requirement per kWh generated. The results highlight that the requirement for mined or recovered uranium (and thorium) ore is the greatest overall contributor to emissions, with the possible exception of nuclear energy systems that require heavy water. In terms of like

Biomass IGCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salo, K; Keraenen, H [Enviropower Inc., Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

Enviropower Inc. is developing a modern power plant concept based on pressurised fluidized-bed gasification and gas turbine combined cycle (IGCC). The process is capable of maximising the electricity production with a variety of solid fuels - different biomass and coal types - mixed or separately. The development work is conducted on many levels. These and demonstration efforts are highlighted in this article. The feasibility of a pressurised gasification based processes compared to competing technologies in different applications is discussed. The potential of power production from biomass is also reviewed. (orig.) 4 refs.

Biomass IGCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salo, K.; Keraenen, H. [Enviropower Inc., Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

Enviropower Inc. is developing a modern power plant concept based on pressurised fluidized-bed gasification and gas turbine combined cycle (IGCC). The process is capable of maximising the electricity production with a variety of solid fuels - different biomass and coal types - mixed or separately. The development work is conducted on many levels. These and demonstration efforts are highlighted in this article. The feasibility of a pressurised gasification based processes compared to competing technologies in different applications is discussed. The potential of power production from biomass is also reviewed. (orig.) 4 refs.

Effect of materials mixture on the higher heating value: Case of biomass, biochar and municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Boumanchar, Imane; Chhiti, Younes; M'hamdi Alaoui, Fatima Ezzahrae; El Ouinani, Amal; Sahibed-Dine, Abdelaziz; Bentiss, Fouad; Jama, Charafeddine; Bensitel, Mohammed

2017-03-01

The heating value describes the energy content of any fuel. In this study, this parameter was evaluated for different abundant materials in Morocco (two types of biochar, plastic, synthetic rubber, and cardboard as municipal solid waste (MSW), and various types of biomass). Before the evaluation of their higher heating value (HHV) by a calorimeter device, the thermal behavior of these materials was investigated using thermogravimetric (TGA) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The focus of this work is to evaluate the calorific value of each material alone in a first time, then to compare the experimental and theoretical HHV of their mixtures in a second time. The heating value of lignocellulosic materials was between 12.16 and 20.53MJ/kg, 27.39 for biochar 1, 32.60MJ/kg for biochar 2, 37.81 and 38.00MJ/kg for plastic and synthetic rubber respectively and 13.81MJ/kg for cardboard. A significant difference was observed between the measured and estimated HHVs of mixtures. Experimentally, results for a large variety of mixture between biomass/biochar and biomass/MSW have shown that the interaction between biomass and other compounds expressed a synergy of 2.37% for biochar 1 and 6.11% for biochar 2, 1.09% for cardboard, 5.09% for plastic and 5.01% for synthetic rubber. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prospects for advanced coal-fuelled fuel cell power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, D.; Laag, P.C. van der; Oudhuis, A.B.J.; Ribberink, J.S.

1994-01-01

As part of ECN's in-house R and D programmes on clean energy conversion systems with high efficiencies and low emissions, system assessment studies have been carried out on coal gasification power plants integrated with high-temperature fuel cells (IGFC). The studies also included the potential to reduce CO 2 emissions, and to find possible ways for CO 2 extraction and sequestration. The development of this new type of clean coal technology for large-scale power generation is still far off. A significant market share is not envisaged before the year 2015. To assess the future market potential of coal-fuelled fuel cell power plants, the promise of this fuel cell technology was assessed against the performance and the development of current state-of-the-art large-scale power generation systems, namely the pulverized coal-fired power plants and the integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants. With the anticipated progress in gas turbine and gas clean-up technology, coal-fuelled fuel cell power plants will have to face severe competition from advanced IGCC power plants, despite their higher efficiency. (orig.)

Refuse recovered biomass fuel from municipal solid waste. A life cycle assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ripa, M.; Fiorentino, G.; Giani, H.; Clausen, A.; Ulgiati, S.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An innovative waste treatment process is proposed and evaluated by means of LCA. • The MARSS process produces a biomass fuel with a marketable quality for CHP plants. • The recovery of energy and metals generates significant environmental benefits. • Valuable resources can be recovered from waste and be feedback to the urban systems. - Abstract: Waste disposal is a controversial issue in many European countries: concerns about potential health effects and land value loss as well as the fulfillment of the European Landfill Directive and Waste Framework Directive have significantly changed the way waste should be managed. An appropriate management of municipal solid waste (MSW) may allow a significant enhancement of efficiency in resources use, by recovering both energy and materials from waste, otherwise landfilled, thus replacing fossil fuels and virgin materials with renewable sources. Separation and recovery of the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste is encouraged as a mean to produce bioenergy. Therefore, if not source segregated, innovative waste refining technologies may provide potential solutions for separation of organic fraction and improved energy and materials recovery. This paper presents a comprehensive system study of a recently developed technology aimed to improve the MSW management in order to decrease the demand for new landfill space and, at the same time, contribute to the urban energy needs. As part of a wider Life Plus Project entitled MARSS (Material Advanced Recovery Sustainable Systems), funded by European Community in 2012, the environmental assessment of an innovative and enhanced mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) demo plant installed in Mertesdorf (Germany) was performed by means of the SimaPro 8.0.5 LCA software, utilizing ReCiPe (H) Midpoint method for the impact assessment. The plant under study is designed to concentrate the biodegradable part of MSW in the <40 mm fraction, through a series

Edge dynamics in pellet-fuelled inner-wall jet discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, S.A.; Ehrenberg, J.; Bartlett, D.V.

1987-01-01

This paper reports on the density behavior in JET during pellet-fuelled inner-wall discharges without auxiliary heating. Certain discharges, characterized by minor disruptions at the q = 2 surface, show a ten times more rapid decay of the plasma density than previously observed. It is shown that this is related to the combined effects of plasma and wall properties

Solid state fermentation studies of citric acid production

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2008-03-04

Mar 4, 2008 ... solid waste management, biomass energy conservation, production of high value products and little risk ... The carrier, sugarcane bagasse for solid state fermentation was procured from National Sugar Institute ... constant weight and designated as dry solid residue (DSR). The filtrate (consisting of biomass, ...

Effect of indoor air pollution from biomass and solid fuel combustion on prevalence of self-reported asthma among adult men and women in India: findings from a nationwide large-scale cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Sutapa

2012-05-01

Increasing prevalence of asthma in developing countries has been a significant challenge for public health in recent decades. A number of studies have suggested that ambient air pollution can trigger asthma attacks. Biomass and solid fuels are a major source of indoor air pollution, but in developing countries the health effects of indoor air pollution are poorly understood. In this study we examined the effect of cooking smoke produced by biomass and solid fuel combustion on the reported prevalence of asthma among adult men and women in India. The analysis is based on 99,574 women and 56,742 men aged between 20 and 49 years included in India's third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-2006. Effects of exposure to cooking smoke, determined by the type of fuel used for cooking such as biomass and solid fuels versus cleaner fuels, on the reported prevalence of asthma were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Since the effects of cooking smoke are likely to be confounded with effects of tobacco smoking, age, and other such factors, the analysis was carried out after statistically controlling for such factors. The results indicate that adult women living in households using biomass and solid fuels have a significantly higher risk of asthma than those living in households using cleaner fuels (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.06-1.49; p = .010), even after controlling for the effects of a number of potentially confounding factors. Interestingly, this effect was not found among men (OR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.77-1.24; p = .846). However, tobacco smoking was associated with higher asthma prevalence among both women (OR: 1.72; 95%CI: 1.34-2.21; p effects of biomass and solid fuel use and tobacco smoke on the risk of asthma were greater and more significant in women (OR: 2.16; 95%CI: 1.58-2.94; p countries such as India, where large proportions of the population still rely on polluting biomass fuels for cooking and heating. Decreasing household biomass and solid fuel use

Combining solid biomass combustion and stirling technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siemers, W.; Senkel, N. [CUTEC-Institut GmbH, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)], e-mail: werner.siemers@cutec.de

2012-11-01

Decentralised electricity production in combination with and based on biomass still finds some difficulties in real applications. One concept favoured in a recent project is the connection of a wood chip furmace with a Stirling engine. Because the direct exposure of the Stirling head causes numerous problems, the solution is sought in designing an indirect heat transfer system. The main challenge is the temperature level, which should be reached for high electrical efficiencies. Temperatures above 1000 deg C at the biomass combustion side are needed for an efficient heat transfer at some 850 deg C at the Stirling engine in theory. Measurements on both installations have been conducted and analyzed. After this, the design phase is started. However, no final choice on the design has been taken.

Development and Optimization of a Flocculation Procedure for Improved Solid-Liquid Separation of Digested Biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patton, Caroline; Lischeske, James J.; Sievers, David A.

2015-11-03

One viable treatment method for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels begins with saccharification (thermochemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis), followed by fermentation or catalytic upgrading to fuels such as ethanol, butanol, or other hydrocarbons. The post-hydrolysis slurry is typically 4-8 percent insoluble solids, predominantly consisting of lignin. Suspended solids are known to inhibit fermentation as well as poison catalysts and obstruct flow in catalyst beds. Thus a solid-liquid separation following enzymatic hydrolysis would be highly favorable for process economics, however the material is not easily separated by filtration or gravimetric methods. Use of a polyacrylamide flocculant to bind the suspended particles in a corn stover hydrolyzate slurry into larger flocs (1-2mm diameter) has been found to be extremely helpful in improving separation. Recent and ongoing research on novel pretreatment methods yields hydrolyzate material with diverse characteristics. Therefore, we need a thorough understanding of rapid and successful flocculation design in order to quickly achieve process design goals. In this study potential indicators of flocculation performance were investigated in order to develop a rapid analysis method for flocculation procedure in the context of a novel hydrolyzate material. Flocculation conditions were optimized on flocculant type and loading, pH, and mixing time. Filtration flux of the hydrolyzate slurry was improved 170-fold using a cationic polyacrylamide flocculant with a dosing of approximately 22 mg flocculant/g insoluble solids at an approximate pH of 3. With cake washing, sugar recovery exceeded 90 percent with asymptotic yield at 15 L wash water/kg insoluble solids.

Thermo-economic analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell fuelled with methanol and methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suleiman, B.; Abdulkareem, A.S.; Musa, U.; Mohammed, I.A.; Olutoye, M.A.; Abdullahi, Y.I.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Modified proton exchange membrane fuel cell was reported. • Thermolib software was used for the simulation of PEM fuel cell configurations. • Optimal operating parameters at 50 kW output of each process were determined. • Thermo-economic analysis is the most efficient way of process selection. • Methane system configuration has been identified as the best preferred PEM fuel cell. - Abstract: Exergy and economic analysis is often used to find and identify the most efficient process configuration for proton exchange membrane fuel cell from the thermo-economic point of view. This work gives an explicit account of the synergetic effect of exergetic and economic analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using methanol and methane as fuel sources. This was carried out through computer simulation using Thermolib simulation toolbox. Data generated from the simulated model were subsequently used for the thermodynamic and economic analysis. Analysis of energy requirement for the two selected processes revealed that the methane fuelled system requires the lower amount of energy (4.578 kJ/s) in comparison to the methanol fuelled configuration which requires 180.719 J/s. Energy analysis of both configurations showed that the principle of energy conservation was satisfied while the result of the exergy analysis showed high exergetic efficiency around major equipment (heat exchangers, compressors and pumps) of methane fuelled configuration. Higher irreversibility rate were observed around the burner, stack, and steam reformer. These trends of exergetic efficiency and irreversibility rate were observed around equipment in the methanol fuelled system but with lower performance when compared with the methane fuelled process configuration. On the basis of overall exergetic efficiency and lost work, the methanol system was more efficient with lower irreversibility rate of 547.27 kJ/s and exergetic efficiency of 34.44% in comparison with the methane

Characterization of hydrodynamics and solids mixing in fluidized beds involving biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Fotovat, Farzam

This thesis focuses on the characterization of hydrodynamics and mixing phenomena in fluidized beds containing mixtures of sand and irregular biomass particles. The first objective of this study is understanding the effect of the large biomass particles on the bubbling characteristics and gas distribution pattern of sand fluidized beds. The second objective is the characterization of mixing/segregation of biomass and sand particles under fluidization conditions. A variety of experimental techniques are employed to study the behavior of two constituting phases of a fluidized bed, i.e., dilute (bubble) and dense (emulsion) phases. Exploring the characteristic fluidization velocities of sand-biomass mixtures unveils that the onset of bubbling in these systems occurs at a higher gas velocity compared to that of the initial fluidization velocity (Uif). The initial bubbling velocity (Uib), the final fluidization velocity ( Uff), and the transition gas velocity from bubbling to turbulent regime (Uc) rise by increasing the fraction of biomass in the mixture. Statistical analysis of the pressure signal at top of the bed reveals that increasing the biomass load hinders the evolution of bubbles at a low gas velocity (Uactive biomass particle is tracked for a long period of time and its instantaneous position is recorded. The acquired data is then processed to achieve the time-averaged concentration profile of biomass particles. This profile represents the segregation of biomass particles, which tend to accumulate in the upper levels of the bed. Changes in the fraction of biomass with increasing gas velocity are inferred from the local changes of the time-averaged pressure drop values at the top of the bed. To determine the parameters affecting the movement and segregation of biomass particles, their circulatory motion is also scrutinized using the RPT data. The circulation of biomass is impeded when the load of biomass rises at U=0.36 m/s, resulting in a more pronounced

Treatment of biomass to obtain a target chemical

Science.gov (United States)

Dunson, Jr., James B.; Tucker, III, Melvin P.; Elander, Richard T.; Hennessey, Susan Marie

2010-08-24

Target chemicals were produced using biocatalysts that are able to ferment sugars derived from treated biomass. Sugars were obtained by pretreating biomass under conditions of high solids and low ammonia concentration, followed by saccharification.

Ion temperature anisotropy in high power helium neutral beam fuelling experiments in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maas, A C; Core, W G.F.; Gerstel, U C; Von Hellermann, M G; Koenig, R W.T.; Marcus, F B [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

During helium beam fuelling experiments in JET, distinctive anisotropic features have been observed in the velocity distribution function describing both fast and thermal alpha particle populations. During the initial fuelling phase the central helium ion temperature observed perpendicular to the magnetic field is higher than the central electron temperature, while the central helium ion temperature observed parallel to the magnetic field is lower than or equal to the central electron temperature. In order to verify temperature measurements of both perpendicular and parallel lines of sight, other independent methods of deducing the ion temperature are investigated: deuterium ion temperature, deuterium density, comparison with neutron rates and profiles (influence of a possible metastable population of helium). 6 refs., 7 figs.

A CFD model for biomass combustion in a packed bed furnace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karim, Md. Rezwanul [Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122 (Australia); Department of Mechanical & Chemical Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Gazipur 1704 (Bangladesh); Ovi, Ifat Rabbil Qudrat [Department of Mechanical & Chemical Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Gazipur 1704 (Bangladesh); Naser, Jamal, E-mail: jnaser@swin.edu.au [Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122 (Australia)

2016-07-12

Climate change has now become an important issue which is affecting environment and people around the world. Global warming is the main reason of climate change which is increasing day by day due to the growing demand of energy in developed countries. Use of renewable energy is now an established technique to decrease the adverse effect of global warming. Biomass is a widely accessible renewable energy source which reduces CO{sub 2} emissions for producing thermal energy or electricity. But the combustion of biomass is complex due its large variations and physical structures. Packed bed or fixed bed combustion is the most common method for the energy conversion of biomass. Experimental investigation of packed bed biomass combustion is difficult as the data collection inside the bed is challenging. CFD simulation of these combustion systems can be helpful to investigate different operational conditions and to evaluate the local values inside the investigation area. Available CFD codes can model the gas phase combustion but it can’t model the solid phase of biomass conversion. In this work, a complete three-dimensional CFD model is presented for numerical investigation of packed bed biomass combustion. The model describes the solid phase along with the interface between solid and gas phase. It also includes the bed shrinkage due to the continuous movement of the bed during solid fuel combustion. Several variables are employed to represent different parameters of solid mass. Packed bed is considered as a porous bed and User Defined Functions (UDFs) platform is used to introduce solid phase user defined variables in the CFD. Modified standard discrete transfer radiation method (DTRM) is applied to model the radiation heat transfer. Preliminary results of gas phase velocity and pressure drop over packed bed have been shown. The model can be useful for investigation of movement of the packed bed during solid fuel combustion.

U-233 fuelled low critical mass solution reactor experiment PURNIMA II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, M.; Chandramoleshwar, K.; Pasupathy, C.S.; Rasheed, K.K.; Subba Rao, K.

1987-01-01

A homogeneous U-233 uranyl nitrate solution fuelled BeO reflected, low critical mass reactor has been built at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India. Christened PURNIMA II, the reactor was used for the study of the variation of critical mass as a function of fuel solution concentration to determine the minimum critical mass achievable for this geometry. Other experiments performed include the determination of temperature coefficient of reactivity, study of time behaviour of photoneutrons produced due to interaction between decaying U-233 fission product gammas and the beryllium reflector and reactor noise measurements. Besides being the only operational U-233 fuelled reactor at present, PURNIMA II also has the distinction of having attained the lowest critical mass of 397 g of fissile fuel for any operating reactor at the current time. The paper briefly describes the facility and gives an account of the experiments performed and results achieved. (author)

Probabilistic Load-Flow Analysis of Biomass-Fuelled Gas Engines with Electrical Vehicles in Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco J. Ruiz-Rodríguez

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Feeding biomass-fueled gas engines (BFGEs with olive tree pruning residues offers new opportunities to decrease fossil fuel use in road vehicles and electricity generation. BFGEs, coupled to radial distribution systems (RDSs, provide renewable energy and power that can feed electric vehicle (EV charging stations. However, the combined impact of BFGEs and EVs on RDSs must be assessed to assure the technical constraint fulfilment. Because of the stochastic nature of source/load, it was decided that a probabilistic approach was the most viable option for this assessment. Consequently, this research developed an analytical technique to evaluate the technical constraint fulfilment in RDSs with this combined interaction. The proposed analytical technique (PAT involved the calculation of cumulants and the linearization of load-flow equations, along with the application of the cumulant method, and Cornish-Fisher expansion. The uncertainties related to biomass stock and its heating value (HV were important factors that were assessed for the first time. Application of the PAT in a Spanish RDS with BFGEs and EVs confirmed the feasibility of the proposal and its additional benefits. Specifically, BFGEs were found to clearly contribute to the voltage constraint fulfilment. The computational cost of the PAT was lower than that associated with Monte-Carlo simulations (MCSs.

Biomass upgrading by torrefaction for the production of biofuels: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stelt, M.J.C. van der; Gerhauser, H.; Kiel, J.H.A.; Ptasinski, K.J.

2011-01-01

An overview of the research on biomass upgrading by torrefaction for the production of biofuels is presented. Torrefaction is a thermal conversion method of biomass in the low temperature range of 200-300 o C. Biomass is pre-treated to produce a high quality solid biofuel that can be used for combustion and gasification. In this review the characteristics of torrefaction are described and a short history of torrefaction is given. Torrefaction is based on the removal of oxygen from biomass which aims to produce a fuel with increased energy density by decomposing the reactive hemicellulose fraction. Different reaction conditions (temperature, inert gas, reaction time) and biomass resources lead to various solid, liquid and gaseous products. A short overview of the different mass and energy balances is presented. Finally, the technology options and the most promising torrefaction applications and their economic potential are described. -- Highlights: → We reviewed recent developments in biomass upgrading by torrefaction. → Torrefaction improves biomass to a high quality solid fuel. → Main advantages of torrefaction are improvement of energy density and grindability. → Further research on kinetics is recommended for design of torrefaction reactor.

Study of the potential valorisation of heavy metal contaminated biomass via phytoremediation by fast pyrolysis: Part I. Influence of temperature, biomass species and solid heat carrier on the behaviour of heavy metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Lievens; J. Yperman; J. Vangronsveld; R. Carleer [Hasselt University, Diepenbeek (Belgium). Laboratory of Applied Chemistry

2008-08-15

Presently, little or no information of implementing fast pyrolysis for looking into the potential valorisation of heavy metal contaminated biomass is available. Fast pyrolysis of heavy metal contaminated biomass (birch and sunflower), containing high amounts of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, resulting from phytoremediation, is investigated. The effect of the pyrolysis temperature (623, 673, 773 and 873 K) and the type of solid heat carrier (sand and fumed silica) on the distribution of the heavy metals in birch and sunflower pyrolysis fractions are studied. The goal of the set-up is 'concentrating' heavy metals in the ash/char fraction after thermal treatment, preventing them to be released in the condensable and/or volatile fractions. The knowledge of the behaviour of heavy metals affects directly future applications and valorisation of the pyrolysis products and thus contaminated biomass. They are indispensable for making and selecting the proper thermal conditions for their maximum recovery. In view of the future valorisation of these biomasses, the amounts of the pyrolysis fractions and the calorific values of the obtained liquid pyrolysis products, as a function of the pyrolysis temperature, are determined. 46 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Particle fuelling for long pulse with standard gas puff and supersonic pulsed gas injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucalossi, J.; Tsitrone, E.; Martin, G.

2003-01-01

In addition to the standard gas puff and to the technically complex pellet injection, a novel intermediate method, based on the injection of a supersonic high density cloud of neutrals, has been recently implemented on the Tore Supra tokamak. Fuelling efficiency, in the 30-50% range are found while it lies in the 10-20% range for the gas puff. It is not sensitive to the plasma density and to the additional heating. According to modelling, the increased efficiency is attributed to the very short injection duration compared to the particle confinement time and to the strong cooling of the plasma edge resulting from the massive injection of matter. A feedback loop on the frequency of the injector has been successfully implemented to control the plasma density. In long pulse experiments (>200s), wall saturation has not been reached. Gas puffing rate was typically around 1 Pa.m 3 s -1 while dynamic wall retention around 0.6 Pa.m 3 s -1 . Co-deposited carbon layer could trap such large amounts of gas. A discharge fuelled by supersonic pulsed gas injections exhibits lower wall retention than a gas puff fuelled discharge. (author)

A long-term view of fossil-fuelled power generation in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzimas, Evangelos; Georgakaki, Aliki

2010-01-01

The paper presents a view into the long term future of fossil-fuelled power generation in the European Union, based on a number of alternative scenarios for the development of the coal, natural gas and CO 2 markets, and the penetration of renewable and nuclear technologies. The new fossil fuelled capacity needed and the likely technology mix are estimated using a cost optimisation model based on the screening curve method, taking into consideration the rate of retirement of the current power plant fleet, the capacity already planned or under construction and the role of carbon capture and storage technologies. This analysis shows that measures to increase both non-fossil-fuel-based power generation and the price of CO 2 are necessary to drive the composition of the European power generation capacity so that the European policy goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is achieved. Meeting this goal will however require a high capital investment for the creation of an optimal fossil fuel power plant technology mix.

Converting Biomass and Waste Plastic to Solid Fuel Briquettes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Zannikos

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This work examines the production of briquettes for household use from biomass in combination with plastic materials from different sources. Additionally, the combustion characteristics of the briquettes in a common open fireplace were studied. It is clear that the geometry of the briquettes has no influence on the smoke emissions. When the briquettes have a small amount of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, the behavior in the combustion is steadier because of the increase of oxygen supply. The smoke levels are between the 3rd and 4th grades of the smoke number scale. Measuring the carbon monoxide emission, it was observed that the burning of the plastic in the mixture with biomass increases the carbon monoxide emissions from 10% to 30% as compared to carbon monoxide emission from sawdust biomass emissions which was used as a reference.

Comparative life cycle assessment of the integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass (IFBB) and whole crop digestion (WCD) in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buehle, Lutz; Stuelpnagel, R.; Wachendorf, M.

2011-01-01

Today's bioenergy systems are very different in cultivation, conservation, conversion of the biomass as well as in the form of the final energy. The assessment of bioenergy systems concerning environmental impacts is increasingly up for discussion. Future challenges will be the development of procedures which reconcile high-yielding and efficient approaches with environment friendly production. Against this background the system of Integrated Generation of Solid Fuel and Biogas from Biomass (IFBB) was suggested to increase net energy yields over a wide range of energy crops in order to obtain a higher biodiversity in energy crop cultivation. In the IFBB procedure the ensiled biomass is separated into a liquid phase for biogas production and into a solid fraction for combustion. This work is aimed at the assessment of the IFBB system in comparison to whole crop digestion (WCD). The assessment is based on crop production in a double-cropping system where winter rye and maize are grown subsequently within one growing season. The main parameters investigated are the efficiency of the whole process, primary energy and greenhouse gas savings as well as potentials of acidification and eutrophication according to principles of Life Cycle Assessment. The calculation of energy efficiency shows a superiority of the IFBB system due to a mainly thermal use of the biomass. Savings of fossil primary energy average at a similar level, whereas greenhouse gas savings are slightly higher for WCD. Investigations on acidification and eutrophication show that both bioenergy systems caused higher emissions compared to the fossil-based reference technique. (author)

Biomass fuel exposure and respiratory diseases in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Rajendra; Singh, Abhijeet; Garg, Rajiv; Giridhar, Giridhar B

2012-10-01

One half of the world's population relies on biomass fuel as the primary source of domestic energy. Biomass fuel exposure causes a high degree of morbidity and mortality in humans. This is especially true in the context of developing countries, which account for 99% of the world's biomass fuel use. Biomass fuel consists of fire wood, dung cakes, agricultural crop residues such as straw, grass, and shrubs, coal fuels and kerosene. Together, they supply 75% of the domestic energy in India. An estimated three-quarters of Indian households use biomass fuel as the primary means for domestic cooking. Ninety percent of rural households and 32% of urban households cook their meals on a biomass stove. There are wide variations between the rural and urban households regarding the specific type of biomass fuel used. Globally, almost 2 million deaths per year are attributable to solid fuel use, with more than 99% of these occurring in developing countries. Biomass fuel accounts for 5-6% of the national burden of disease. Burning biomass fuels emits toxic fumes into the air that consist of small solid particles, carbon monoxide, polyorganic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and formaldehyde. Exposure to biomass fuels has been found to be associated with many respiratory diseases such as acute lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, and asthma. Biomass fuel exposure is closely related to the burden of disease in India. Hopes are that future studies will examine the morbidity associated with biomass exposure and seek to prevent it. Concerted efforts to improve stove design and transition to high-efficiency low-emission fuels may reduce respiratory disease associated with biomass fuel exposure.

Integrated biomass gasification combined cycle distributed generation plant with reciprocating gas engine and ORC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalina, Jacek

2011-01-01

The paper theoretically investigates the performance of a distributed generation plant made up of gasifier, Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) machine as a bottoming unit. The system can be used for maximization of electricity production from biomass in the case where there is no heat demand for cogeneration plant. To analyze the performance of the gasifier a model based on the thermodynamic equilibrium approach is used. Performance of the gas engine is estimated on the basis of the analysis of its theoretical thermodynamic cycle. Three different setups of the plant are being examined. In the first one the ORC module is driven only by the heat recovered from engine exhaust gas and cooling water. Waste heat from a gasifier is used for gasification air preheating. In the second configuration a thermal oil circuit is applied. The oil transfers heat from engine and raw gas cooler into the ORC. In the third configuration it is proposed to apply a double cascade arrangement of the ORC unit with a two-stage low temperature evaporation of working fluid. This novel approach allows utilization of the total waste heat from the low temperature engine cooling circuit. Two gas engines of different characteristics are taken into account. The results obtained were compared in terms of electric energy generation efficiency of the system. The lowest obtained value of the efficiency was 23.6% while the highest one was 28.3%. These are very favorable values in comparison with other existing small and medium scale biomass-fuelled power generation plants. - Highlights: →The study presents performance analysis of a biomass-fuelled local power plant. →Downdraft wood gasifier, gas engine and ORC module are modelled theoretically. →Method for estimation of the producer gas fired engine performance is proposed. →Two gas engines of different characteristics are taken into account. →Different arrangements of the bottoming ORC cycle ere examined.

Non-preferential fuelling of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase pump.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Moncada, Ignacio; Barros, L Felipe

2014-06-15

There is abundant evidence that glycolysis and the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase pump are functionally coupled, and it is thought that the nature of the coupling is energetic, with glycolysis providing the ATP that fuels the pump. This notion has been instrumental to current models of brain energy metabolism. However, structural and biophysical considerations suggest that the pump should also have access to mitochondrial ATP, which is much more abundant. In the present study, we have investigated the source of ATP that fuels the Na(+) pump in astrocytes, taking advantage of the high temporal resolution of recently available FRET nanosensors for glucose, lactate and ATP. The activity of the Na(+) pump was assessed in parallel with the Na(+)-sensitive dye SBFI AM (Na(+)-binding benzofuran isophthalate acetoxymethyl ester). OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation) inhibition resulted in bulk ATP depletion and a 5-fold stimulation of glycolytic flux, in spite of which Na(+) pumping was inhibited by 90%. Mathematical modelling of ATP dynamics showed that the observed pump failure is inconsistent with preferential fuelling of the Na(+) pump by glycolytic ATP. We conclude that the nature of the functional coupling between the Na(+) pump and the glycolytic machinery is not energetic and that the pump is mainly fuelled by mitochondrial ATP.

Biomass torrefaction characteristics in inert and oxidative atmospheres at various superficial velocities.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Lu, Ke-Miao; Liu, Shih-Hsien; Tsai, Chi-Ming; Lee, Wen-Jhy; Lin, Ta-Chang

2013-10-01

The reaction characteristics of four biomass materials (i.e. oil palm fiber, coconut fiber, eucalyptus, and Cryptomeria japonica) with non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction at various superficial velocities are investigated where nitrogen and air are used as carrier gases. Three torrefaction temperatures of 250, 300, and 350 °C are considered. At a given temperature, the solid yield of biomass is not affected by N2 superficial velocity, revealing that the thermal degradation is controlled by heat and mass transfer in biomass. Increasing air superficial velocity decreases the solid yield, especially in oil palm fiber and coconut fiber, implying that the torrefaction reaction of biomass is dominated by surface oxidation. There exists an upper limit of air superficial velocity in the decrement of solid yield, suggesting that beyond this limit the thermal degradation of biomass is no longer governed by surface oxidation, but rather is controlled by internal mass transport. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy Efficiency of Biogas Produced from Different Biomass Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, Shahida; Nazri, A H

2013-01-01

Malaysia has different sources of biomass like palm oil waste, agricultural waste, cow dung, sewage waste and landfill sites, which can be used to produce biogas and as a source of energy. Depending on the type of biomass, the biogas produced can have different calorific value. At the same time the energy, being used to produce biogas is dependent on transportation distance, means of transportation, conversion techniques and for handling of raw materials and digested residues. An energy systems analysis approach based on literature is applied to calculate the energy efficiency of biogas produced from biomass. Basically, the methodology is comprised of collecting data, proposing locations and estimating the energy input needed to produce biogas and output obtained from the generated biogas. The study showed that palm oil and municipal solid waste is two potential sources of biomass. The energy efficiency of biogas produced from palm oil residues and municipal solid wastes is 1.70 and 3.33 respectively. Municipal solid wastes have the higher energy efficiency due to less transportation distance and electricity consumption. Despite the inherent uncertainties in the calculations, it can be concluded that the energy potential to use biomass for biogas production is a promising alternative.

Exergoeconomic optimization of coaxial tube evaporators for cooling of high pressure gaseous hydrogen during vehicle fuelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jonas Kjær; Rothuizen, Erasmus Damgaard; Markussen, Wiebke Brix

2014-01-01

Gaseous hydrogen as an automotive fuel is reaching the point of commercial introduction. Development of hydrogen fuelling stations considering an acceptable fuelling time by cooling the hydrogen to -40 C has started. This paper presents a design study of coaxial tube ammonia evaporators for three......-stage evaporator. The main contribution to the total cost was the cost associated with exergy destruction, the capital investment cost contributed with 5-14 %. The main contribution to the exergy destruction was found to be thermally driven. The pressure driven exergy destruction accounted for 3-9 %....

Hydrolysis of biomass material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Andrew J.; Orth, Rick J.; Franz, James A.; Alnajjar, Mikhail

2004-02-17

A method for selective hydrolysis of the hemicellulose component of a biomass material. The selective hydrolysis produces water-soluble small molecules, particularly monosaccharides. One embodiment includes solubilizing at least a portion of the hemicellulose and subsequently hydrolyzing the solubilized hemicellulose to produce at least one monosaccharide. A second embodiment includes solubilizing at least a portion of the hemicellulose and subsequently enzymatically hydrolyzing the solubilized hemicellulose to produce at least one monosaccharide. A third embodiment includes solubilizing at least a portion of the hemicellulose by heating the biomass material to greater than 110.degree. C. resulting in an aqueous portion that includes the solubilized hemicellulose and a water insoluble solids portion and subsequently separating the aqueous portion from the water insoluble solids portion. A fourth embodiment is a method for making a composition that includes cellulose, at least one protein and less than about 30 weight % hemicellulose, the method including solubilizing at least a portion of hemicellulose present in a biomass material that also includes cellulose and at least one protein and subsequently separating the solubilized hemicellulose from the cellulose and at least one protein.

The control of convection by fuelling and pumping in the JET pumped divertor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harbour, P J; Andrew, P; Campbell, D; Clement, S; Davies, S; Ehrenberg, J; Erents, S K; Gondhalekar, A; Gadeberg, M; Gottardi, N; Von Hellermann, M; Horton, L; Loarte, A; Lowry, C; Maggi, C; McCormick, K; O` Brien, D; Reichle, R; Saibene, G; Simonini, R; Spence, J; Stamp, M; Stork, D; Taroni, A; Vlases, G [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

Convection from the scrape-off layer (SOL) to the divertor will control core impurities, if it retains them in a cold, dense, divertor plasma. This implies a high impurity concentration in the divertor, low at its entrance. Particle flux into the divertor entrance can be varied systematically in JET, using the new fuelling and pumping systems. The convection ratio has been estimated for various conditions of operation. Particle convection into the divertor should increase thermal convection, decreasing thermal conduction, and temperature and density gradients along the magnetic field, hence increasing the frictional force and decreasing the thermal force on impurities. Changes in convection in the SOL, caused by gaseous fuelling, have been studied, both experimentally in the JET Mk I divertor and with EDGE2/NIMBUS. 1 ref., 4 figs., 1 tab.

Experimental investigation of solid oxide fuel cells using biomass gasification producer gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norheim, Arnstein

2005-07-01

The main objective of this thesis is theoretical and experimental investigations related to utilisation of biomass gasification producer gases as fuel for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Initial fundamental steps towards a future system of combined heat and power production based on biomass gasification and SOFC are performed and include: 1) Theoretical modeling of the composition of biomass gasification producer gases. 2) Experimental investigation of SOFC performance using biomass gasification producer gas as fuel. 3) Experimental investigation of SOFC performance using biomass gasification producer gas containing high sulphur concentration. The modeling of the composition of gasifier producer gas was performed using the program FactSage. The main objective was to investigate the amount and speciation of trace species in the producer gases as several parameters were varied. Thus, the composition at thermodynamic equilibrium of sulphur, chlorine, potassium, sodium and compounds of these were established. This was done for varying content of the trace species in the biomass material at different temperatures and fuel utilisation i.e. varying oxygen content in the producer gas. The temperature interval investigated was in the range of normal SOFC operation. It was found that sulphur is expected to be found as H2S irrespective of temperature and amount of sulphur. Only at very high fuel utilisation some S02 is formed. Important potassium containing compounds in the gas are gaseous KOH and K. When chlorine is present, the amount of KOH and K will decrease due to the formation of KCI. The level of sodium investigated here was low, but some Na, NaOH and NaCl is expected to be formed. Below a certain temperature, condensation of alkali rich carbonates may occur. The temperature at which condensation begins is mainly depending on the amount of potassium present; the condensation temperature increases with increasing potassium content. In the first experimental work

A review on advances of torrefaction technologies for biomass processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acharya, Bimal; Sule, Idris; Dutta, Animesh [University of Guelph, School of Engineering, Guelph, ON (Canada)

2012-12-15

Torrefaction is a thermochemical pretreatment process at 200-300 C in an inert condition which transforms biomass into a relatively superior handling, milling, co-firing and clean renewable energy into solid biofuel. This increases the energy density, water resistance and grindability of biomass and makes it safe from biological degradation which ultimately makes easy and economical on transportation and storing of the torrefied products. Torrefied biomass is considered as improved version than the current wood pellet products and an environmentally friendly future alternative for coal. Torrefaction carries devolatilisation, depolymerization and carbonization of lignocellulose components and generates a brown to black solid biomass as a productive output with water, organics, lipids, alkalis, SiO{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, CO and CH{sub 4}. During this process, 70 % of the mass is retained as a solid product, and retains 90 % of the initial energy content. The torrefied product is then shaped into pellets or briquettes that pack much more energy density than regular wood pellets. These properties minimize on the difference in combustion characteristics between biomass and coal that bring a huge possibility of direct firing of biomass in an existing coal-fired plant. Researchers are trying to find a solution to fire/co-fire torrefied biomass instead of coal in an existing coal-fired based boiler with minimum modifications and expenditures. Currently available torrefied technologies are basically designed and tested for woody biomass so further research is required to address on utilization of the agricultural biomass with technically and economically viable. This review covers the torrefaction technologies, its' applications, current status and future recommendations for further study. (orig.)

The enhancement of the hydrolysis of bamboo biomass in ionic liquid with chitosan-based solid acid catalysts immobilized with metal ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jie; Wang, Nan; Zhao, Dezhou; Qin, Dandan; Si, Wenqing; Tan, Yunfei; Wei, Shun'an; Wang, Dan

2016-11-01

Three kinds of sulfonated cross-linked chitosan (SCCR) immobilized with metal ions of Cu(2+), Fe(3+) and Zn(2+) individually were synthesized and firstly used as solid acid catalysts in the hydrolysis of bamboo biomass. FTIR spectra showed that metal ions had been introduced into SCCR and the N-metal ions coordinate bound was formed. The particle sizes of these catalysts were about 500-1000μm with a pore size of 50-160μm. All of the three kinds of catalysts performed well for bamboo hydrolysis with 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride used as solvent. The most effective one was sulfonated cross-linked chitosan immobilized with Fe(3+) (Fe(3+)-SCCR). TRS yields were up to 73.42% for hydrolysis of bamboo powder in [C4mim]Cl with Fe(3+)-SCCR at 120°C and 20RPM after 24h. These novel chitosan-based metal ions immobilized solid acid catalysts with ionic liquids as the solvent might be promising to facilitate cost-efficient conversion of biomass into biofuels and bioproducts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass thermo-conversion. Research trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Machin, Lizet; Perez Bermudez, Raul; Quintana Perez, Candido Enrique; Ocanna Guevara, Victor Samuel; Duffus Scott, Alejandro

2011-01-01

In this paper is studied the state of the art in order to identify the main trends of the processes of thermo conversion of biomass into fuels and other chemicals. In Cuba, from total supply of biomass, wood is the 19% and sugar cane bagasse and straw the 80%, is why research in the country, should be directed primarily toward these. The methods for energy production from biomass can be group into two classes: thermo-chemical and biological conversion routes. The technology of thermo-chemical conversion includes three subclasses: pyrolysis, gasification, and direct liquefaction. Although pyrolysis is still under development, in the current energy scenario, has received special attention, because can convert directly biomass into solid, liquid and gaseous by thermal decomposition in absence of oxygen. The gasification of biomass is a thermal treatment, where great quantities of gaseous products and small quantities of char and ash are produced. In Cuba, studies of biomass thermo-conversion studies are limited to slow pyrolysis and gasification; but gas fuels, by biomass, are mainly obtained by digestion (biogas). (author)

Sustainability of biomass for cofiring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-02-01

There are many items to include when considering the sustainability of biomass for cofiring, and some of them are hard to quantify. The focus of this report is on the greenhouse gas emission aspects of sustainability. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions achieved by substituting biomass for coal depends on a number of factors such as the nature of the fossil fuel reference system, the source of the biomass, and how it is produced. Relevant issues in biomass production include the energy balance, the greenhouse gas balance, land use change, non-CO2 greenhouse gas emission from soils, changes to soil organic carbon, and the timing of emissions and removal of CO2 which relates to the scale of biomass production. Certification of sustainable biomass is slow to emerge at the national and international level, so various organisations are developing and using their own standards for sustainable production. The EU does not yet have sustainability standards for solid biomass, but the UK and Belgium have developed their own.

Biomass as electroenergetic resource in Macedonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimitrov, Konstantin

1996-01-01

The main characteristics of the biomass as an energetic fuel are defined and analysed. The quantities of forest and waste biomass, in different regions of the Republic of Macedonia, which can be used as energy fuel, are determined, as well as community-generated solid waste. There are analysed the necessary steps which shall be done to ensure this energy potential to be used, with involving of needed mechanization. It is determined the participation of energy received by biomass in energy balance of the Republic of Macedonia. (author). 8 refs., 10 tabs., 4 ills

A comprehensive review of biomass resources and biofuels potential in Ghana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duku, Moses Hensley [School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, S017 1BJ (United Kingdom); Institute of Industrial Research, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P. Box LG 576, Legon (Ghana); Gu, Sai [School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, S017 1BJ (United Kingdom); Hagan, Essel Ben [Institute of Industrial Research, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P. Box LG 576, Legon (Ghana)

2011-01-15

Biomass is the major energy source in Ghana contributing about 64% of Ghana's primary energy supply. In this paper, an assessment of biomass resources and biofuels production potential in Ghana is given. The broad areas of energy crops, agricultural crop residues, forest products residues, urban wastes and animal wastes are included. Animal wastes are limited to those produced by domesticated livestock. Agricultural residues included those generated from sugarcane, maize, rice, cocoa, oil palm, coconut, sorghum and millet processing. The urban category is subdivided into municipal solid waste, food waste, sewage sludge or bio-solids and waste grease. The availability of these types of biomass, together with a brief description of possible biomass conversion routes, sustainability measures, and current research and development activities in Ghana is given. It is concluded that a large availability of biomass in Ghana gives a great potential for biofuels production from these biomass resources. (author)

Hydropower and biomass as renewable energy sources in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaygusuz, K.

2001-01-01

When talking about renewable energy sources today, the most important and economical energy sources for Turkey are hydropower and biomass.The present study gives a review of production, consumption, and economics of hydropower and biomass as renewable energy sources in Turkey. Turkey has a total gross hydropower potential of 433 GW, but only 125 GW of the total hydroelectric potential of Turkey can be economically used. By the commissioning of new hydropower plants, which are under construction, 36% of the economically usable potential of the country could be tapped. On the other hand, biomass (wood and wastes) energy is the second most important renewable energy source for Turkey. However, the biomass energy sources of Turkey are limited. In 1998, the biomass share of the total energy consumption of the country is 10%. In this study, the potential of important biomass energy sources and animal solid wastes of the country were determined. The effects of hydropower and biomass usage on the environment were also discussed. Considering total cereal products and fatty seed plants, approximately 50-60 million tons per year of biomass and 8-10 million tons of solid matter animal waste are produced, and 70% of total biomass is seen as being usable for energy. Some useful suggestions and recommendations are also presented. The present study shows that there is an important potential for hydropower and biomass energy sources in Turkey. (author)

Integration of alternative feedstreams for biomass treatment and utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessey, Susan Marie [Avondale, PA; Friend, Julie [Claymont, DE; Dunson, Jr., James B.; Tucker, III, Melvin P.; Elander, Richard T [Evergreen, CO; Hames, Bonnie [Westminster, CO

2011-03-22

The present invention provides a method for treating biomass composed of integrated feedstocks to produce fermentable sugars. One aspect of the methods described herein includes a pretreatment step wherein biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream and the resulting integrated feedstock, at relatively high concentrations, is treated with a low concentration of ammonia relative to the dry weight of biomass. In another aspect, a high solids concentration of pretreated biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream for saccharifiaction.

Washington State biomass data book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshaye, J.A.; Kerstetter, J.D.

1991-07-01

This is the first edition of the Washington State Biomass Databook. It assess sources and approximate costs of biomass fuels, presents a view of current users, identifies potential users in the public and private sectors, and lists prices of competing energy resources. The summary describes key from data from the categories listed above. Part 1, Biomass Supply, presents data increasing levels of detail on agricultural residues, biogas, municipal solid waste, and wood waste. Part 2, Current Industrial and Commercial Use, demonstrates how biomass is successfully being used in existing facilities as an alternative fuel source. Part 3, Potential Demand, describes potential energy-intensive public and private sector facilities. Part 4, Prices of Competing Energy Resources, shows current suppliers of electricity and natural gas and compares utility company rates. 49 refs., 43 figs., 72 tabs

Hydrogen rich gas production by thermocatalytic decomposition of kenaf biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Irmak, Sibel; Oeztuerk, ilker [Department of Chemistry, Cukurova University, Arts and Sciences Faculty, Adana 01330 (Turkey)

2010-06-15

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), a well known energy crop and an annual herbaceous plant grows very fast with low lodging susceptibility was used as representative lignocellulosic biomass in the present work. Thermocatalytic conversions were performed by aqueous phase reforming (APR) of kenaf hydrolysates and direct gasification of solid biomass of kenaf using 5% Pt on activated carbon as catalyst. Hydrolysates used in APR experiments were prepared by solubilization of kenaf biomass in subcritical water under CO{sub 2} gas pressure. APR of kenaf hydrolysate with low molecular weight polysaccharides in the presence of the reforming catalyst produced more gas compared to the hydrolysate that had high molecular weight polysaccharides. APR experiments of kenaf biomass hydrolysates and glucose, which was used as a simplest biomass model compound, in the presence of catalyst produced various amounts of gas mixtures that consisted of H{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 6}. The ratios of H{sub 2} to other gases produced were 0.98, 1.50 and 1.35 for 150 C and 250 C subcritical water-treated kenaf hydrolysates and glucose, respectively. These ratios indicated that more the degraded organic content of kenaf hydrolysate the better selectivity for hydrogen production. Although APR of 250 C-kenaf hydrolysate resulted in similar gas content and composition as glucose, the gas volume produced was three times higher in glucose feed. The use of solid kenaf biomass as starting feedstock in APR experiments resulted in less gas production since the activity of catalyst was lowered by solid biomass particles. (author)

Global combustion: the connection between fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions (1997-2010).

Science.gov (United States)

Balch, Jennifer K; Nagy, R Chelsea; Archibald, Sally; Bowman, David M J S; Moritz, Max A; Roos, Christopher I; Scott, Andrew C; Williamson, Grant J

2016-06-05

Humans use combustion for heating and cooking, managing lands, and, more recently, for fuelling the industrial economy. As a shift to fossil-fuel-based energy occurs, we expect that anthropogenic biomass burning in open landscapes will decline as it becomes less fundamental to energy acquisition and livelihoods. Using global data on both fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions, we tested this relationship over a 14 year period (1997-2010). The global average annual carbon emissions from biomass burning during this time were 2.2 Pg C per year (±0.3 s.d.), approximately one-third of fossil fuel emissions over the same period (7.3 Pg C, ±0.8 s.d.). There was a significant inverse relationship between average annual fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. Fossil fuel emissions explained 8% of the variation in biomass burning emissions at a global scale, but this varied substantially by land cover. For example, fossil fuel burning explained 31% of the variation in biomass burning in woody savannas, but was a non-significant predictor for evergreen needleleaf forests. In the land covers most dominated by human use, croplands and urban areas, fossil fuel emissions were more than 30- and 500-fold greater than biomass burning emissions. This relationship suggests that combustion practices may be shifting from open landscape burning to contained combustion for industrial purposes, and highlights the need to take into account how humans appropriate combustion in global modelling of contemporary fire. Industrialized combustion is not only an important driver of atmospheric change, but also an important driver of landscape change through companion declines in human-started fires.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Natural gas fuelled vehicles, energetic and environmental problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciancia, A.; Pede, G.

1998-03-01

The present report deals with the analysis and the presentation of the main problems concerning the introduction of the natural gas fuel for vehicles. The offer and demand side of the NGV market are analyzed, together with the presently available NG fuelled vehicles and the status of the technology for engines and on-board storage systems, with particular regard to the energetic and environmental performance of the system. Finally the NGV market development is presented, and the actors on the stage, showing the opportunities together with the possible obstacle to a wider diffusion of this technology [it

Demonstration of 3 buses fuelled with ethanol with ignition improver in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verweij, J.; Weide, J. van der; Nie, L.H. de; Bruin, A. de

1996-01-01

This three year demonstration programme was initiated by OBL, a subsidiary of two Dutch sugar companies, and GADO, a public transport company. The programme was financially supported by a regional governmental organisation (ISP). In this programme, three bio-ethanol fuelled buses accumulated more

Production of methanol/DME from biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk; Münster-Swendsen, Janus

In this project the production of DME/methanol from biomass has been investigated. Production of DME/methanol from biomass requires the use of a gasifier to transform the solid fuel to a synthesis gas (syngas) - this syngas can then be catalytically converted to DME/methanol. Two different gasifier...... cleaning. This was proved by experiments. Thermodynamic computer models of DME and methanol plants based on using the Two-Stage Gasification concept were created to show the potential of such plants. The models showed that the potential biomass to DME/methanol + net electricity energy efficiency was 51...... gasification, but little information exists on using these types of gasifiers for biomass gasification. The experiments performed provided quantitative data on product and gas composition as a function of operation conditions. Biomass can be gasified with less oxygen consumption compared to coal. The organic...

GOTHIC analysis of post-accident hydrogen mixing behaviour in CANDU fuelling machine vault

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, K.; Wong, R.C.; Fluke, R.J.

1997-01-01

The GOTHIC code was used to assess the post-accident hydrogen gas mixing patterns in a CANDU reactor containment and demonstrate the acceptability of Ontario Hydro Nuclear's hydrogen mitigation methods. The fuelling machine vault, being a small volume room containing major reactor piping, is the room of most concern with respect to hydrogen concentrations. Detailed three dimensional modelling of the gas mixing patterns in the fuelling machine vault was completed. Results showed that, even without forced air circulation, there is enough dispersion of hydrogen to other parts of containment to preclude the build-up of sensitive mixtures in the vault. For a brief time during the peak period of hydrogen release, hydrogen concentrations rise to close to the lower ignition limit in a small portion of the vault, but these hydrogen-steam-air mixtures are considered acceptable. Natural mixing alone is sufficient to preclude damaging hydrogen burns. (author)

CFD Studies on Biomass Thermochemical Conversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lifeng Yan

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Thermochemical conversion of biomass offers an efficient and economically process to provide gaseous, liquid and solid fuels and prepare chemicals derived from biomass. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD modeling applications on biomass thermochemical processes help to optimize the design and operation of thermochemical reactors. Recent progression in numerical techniques and computing efficacy has advanced CFD as a widely used approach to provide efficient design solutions in industry. This paper introduces the fundamentals involved in developing a CFD solution. Mathematical equations governing the fluid flow, heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions in thermochemical systems are described and sub-models for individual processes are presented. It provides a review of various applications of CFD in the biomass thermochemical process field.

A strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae evolved for fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass displays improved growth and fermentative ability in high solids concentrations and in the presence of inhibitory compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hawkins Gary M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Softwoods are the dominant source of lignocellulosic biomass in the northern hemisphere, and have been investigated worldwide as a renewable substrate for cellulosic ethanol production. One challenge to using softwoods, which is particularly acute with pine, is that the pretreatment process produces inhibitory compounds detrimental to the growth and metabolic activity of fermenting organisms. To overcome the challenge of bioconversion in the presence of inhibitory compounds, especially at high solids loading, a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was subjected to evolutionary engineering and adaptation for fermentation of pretreated pine wood (Pinus taeda. Results An industrial strain of Saccharomyces, XR122N, was evolved using pretreated pine; the resulting daughter strain, AJP50, produced ethanol much more rapidly than its parent in fermentations of pretreated pine. Adaptation, by preculturing of the industrial yeast XR122N and the evolved strains in 7% dry weight per volume (w/v pretreated pine solids prior to inoculation into higher solids concentrations, improved fermentation performance of all strains compared with direct inoculation into high solids. Growth comparisons between XR122N and AJP50 in model hydrolysate media containing inhibitory compounds found in pretreated biomass showed that AJP50 exited lag phase faster under all conditions tested. This was due, in part, to the ability of AJP50 to rapidly convert furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural to their less toxic alcohol derivatives, and to recover from reactive oxygen species damage more quickly than XR122N. Under industrially relevant conditions of 17.5% w/v pretreated pine solids loading, additional evolutionary engineering was required to decrease the pronounced lag phase. Using a combination of adaptation by inoculation first into a solids loading of 7% w/v for 24 hours, followed by a 10% v/v inoculum (approximately equivalent to 1 g/L dry cell weight into 17

Supercritical Water Gasification of Wet Biomass : Modeling and Experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yakaboylu, O.

2016-01-01

In the following decades, biomass will play an important role among the other renewable energy sources globally as it is already the fourth largest energy resource after coal, oil and natural gas. It is possible to obtain gaseous, liquid or solid biofuels from biomass via thermochemical or

Benchmark physics tests in the metallic-fuelled assembly ZPPR-15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFarlane, H.F.; Brumbach, S.B.; Carpenter, S.G.; Collins, P.J.

1987-01-01

In the last two years a shift in emphasis to inherent safety and economic competitiveness has led to a resurgence in US interest in metallic-alloy fuels for LMRs. Argonne National Laboratory initiated an extensive testing program for metallic-fuelled LMR technology that has included benchmark physics as one component. The tests done in the ZPPR-15 Program produced the first physics results in over 20 years for a metal-composition LMR core

A novel biorefinery integration concept for lignocellulosic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Özdenkçi, Karhan; De Blasio, Cataldo; Muddassar, Hassan R.; Melin, Kristian; Oinas, Pekka; Koskinen, Jukka; Sarwar, Golam; Järvinen, Mika

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Wide review is provided on supply chain and biomass conversion processes. • The requirements for sustainable biorefinery are listed. • An enhanced version distributed-centralized network is proposed. • A novel hydrothermal process is proposed for biomass conversion. - Abstract: The concept of an integrated biorefinery has increasing importance regarding sustainability aspects. However, the typical concepts have techno-economic issues: limited replacement in co-processing with fossil sources and high investment costs in integration to a specific plant. These issues have directed the current investigations to supply-chain network systems. On the other hand, these studies have the scope of a specific product and/or a feedstock type. This paper proposes a novel biorefinery concept for lignocellulosic biomass: sectoral integration network and a new hydrothermal process for biomass conversion. The sectoral integration concept has the potential for sustainable production from biomass: pre-treatment at the biomass sites, regional distributed conversion of biomass from various sectors (e.g. black liquor, sawdust, straw) and centralized upgrading/separation of crude biofuels. On the other hand, the conversion processes compose the vital part of such a concept. The new conversion involves partial wet oxidation - or simultaneous dissolution with partial wet oxidation for solid biomass- followed by lignin recovery with acidification and a reactor that can perform either hydrothermal liquefaction or supercritical water gasification. The process can intake both liquid and solid biomass to produce lignin as biomaterial and syngas or bio-oil. The new concept can contribute social development of rural areas by utilizing waste as valuable raw material for the production of multiple products and reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil-based production.

Modeling of biomass pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samo, S.R.; Memon, A.S.; Akhund, M.A.

1995-01-01

The fuels used in industry and power sector for the last two decades have become expensive. As a result renewable energy source have been emerging increasingly important, of these, biomass appears to be the most applicable in the near future. The pyrolysis of biomass plays a key role amongst the three major and important process generally encountered in a gas producer, namely, pyrolysis, combustion and reduction of combustion products. Each biomass has its own pyrolysis characteristics and this important parameters must be known for the proper design and efficient operation of a gasification system. Thermogravimetric analysis has been widely used to study the devolatilization of solid fuels, such as biomass. It provides the weight loss history of a sample heated at a predetermined rate as a function of time and temperature. This paper presents the experimental results of modelling the weight loss curves of the main biomass components i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Thermogravimetric analysis of main components of biomass showed that pyrolysis is first order reaction. Furthermore pyrolysis of cellulose and hemicelluloe can be regarded as taking place in two stages, for while lignin pyrolysis is a single stage process. This paper also describes the Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) technique to predict the weight retained during pyrolysis at any temperature, for number of biomass species, such as cotton stalk, bagasse ad graoundnut shell. (author)

Energy from biomass: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Toorn, L.J.; Elliott, T.P.

1992-01-01

Attention is paid to the effect of the use of energy from biomass on the greenhouse effect. An overview is given of the aspects of forest plantation, carbon dioxide fixation and energy from biomass, in particular with regard to the potential impact of the use of biomass energy on the speed of accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. A simple model of the carbon cycle to illustrate the geochemical, biological and antropogenic characteristics of the cycle is presented and briefly discussed. Biomass, which is appropriate for energy applications, can be subdivided into three categories: polysaccharides, vegetable oils, and lignocellulosis. The costs for the latter are discussed. Three important options to use biomass as a commercial energy source are solid fuels, liquid fuels, and power generation. For each option the value of energy (on a large-scale level) is compared to the costs of several types of biomass. Recent evaluation of new techniques show that small biomass conversion plants can realize an electricity efficiency of 40%, with capitalized costs far below comparable conventional biomass conversion plants. One of the policy instruments to stimulate the use of biomass as an energy source is the carbon levy, in which the assumed external costs to reduce carbon dioxide emission are expressed. Political and administrative feasibility are important factors in the decision making with regard to carbon storage and energy plantations. 6 figs

Experimental Study of Subcritical Water Liquefaction of Biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Zhe; Toor, Saqib; Rosendahl, Lasse

2014-01-01

In this work, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of wood industry residues (wood, bark, sawdust) and macroalgae for producing biofuels has been investigated under subcritical water conditions (at temperature of 300 C), with and without the presence of catalyst. The effects of catalyst and biomass type...... bio-crudes were analyzed. The results showed that the higher heating values (HHVs) were in the range of 24.15 to 31.79 MJ/kg, and they were enhanced in the presence of catalyst, except for that of the macroalgae. The solid residues were characterized by heating value, SEM and FTIR. It was found...... that the addition of K2CO3 lowered the solids quality in terms of the heating values, while it did not have apparent effect on the functional groups of solid residues. SEM analysis of the raw biomass and solid residues revealed that the char formation for wood, sawdust and macroalgae had initially finished when...

Experience of more than 1000 h of operation with oxygen carriers and solid biomass at large scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berdugo Vilches, Teresa; Lind, Fredrik; Rydén, Magnus; Thunman, Henrik

2017-01-01

Highlights: • First large scale experience (MW) of biomass combustion at CLC-relevant conditions. • Manganese and ilmenite were applied successfully at semi-industrial scale. • 60% combustion under challenging conditions: 830 °C, over-bed fuel feeding. • Volatiles conversion limited by mixing to a significant extent. - Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the experience gained from operating a dual fluidized bed system with oxygen carriers and biomass for more than 1000 h. The tests were carried out in the Chalmers boiler/gasifier loop (with inputs of 12 MW_t_h and 2–4 MW_t_h, respectively), which is 2–4 orders of magnitude larger than most existing CLC units. Coarse biomass particles (i.e., commercial wood pellets) were fed as fuel onto the surface of a mild fluidized bed. This limits significantly the contacts between the volatiles and the oxygen carrier particles, as the flotsam fuel tends to remain on the surface of the bed while the volatiles are released. The oxygen carrier materials tested were ilmenite and a manganese ore. The influences on biomass conversion of fluidization velocity, fuel feeding rate, and circulation rate of the bed material were investigated. Both bed materials efficiently transported oxygen between the reactors, achieving up to 60% combustion of the gases released in the reactor at a relatively low temperature, i.e., 830 °C. The ilmenite outperformed the manganese ore under the conditions investigated. With oxygen carriers, the yield of hydrocarbons heavier than benzene was in the range of 10–11 g/N m"3, which was 70% (w/w) lower than that obtained in a reference case with silica-sand as the bed material. The conversion of volatile species to CO_2 was limited by gas-solids mixing, which could be enhanced by altering the fluidization velocity. The circulation rate of the bed material and the fuel feeding rate were found to have important influences on the rate of char gasification. Given the relatively low

The determination of aldehydes in the exhaust gases of LPG fuelled engines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutten, G.A.F.M.; Burtner, C.W.J.; Visser, H.; Rijks, J.A.

1988-01-01

The exhaust gas of a LPG fuelled engine is drawn through two bubblers in series in an ice bath, and filled with saturated 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in 2M HCl. After heating the derivatives are extracted with toluene-cyclohexane and 1l samples injected on-column on a OV1 capillary column. Using an

Calculations on heavy-water moderated and cooled natural uranium fuelled power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinedo V, J.L.

1979-01-01

One of the codes that the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (Mexico) has for the nuclear reactors design calculations is the LEOPARD code. This work studies the reliability of this code in reactors design calculations which component materials are the same of the heavy water moderated and cooled, natural uranium fuelled power reactors. (author)

Does migratory distance affect fuelling in a medium-distance passerine migrant?: results from direct and step-wise simulated magnetic displacements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Ilieva

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In birds, fat accumulation before and during migration has been shown to be endogenously controlled and tuned by, among other factors, the Earth's magnetic field. However, our knowledge about the influence of the geomagnetic field on the fuelling in migrating birds is still limited to just a few nocturnally migrating passerine species. In order to study if variations of the magnetic field can also influence the fuelling of both day- and night-migrating passerines, we caught first-year dunnocks (Prunella modularis and subjected them to three magnetic field conditions simulated by a system of magnetic coils: (1 local geomagnetic field of southern Sweden, (2 magnetic field corresponding to the centre of the expected wintering area, and (3 magnetic field met at the northern limit of the species' breeding distribution. We did not find a difference in mass increase between the birds kept in a local magnetic field and a field resembling their wintering area, irrespectively of the mode of magnetic displacement, i.e. direct or step-wise. However, the dunnocks magnetically displaced north showed a lower rate of fuelling in comparison to the control group, probably due to elevated activity. Compared with previous studies, our results suggest that the fuelling response to magnetic displacements during the migration period is specific to the eco-physiological situation. Future studies need to address if there is an effect of magnetic field manipulation on the level of migratory activity in dunnocks and how widespread the influence of local geomagnetic field parameters is on fuelling decisions in different bird species, which have different migratory strategies, distances and migration history.

Disaggregate demand for conventional and alternative fuelled vehicles in the Census Metropolitan Area of Hamilton, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Potoglou, Dimitrios

The focus of this thesis is twofold. First, it offers insight on how households' car-ownership behaviour is affected by urban form and availability of local-transit at the place of residence, after controlling for socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Second, it addresses the importance of vehicle attributes, household and individual characteristics as well as economic incentives and urban form to potential demand for alternative fuelled vehicles. Data for the empirical analyses of the aforementioned research activities were obtained through an innovative Internet survey, which is also documented in this thesis, conducted in the Census Metropolitan Area of Hamilton. The survey included a retrospective questionnaire of households' number and type of vehicles and a stated choices experiment for assessing the potential demand for alternative fuelled vehicles. Established approaches and emerging trends in automobile demand modelling identified early on in this thesis suggest a disaggregate approach and specifically, the estimation of discrete choice models both for explaining car ownership and vehicle-type choice behaviour. It is shown that mixed and diverse land uses as well as short distances between home and work are likely to decrease the probability of households to own a large number of cars. Regarding the demand for alternative fuelled vehicles, while vehicle attributes are particularly important, incentives such as free parking and access to high occupancy vehicle lanes will not influence the choice of hybrids or alternative fuelled vehicles. An improved understating of households' behaviour regarding the number of cars as well as the factors and trade-offs for choosing cleaner vehicles can be used to inform policy designed to reduce car ownership levels and encourage adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies in urban areas. Finally, the Internet survey sets the ground for further research on implementation and evaluation of this data collection method.

Potential and possibilities of supplying energy from biomass and biogas; Potentiale und Moeglichkeiten der Energiebereitstellung durch Biomasse und Biogas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonnenberg, H. [Bundesforschungsanstalt fuer Landwirtschaft, Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Betriebstechnik; Weiland, P.; Ahlgrimm, H.J. [Bundesforschungsanstalt fuer Landwirtschaft (FAL), Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Technologie

1998-06-01

Agriculture`s potential contribution to the energy supply of the ``town of the future`` through the conversion of biomass to energy, including biogas production, is a rather modest one. Supposing that the share of total renewable energy in Germany`s primary energy demand rises to approximately 4%, then the proportion of biomass from biotic raw materials especially produced for the purpose will at the most make up an eighth of this amount. Beyond this, biomass is burdened with other drawbacks such as low supply efficiency, limited availability, and weather-dependent reliability. On the other hand, biomass is well suited for conversion to solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels, including inexpensive ones with low energy density (solid fuels), mostly used for stationary heating applications, as well as more expensive ones such as liquid fuels with a high energy density for mobile applications in the automotive sector. Thanks to its capacity to regenerate, biomass is an inexhaustible resource. Moreover, its natural life cycle has a small impact on the environment. [Deutsch] Der Beitrag, den die Landwirtschaft durch energetische Nutzung von Biomasse, z.B. auch mit der Erzeugung von Biogas, zur Energieversorgung der `Stadt der Zukunft` leisten kann, nimmt sich bescheiden aus. Wird erwartet, dass innerhalb des naechsten Jahrzehnts der Anteil regenerativer Energien insgesamt auf etwa 4% des Primaerenergie-Verbrauchs Deutschlands ansteigen koennte, so duerfte Biomasse als speziell zur Energiegewinnung angebaute nachwachsende Rohstoffe mit bestensfalls 0,5 Prozentpunkten daran beteiligt sein. Es beduerfen darueber hinaus auch Nachteile, wie geringe Bereitstellungseffizienz, beschraenkte Verfuegbarkeit und witterungsabhaengige Zuverlaessigkeit, der Beachtung. Die Biomasse kann jedoch mit Erfolg in feste, fluessige und gasfoermige Energietraeger konvertiert werden, sowohl in preiswerte mit geringer Energiedichte (Festbrennstoffe) fuer bevorzugt stationaeren Heizungs-Einsatz als auch

Bruce B fuelling-with-flow operations: fuel damage investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manzer, A.M. [CANTECH Associates Ltd., Burlington, Ontario (Canada); Morikawa, D. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Mississauga, Ontario (Canada); Hains, A.J.; Cichowlas, W.M. [Nuclear Safety Solutions Limited, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Roberts, J.G.; Wylie, J. [Bruce Power, Ontario (Canada)

2005-07-01

This paper summarizes the fuel bundle damage characterization done by Nuclear Safety Solutions Limited (NSS) and the out-reactor flow visualization tests done at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to reproduce the damage observed on irradiated fuel bundles. The bearing pad damage mechanism was identified and the tests showed that a minor change to the fuelling sequence would eliminate the mechanical interaction. The change was implemented in January 2005. Since then, the bearing pad damage appears to have been greatly reduced based on the small number of discharged bundles inspected to date. (author)

Bruce B fuelling-with-flow operations: fuel damage investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzer, A.M.; Morikawa, D.; Hains, A.J.; Cichowlas, W.M.; Roberts, J.G.; Wylie, J.

2005-01-01

This paper summarizes the fuel bundle damage characterization done by Nuclear Safety Solutions Limited (NSS) and the out-reactor flow visualization tests done at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to reproduce the damage observed on irradiated fuel bundles. The bearing pad damage mechanism was identified and the tests showed that a minor change to the fuelling sequence would eliminate the mechanical interaction. The change was implemented in January 2005. Since then, the bearing pad damage appears to have been greatly reduced based on the small number of discharged bundles inspected to date. (author)

Global combustion: the connection between fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions (1997–2010)

Science.gov (United States)

Balch, Jennifer K.; Nagy, R. Chelsea; Archibald, Sally; Moritz, Max A.; Williamson, Grant J.

2016-01-01

Humans use combustion for heating and cooking, managing lands, and, more recently, for fuelling the industrial economy. As a shift to fossil-fuel-based energy occurs, we expect that anthropogenic biomass burning in open landscapes will decline as it becomes less fundamental to energy acquisition and livelihoods. Using global data on both fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions, we tested this relationship over a 14 year period (1997–2010). The global average annual carbon emissions from biomass burning during this time were 2.2 Pg C per year (±0.3 s.d.), approximately one-third of fossil fuel emissions over the same period (7.3 Pg C, ±0.8 s.d.). There was a significant inverse relationship between average annual fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. Fossil fuel emissions explained 8% of the variation in biomass burning emissions at a global scale, but this varied substantially by land cover. For example, fossil fuel burning explained 31% of the variation in biomass burning in woody savannas, but was a non-significant predictor for evergreen needleleaf forests. In the land covers most dominated by human use, croplands and urban areas, fossil fuel emissions were more than 30- and 500-fold greater than biomass burning emissions. This relationship suggests that combustion practices may be shifting from open landscape burning to contained combustion for industrial purposes, and highlights the need to take into account how humans appropriate combustion in global modelling of contemporary fire. Industrialized combustion is not only an important driver of atmospheric change, but also an important driver of landscape change through companion declines in human-started fires. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216509

Gas Fuelling System for SST-1Tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Dhanani, Kalpesh; Raval, D. C.; Khan, Ziauddin; Semwal, Pratibha; George, Siju; Paravastu, Yuvakiran; Thankey, Prashant; Khan, M. S.; Pradhan, Subrata

2017-04-01

SST-1 Tokamak, the first Indian Steady-state Superconducting experimental device is at present under operation in the Institute for Plasma Research. For plasma break down & initiation, piezoelectric valve based gas feed system is implemented as a primary requirement due to its precise control, easy handling, low construction and maintenance cost and its flexibility in the selection of the working gas. Hydrogen gas feeding with piezoelectric valve is used in the SST-1 plasma experiments. The piezoelectric valves used in SST-1 are remotely driven by a PXI based platform and are calibrated before each SST-1 plasma operation with precise control. This paper will present the technical development and the results of the gas fuelling system of SST-1.

An experimental study on performance and emission characteristics of a hydrogen fuelled spark ignition engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahraman, Erol [Program of Energy Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430 (Turkey); Cihangir Ozcanli, S.; Ozerdem, Baris [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430 (Turkey)

2007-08-15

In the present paper, the performance and emission characteristics of a conventional four cylinder spark ignition (SI) engine operated on hydrogen and gasoline are investigated experimentally. The compressed hydrogen at 20 MPa has been introduced to the engine adopted to operate on gaseous hydrogen by external mixing. Two regulators have been used to drop the pressure first to 300 kPa, then to atmospheric pressure. The variations of torque, power, brake thermal efficiency, brake mean effective pressure, exhaust gas temperature, and emissions of NO{sub x}, CO, CO{sub 2}, HC, and O{sub 2} versus engine speed are compared for a carbureted SI engine operating on gasoline and hydrogen. Energy analysis also has studied for comparison purpose. The test results have been demonstrated that power loss occurs at low speed hydrogen operation whereas high speed characteristics compete well with gasoline operation. Fast burning characteristics of hydrogen have permitted high speed engine operation. Less heat loss has occurred for hydrogen than gasoline. NO{sub x} emission of hydrogen fuelled engine is about 10 times lower than gasoline fuelled engine. Finally, both first and second law efficiencies have improved with hydrogen fuelled engine compared to gasoline engine. It has been proved that hydrogen is a very good candidate as an engine fuel. The obtained data are also very useful for operational changes needed to optimize the hydrogen fueled SI engine design. (author)

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takenaga, H; Ide, S; Sakamoto, Y; Fujita, T [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka Ibaraki 311-0193 (Japan)], E-mail: takenaga.hidenobu@jaea.go.jp

2008-07-15

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles have been investigated using negative ion based neutral beam injection and electron cyclotron heating (ECH) in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U. Strong internal transport barrier (ITB) was maintained in density and ion temperature profiles, when central fuelling was decreased by switching positive ion based neutral beam injection to ECH after the strong ITB formation. Similar density and ion temperature ITBs were formed for the low and high central fuelling cases during the plasma current ramp-up phase. Strong correlation between the density gradient and the ion temperature gradient was observed, indicating that particle transport and ion thermal transport are strongly coupled or the density gradient assists the ion temperature ITB formation through suppression of drift wave instabilities such as ion temperature gradient mode. These results support that the density and ion temperature ITBs can be formed under reactor relevant conditions.

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaga, H.; Ide, S.; Sakamoto, Y.; Fujita, T.; JT-60 Team

2008-07-01

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles have been investigated using negative ion based neutral beam injection and electron cyclotron heating (ECH) in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U. Strong internal transport barrier (ITB) was maintained in density and ion temperature profiles, when central fuelling was decreased by switching positive ion based neutral beam injection to ECH after the strong ITB formation. Similar density and ion temperature ITBs were formed for the low and high central fuelling cases during the plasma current ramp-up phase. Strong correlation between the density gradient and the ion temperature gradient was observed, indicating that particle transport and ion thermal transport are strongly coupled or the density gradient assists the ion temperature ITB formation through suppression of drift wave instabilities such as ion temperature gradient mode. These results support that the density and ion temperature ITBs can be formed under reactor relevant conditions.

Comparative analysis of large biomass & coal co-utilization units

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liszka, M.; Nowak, G.; Ptasinski, K.J.; Favrat, D.; Marechal, F.

2010-01-01

The co-utilization of coal and biomass in large power units is considered in many countries (e.g. Poland) as fast and effective way of increasing renewable energy share in the fuel mix. Such a method of biomass use is especially suitable for power systems where solid fuels (hard coal, lignite) are

Recent standardisation work in Sweden related to measurement of biomass fuel quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maansson, Margret [Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boraas (Sweden)

1998-06-01

Work on Swedish standards for peat and biofuels started close to fifteen years ago. The same technical committee that has the responsibility for peat and solid biofuels is also handling the standardisation work on solid mineral fuels. Its counterpart within the ISO is TC 27 Solid mineral fuels. A number of the Swedish analysis standards are structured such that they define methods for all of the solid fuels in the same standard, with specific requirements for the type of fuel if necessary. By now, twenty Swedish biomass standards have been prepared and adopted, half of them already revised at least once. There are dedicated biofuel standards for terminology, sampling and sample preparation and for determination of parameters such as moisture, ash, size distribution, bulk density and mechanical strength. Solid fuels standards that include biomass and peat in their range of application exist for the determination of volatile matter, sulfur chlorine and calorific value. Solid fuel ash methods have been specifically developed for the determination of unburned material and sulfur content. At the present time, standard methods are being defined for the determination of total amounts of heavy metals in ash, and also methods for measuring the availability (leaching properties) of certain elements in ash, in particular ash from combustion of biomass. Ash methods are of interest because of the focus on the possibilities of returning biomass-origin ash to forest soil as a fertilizer and also to prevent depletion of trace elements caused by the increase in the utilisation of the forest growth

Flow-through biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Herring, Christopher D.; Liu, Chaogang; Bardsley, John

2014-07-01

The present invention is directed to a process for biologically converting carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass comprising the steps of: suspending lignocellulosic biomass in a flow-through reactor, passing a reaction solution into the reactor, wherein the solution is absorbed into the biomass substrate and at least a portion of the solution migrates through said biomass substrate to a liquid reservoir, recirculating the reaction solution in the liquid reservoir at least once to be absorbed into and migrate through the biomass substrate again. The biological converting of the may involve hydrolyzing cellulose, hemicellulose, or a combination thereof to form oligosaccharides, monomelic sugars, or a combination thereof; fermenting oligosaccharides, monomelic sugars, or a combination thereof to produce ethanol, or a combination thereof. The process can further comprise removing the reaction solution and processing the solution to separate the ethanol produced from non-fermented solids.

Influence of inocula and grains on sclerotia biomass and carotenoid yield of Penicillium sp. PT95 during solid-state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jian-Rong; Yuan, Jing-Ming

2003-10-01

Various inocula and grains were evaluated for carotenoid production by solid-state fermentation using Penicillium sp. PT95. Millet medium was more effective in both sclerotia growth and carotenoid production than other grain media. An inoculum in the form of sclerotia yielded higher sclerotia biomass compared to either a spore inoculum or a mycelial pellet inoculum. Adding wheat bran to grain medium favored the formation of sclerotia. However, neither the inoculum type nor addition of wheat bran resulted in a significant change in the carotenoid content of sclerotia. Among grain media supplemented with wheat bran (wheat bran:grain =1:4 w/w, dry basis), a medium consisting of rice and wheat bran gave the highest sclerotia biomass (15.10 g/100 g grain), a medium consisting of buckwheat and wheat bran gave the highest content of carotenoid in sclerotia (0.826 mg/g dry sclerotia), and a medium consisting of millet and wheat bran gave the highest carotenoid yield (11.457 mg/100 g grain).

Ageing of fibre reinforced polymer composite selected as a bearing material for Rams of 540 MWe fuelling machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limaye, P.K.; Soni, N.L.; Agrawal, R.G.

2006-01-01

Fibre-reinforced-polymer-composite material has been suggested as a bearing material to overcome tribological problems witnessed during the testing of Ram assembly of the 540 MWe fuelling machine at RTD. After successful trials at B-Ram the composite material has been adapted for B-RAM, C-Ram and RDB head at fuelling machines being tested at RTD, Hall 7 and at Tarapur. Laboratory evaluations were also carried out at Tribology Lab RTD to study effect of radiation on the composite. Paper deals with the various aspects of life prediction of this material in term of wear and radiation damage. (author)

Fates of Chemical Elements in Biomass during Its Pyrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wu-Jun; Li, Wen-Wei; Jiang, Hong; Yu, Han-Qing

2017-05-10

Biomass is increasingly perceived as a renewable resource rather than as an organic solid waste today, as it can be converted to various chemicals, biofuels, and solid biochar using modern processes. In the past few years, pyrolysis has attracted growing interest as a promising versatile platform to convert biomass into valuable resources. However, an efficient and selective conversion process is still difficult to be realized due to the complex nature of biomass, which usually makes the products complicated. Furthermore, various contaminants and inorganic elements (e.g., heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine) embodied in biomass may be transferred into pyrolysis products or released into the environment, arousing environmental pollution concerns. Understanding their behaviors in biomass pyrolysis is essential to optimizing the pyrolysis process for efficient resource recovery and less environmental pollution. However, there is no comprehensive review so far about the fates of chemical elements in biomass during its pyrolysis. Here, we provide a critical review about the fates of main chemical elements (C, H, O, N, P, Cl, S, and metals) in biomass during its pyrolysis. We overview the research advances about the emission, transformation, and distribution of elements in biomass pyrolysis, discuss the present challenges for resource-oriented conversion and pollution abatement, highlight the importance and significance of understanding the fate of elements during pyrolysis, and outlook the future development directions for process control. The review provides useful information for developing sustainable biomass pyrolysis processes with an improved efficiency and selectivity as well as minimized environmental impacts, and encourages more research efforts from the scientific communities of chemistry, the environment, and energy.

Biomass I. Science Activities in Energy [and] Teacher's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

Designed for science students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the activities in this unit illustrate principles and problems related to biomass as a form of energy. (The word biomass is used to describe all solid material of animal or vegetable origin from which energy may be extracted.) Twelve student activities using art, economics,…

Compacting biomass waste materials for use as fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ou

Every year, biomass waste materials are produced in large quantity. The combustibles in biomass waste materials make up over 70% of the total waste. How to utilize these waste materials is important to the nation and the world. The purpose of this study is to test optimum processes and conditions of compacting a number of biomass waste materials to form a densified solid fuel for use at coal-fired power plants or ordinary commercial furnaces. Successful use of such fuel as a substitute for or in cofiring with coal not only solves a solid waste disposal problem but also reduces the release of some gases from burning coal which cause health problem, acid rain and global warming. The unique punch-and-die process developed at the Capsule Pipeline Research Center, University of Missouri-Columbia was used for compacting the solid wastes, including waste paper, plastics (both film and hard products), textiles, leaves, and wood. The compaction was performed to produce strong compacts (biomass logs) under room temperature without binder and without preheating. The compaction conditions important to the commercial production of densified biomass fuel logs, including compaction pressure, pressure holding time, back pressure, moisture content, particle size, binder effects, and mold conditions were studied and optimized. The properties of the biomass logs were evaluated in terms of physical, mechanical, and combustion characteristics. It was found that the compaction pressure and the initial moisture content of the biomass material play critical roles in producing high-quality biomass logs. Under optimized compaction conditions, biomass waste materials can be compacted into high-quality logs with a density of 0.8 to 1.2 g/cm3. The logs made from the combustible wastes have a heating value in the range 6,000 to 8,000 Btu/lb which is only slightly (10 to 30%) less than that of subbituminous coal. To evaluate the feasibility of cofiring biomass logs with coal, burn tests were

Mechanism of waste biomass pyrolysis: Effect of physical and chemical pre-treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Oisik; Sarmah, Ajit K.

2015-01-01

To impart usability in waste based biomass through thermo-chemical reactions, several physical and chemical pre-treatments were conducted to gain an insight on their mode of action, effect on the chemistry and the change in thermal degradation profiles. Two different waste biomasses (Douglas fir, a softwood and hybrid poplar, a hardwood) were subjected to four different pre-treatments, namely, hot water pre-treatment, torrefaction, acid (sulphuric acid) and salt (ammonium phosphate) doping. Post pre-treatments, the changes in the biomass structure, chemistry, and thermal makeup were studied through electron microscopy, atomic absorption/ultra violet spectroscopy, ion exchange chromatography, and thermogravimetry. The pre-treatments significantly reduced the amounts of inorganic ash, extractives, metals, and hemicellulose from both the biomass samples. Furthermore, hot water and torrefaction pre-treatment caused mechanical disruption in biomass fibres leading to smaller particle sizes. Torrefaction of Douglas fir wood yielded more solid product than hybrid poplar. Finally, the salt pre-treatment increased the activation energies of the biomass samples (especially Douglas fir) to a great extent. Thus, salt pre-treatment was found to bestow thermal stability in the biomass. - Highlights: • Pre-treatments reduce ash, extractives, alkalines and hemicellulose from biomass. • Torrefaction of Douglas fir yields more solid product than hybrid poplar. • Salt pretreatment significantly increases the activation energy of biomass. • Acid and salt pretreatment bestows thermal stability in biomass.

Mechanism of waste biomass pyrolysis: Effect of physical and chemical pre-treatments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Oisik [Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-6120, WA (United States); Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142 (New Zealand); Sarmah, Ajit K., E-mail: a.sarmah@auckland.ac.nz [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142 (New Zealand)

2015-12-15

To impart usability in waste based biomass through thermo-chemical reactions, several physical and chemical pre-treatments were conducted to gain an insight on their mode of action, effect on the chemistry and the change in thermal degradation profiles. Two different waste biomasses (Douglas fir, a softwood and hybrid poplar, a hardwood) were subjected to four different pre-treatments, namely, hot water pre-treatment, torrefaction, acid (sulphuric acid) and salt (ammonium phosphate) doping. Post pre-treatments, the changes in the biomass structure, chemistry, and thermal makeup were studied through electron microscopy, atomic absorption/ultra violet spectroscopy, ion exchange chromatography, and thermogravimetry. The pre-treatments significantly reduced the amounts of inorganic ash, extractives, metals, and hemicellulose from both the biomass samples. Furthermore, hot water and torrefaction pre-treatment caused mechanical disruption in biomass fibres leading to smaller particle sizes. Torrefaction of Douglas fir wood yielded more solid product than hybrid poplar. Finally, the salt pre-treatment increased the activation energies of the biomass samples (especially Douglas fir) to a great extent. Thus, salt pre-treatment was found to bestow thermal stability in the biomass. - Highlights: • Pre-treatments reduce ash, extractives, alkalines and hemicellulose from biomass. • Torrefaction of Douglas fir yields more solid product than hybrid poplar. • Salt pretreatment significantly increases the activation energy of biomass. • Acid and salt pretreatment bestows thermal stability in biomass.

Clean Energy for Development: The Environmental and Socioeconomic Benefits of Ethanol as a Household Cooking Fuel In Ethiopia.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Debebe, M.; Lambe, F. (Gaia Association, Bole Subcity, P.O.Box 13493, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)). e-mail: gaiaassociation@ethionet.et

2008-10-15

The overwhelming dependence of the household sector on traditional fuels (solid biomass) and kerosene for cooking is having a hugely negative impact on health, the environment and the economy in Ethiopia. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and deforestation associated with harvesting biomass for cooking, are contributing to climate change and environmental degradation. Moreover, indoor air pollution from the burning of traditional fuels indoors causes numerous serious health problems for those exposed - in most cases, women and children. Ethiopian families cook using these fuels because they have no alternatives. Gaia Association, an Ethiopian NGO, and its partners are working to increase access to ethanol fuelled cooking stoves for households at all income levels and have conducted an extensive pilot study to assess the impact of the ethanol fuelled CleanCook stove on Ethiopian homes in a variety of locations. The favourable study results were used to inform a detailed business plan outlining the strategies for local commercialisation of the stove and fuel. Adoption of this alternative clean cooking technology has been shown to address the health, environmental and socioeconomic problems associated with heavy reliance on traditional cooking fuels.

Characterization of Residual Particulates from Biomass Entrained Flow Gasification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Ke; Lin, Weigang; Fæster, Søren

2013-01-01

Biomass gasification experiments were carried out in a bench scale entrained flow reactor, and the produced solid particles were collected by a cyclone and a metal filter for subsequent characterization. During wood gasification, the major part of the solid material collected in the filter is soot...

Putney Basketville Site Biomass CHP Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunsberger, Randolph [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mosey, Gail [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2013-10-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Center for Program Analysis developed the RE-Powering America's Land initiative to reuse contaminated sites for renewable energy generation when aligned with the community's vision for the site. The Putney, Vermont, Basketville site, formerly the location of a basket-making facility and a paper mill andwoolen mill, was selected for a feasibility study under the program. Biomass was chosen as the renewable energy resource based on abundant woody-biomass resources available in the area. Biomass combined heat and power (CHP) was selected as the technology due to nearby loads, including Putney Paper and Landmark College.

A comparison between two methods of generating power, heat and refrigeration via biomass based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A thermodynamic and environmental analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortazaei, M.; Rahimi, M.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Two novel trigeneration systems based biomass and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell are compared. • A complete environmental analysis for three different cases is conducted. • Digester based system has 14.56% more exergetic efficiency than gasifier based one. • Gasifier based system has 14.31% more energetic efficiency than Digester based one. • Gasifier, Digester and air heat exchanger have the highest exergy destruction. - Abstract: Utilization of biomass energy is of prevalence focus these days. Using these fuels to run the fuel cells is of primary interest. In this regard, two new trigeneration systems (producing power and heating alongside with cooling) based on solid oxide fuel cell fed by either the syngas or biogas are proposed. The performance of systems is analyzed and compared with each other from the thermodynamic viewpoint. Applying the conservation of mass and energy as well as the exergy for each system component and using the engineering equation solver, the system’s performance are modeled. Through a parametric study, the effects of some key variables such as the current density and the fuel utilization factor in the systems’ performance are investigated. In addition, considering the system as a combination of three subsystems, that is, the power generation system, heat and power generation system and trigeneration system, an environmental impact assessment in terms of Carbon dioxide emission is carried out for both digester based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and gasifier based one. It is observed that using biogas from digester leads to more exergetic (which is 14.56%) and less energetic efficiency (Which is 14.31%), with a Carbon dioxide emission of 17.87 ton/MW h for the tri-generation system. The value of this parameter is 21.32 ton/MW h when gasifier is used as the supplier of fuel for solid oxide fuel cell.

Biomass gasification integrated with a solid oxide fuel cell and Stirling engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rokni, Masoud

2014-01-01

An integrated gasification solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and Stirling engine for combined heat and power application is analyzed. The target for electricity production is 120 kW. Woodchips are used as gasification feedstock to produce syngas, which is then used to feed the SOFC stacks for electricity production. Unreacted hydrocarbons remaining after the SOFC are burned in a catalytic burner, and the hot off-gases from the burner are recovered in a Stirling engine for electricity and heat production. Domestic hot water is used as a heat sink for the Stirling engine. A complete balance-of-plant is designed and suggested. Thermodynamic analysis shows that a thermal efficiency of 42.4% based on the lower heating value (LHV) can be achieved if all input parameters are selected conservatively. Different parameter studies are performed to analyze the system behavior under different conditions. The analysis shows that the decreasing number of stacks from a design viewpoint, indicating that plant efficiency decreases but power production remains nearly unchanged. Furthermore, the analysis shows that there is an optimum value for the utilization factor of the SOFC for the suggested plant design with the suggested input parameters. This optimum value is approximately 65%, which is a rather modest value for SOFC. In addition, introducing a methanator increases plant efficiency slightly. If SOFC operating temperature decreases due to new technology then plant efficiency will slightly be increased. Decreasing gasifier temperature, which cannot be controlled, causes the plant efficiency to increase also. - Highlights: • Design of integrated gasification with solid oxide fuel and Stirling engine. • Important plant parameters study. • Plant running on biomass with and without methanator. • Thermodynamics of integrated gasification SOFC-Stirling engine plants

Pyrolysis and gasification of single biomass particle – new openFoam solver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiatkowski, K; Zuk, P J; Bajer, K; Dudyński, M

2014-01-01

We present a new solver biomassGasificationFoam that extended the functionalities of the well-supported open-source CFD code OpenFOAM. The main goal of this development is to provide a comprehensive computational environment for a wide range of applications involving reacting gases and solids. The biomassGasificationFoam is an integrated solver capable of modelling thermal conversion, including evaporation, pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion, of various solid materials. In the paper we show that the gas is hotter than the solid except at the centre of the sample, where the temperature of the solid is higher. This effect is expected because the thermal conductivity of the porous matrix of the solid phase is higher than the thermal conductivity of the gases. This effect, which cannot be considered if thermal equilibrium between the gas and solid is assumed, leads to precise description of heat transfer into wood particles.

Fuelling effect of tangential compact toroid injection in STOR-M Tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onchi, T.; Liu, Y., E-mail: tao668@mail.usask.ca [Univ. of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Physics and Engineering Physics, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada); Dreval, M. [Univ. of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Physics and Engineering Physics, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada); Inst. of Plasma Physics NSC KIPT, Kharkov (Ukraine); McColl, D. [Univ. of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Physics and Engineering Physics, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada); Asai, T. [Inst. of Plasma Physics NSC KIPT, Kharkov (Ukraine); Wolfe, S. [Nihon Univ., Dept. of Physics, Tokyo (Japan); Xiao, C.; Hirose, A. [Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada)

2012-07-01

Compact torus injection (CTI) is the only known candidate for directly fuelling the core of a tokamak fusion reactor. Compact torus (CT) injection into the STOR-M tokamak has induced improved confinement accompanied by an increase in the electron density, reduction in Hα emission, and suppression of the saw-tooth oscillations. The measured change in the toroidal flow velocity following tangential CTI has demonstrated momentum injection into the STOR-M plasma. (author)

Technical and economic analysis of using biomass energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piaskowska-Silarska Małgorzata

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the article were presented the technical possibilities of obtaining solid biomass, biogas, landfill gas, a biogas from wastewater treatment plants, bioethanol and biodiesel. Then processes was described, allowing use of energy from biomass. As first was discussed the incineration which includes drying and degassing of the wood materials, wood gas burning at 1200°C, post-combustion gas and heat transfer in the heat exchanger. Then had been described gasification, or thermochemical conversion process, occurring at high temperature. It is two-stage process. In the first chamber at deficiency of air and at relatively low temperatures (450–800°C, the fuel is being degasified, resulting in creating combustible gas and a mineral residue (charcoal. In the second stage, secondary combustion chamber and at a temperature of about 1000–1200°C and in the presence of excess of oxygen resultant gas is burned. A further process is pyrolysis. It consists of the steps of drying fuel to a moisture level below 10%, milling the biomass into very small particles, the pyrolysis reaction, separation of solid products, cooling and collecting bio-oil. Then discusses co-generation, which is combined production of heat and electricity. In this situation where the biomass contains too much water it can be used for energy purposes through biochemical processes. The alcoholic fermentation results in decomposition of carbohydrates taking place under anaerobic conditions, and the product is bioethanol. Another biochemical process used for the production of liquid biofuels is esterification of vegetable oils. Methane fermentation in turn causes a decomposition of macromolecular organic substances with limited oxygen available. As a result, we obtain alcohols, lower organic acids, methane, carbon dioxide and water. There was analysis of economic increasing of solid biomass energy, biogas and liquid biofuels in the following article.

Light-fuelled transport of large dendrimers and proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Koskela, Jenni E; Liljeström, Ville; Lim, Jongdoo; Simanek, Eric E; Ras, Robin H A; Priimagi, Arri; Kostiainen, Mauri A

2014-05-14

This work presents a facile water-based supramolecular approach for light-induced surface patterning. The method is based upon azobenzene-functionalized high-molecular weight triazine dendrimers up to generation 9, demonstrating that even very large globular supramolecular complexes can be made to move in response to light. We also demonstrate light-fuelled macroscopic movements in native biomolecules, showing that complexes of apoferritin protein and azobenzene can effectively form light-induced surface patterns. Fundamentally, the results establish that thin films comprising both flexible and rigid globular particles of large diameter can be moved with light, whereas the presented material concepts offer new possibilities for the yet marginally explored biological applications of azobenzene surface patterning.

Investigation of compact toroid penetration for fuelling spherical tokamak plasmas on CPD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukumoto, N.; Hanada, K.; Kawakami, S.

2008-10-01

In previous Compact Toroid (CT) injection experiments on several tokamaks, although CT fuelling had been successfully demonstrated, the CT fuelling process has been not clear yet. We have thus conducted CT injection into simple toroidal or vertical vacuum magnetic fields to investigate quantitatively dynamics of CT plasmoid in the penetration process on a spherical tokamak (ST) device. Understanding the process allows us to address appropriately one of the critical issues for practical application of CT injection on reactor-grade tokamaks. In the experiment, the CT shift amount of about 0.26 m in a vertical magnetic field has been observed by using a fast camera. In addition to toroidal magnetic field, vertical one appears to affect CT trajectory in not conventional tokamak but ST devices operated at rather low toroidal fields. We have also observed CT attacks on the target plate with an IR camera. The IR image has indicated that CT shifts 39 mm at the toroidal field of 261 G. From the calorimetric measurement, an input energy due to CT impact in vacuum without magnetic fields is also estimated to be 530 J, which agrees with the initial CT kinetic energy. (author)

A Review on Biomass Torrefaction Process and Product Properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; Christopher T. Wright; J. Richard Hess; Richard D. Boardman

2011-08-01

Biomass Torrefaction is gaining attention as an important preprocessing step to improve the quality of biomass in terms of physical properties and chemical composition. Torrefaction is a slow heating of biomass in an inert or reduced environment to a maximum temperature of approximately 300 C. Torrefaction can also be defined as a group of products resulting from the partially controlled and isothermal pyrolysis of biomass occurring in a temperature range of 200-280 C. Thus, the process can be called a mild pyrolysis as it occurs at the lower temperature range of the pyrolysis process. At the end of the torrefaction process, a solid uniform product with lower moisture content and higher energy content than raw biomass is produced. Most of the smoke-producing compounds and other volatiles are removed during torrefaction, which produces a final product that will have a lower mass but a higher heating value. The present review work looks into (a) torrefaction process and different products produced during the process and (b) solid torrefied material properties which include: (i) physical properties like moisture content, density, grindability, particle size distribution and particle surface area and pelletability; (ii) chemical properties like proximate and ultimate composition; and (iii) storage properties like off-gassing and spontaneous combustion.

Assessment of potential biomass energy production in China towards 2030 and 2050

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Guangling

2016-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a more detailed picture of potential biomass energy production in the Chinese energy system towards 2030 and 2050. Biomass for bioenergy feedstocks comes from five sources, which are agricultural crop residues, forest residues and industrial wood waste, energy crops and woody crops, animal manure, and municipal solid waste. The potential biomass production is predicted based on the resource availability. In the process of identifying biomass resources...

Economic and environmental considerations of biomass fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, Roger

1992-01-01

The economic and environmental aspects of biomass fuels are considered. Close to source, the cost of useful energy in the form of lignocellulose is often competitive with fossil fuels, say $1-3 per GJ. There are three main options to divert this biomass into commercial energy channels: solid fuels for underboiler use; liquid fuels for automotive use and electric power generation, each of which is discussed. The social, economic and environmental advantages of an afforestation programme are highlighted. (Author)

OTTO-PAP: An alternative option to the PBMR fuelling philosophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulder, E.; Teuchert, E.

1997-01-01

Once Through Then Out, Power Adjusted by Poison (OTTO-PAP) fuelling of a high temperature pebble-bed reactor offers a simple alternative to the MEDUL (Mehrfachdurchlauf = German for multi-pass) fuelling regime followed in pebble bed reactor designs to date. The prerequisite for a modular reactor unit of maximum power output, subject to observing passive safety characteristics is a sufficiently flat axial neutron flux profile. This is achieved by introducing B 4 C coated particles of pre-calculated size and packing density within the fuel spheres. In accordance with AVR operating practise the temperature profile is radially equalised by introducing a 2-zone core loading. Adding pure graphite spheres loosely into the centre column area of the core effectively reduced the maximum power in the middle. Increasing the reactor diameter is enabled by the introduction of noses. A 3-D geometric modeller developed in cylindrical co-ordinates enables a given flow description of the pebbles adjacent to the nose boundaries and in the vicinity of the shut down/control rods. After translation of the geometric data the neutronic behaviour of the reactor is followed in 3-D by the CITATION code. This study is aimed towards achieving an optimal core layout with a LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) fuel cycle. Physical properties of the OTTO-PAP, 150 MWt reference design is reported, while computations performed observe results obtained by the reference HTR-MODUL design. (author)

ALTENER - Biomass event in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-12-31

The publication contains the lectures held in the Biomass event in Finland. The event was divided into two sessions: Fuel production and handling, and Co-combustion and gasification sessions. Both sessions consisted of lectures and the business forum during which the companies involved in the research presented themselves and their research and their equipment. The fuel production and handling session consisted of following lectures and business presentations: AFB-NETT - business opportunities for European biomass industry; Wood waste in Europe; Wood fuel production technologies in EU- countries; new drying method for wood waste; Pellet - the best package for biofuel - a view from the Swedish pelletmarket; First biomass plant in Portugal with forest residue fuel; and the business forum of presentations: Swedish experiences of willow growing; Biomass handling technology; Chipset 536 C Harvester; KIC International. The Co-combustion and gasification session consisted of following lectures and presentations: Gasification technology - overview; Overview of co-combustion technology in Europe; Modern biomass combustion technology; Wood waste, peat and sludge combustion in Enso Kemi mills and UPM-Kymmene Rauma paper mill; Enhanced CFB combustion of wood chips, wood waste and straw in Vaexjoe in Sweden and Grenaa CHP plant in Denmark; Co-combustion of wood waste; Biomass gasification projects in India and Finland; Biomass CFB gasifier connected to a 350 MW{sub t}h steam boiler fired with coal and natural gas - THERMIE demonstration project in Lahti (FI); Biomass gasification for energy production, Noord Holland plant in Netherlands and Arbre Energy (UK); Gasification of biomass in fixed bed gasifiers, Wet cleaning and condensing heat recovery of flue gases; Combustion of wet biomass by underfeed grate boiler; Research on biomass and waste for energy; Engineering and consulting on energy (saving) projects; and Research and development on combustion of solid fuels

ALTENER - Biomass event in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-31

The publication contains the lectures held in the Biomass event in Finland. The event was divided into two sessions: Fuel production and handling, and Co-combustion and gasification sessions. Both sessions consisted of lectures and the business forum during which the companies involved in the research presented themselves and their research and their equipment. The fuel production and handling session consisted of following lectures and business presentations: AFB-NETT - business opportunities for European biomass industry; Wood waste in Europe; Wood fuel production technologies in EU- countries; new drying method for wood waste; Pellet - the best package for biofuel - a view from the Swedish pelletmarket; First biomass plant in Portugal with forest residue fuel; and the business forum of presentations: Swedish experiences of willow growing; Biomass handling technology; Chipset 536 C Harvester; KIC International. The Co-combustion and gasification session consisted of following lectures and presentations: Gasification technology - overview; Overview of co-combustion technology in Europe; Modern biomass combustion technology; Wood waste, peat and sludge combustion in Enso Kemi mills and UPM-Kymmene Rauma paper mill; Enhanced CFB combustion of wood chips, wood waste and straw in Vaexjoe in Sweden and Grenaa CHP plant in Denmark; Co-combustion of wood waste; Biomass gasification projects in India and Finland; Biomass CFB gasifier connected to a 350 MW{sub t}h steam boiler fired with coal and natural gas - THERMIE demonstration project in Lahti (FI); Biomass gasification for energy production, Noord Holland plant in Netherlands and Arbre Energy (UK); Gasification of biomass in fixed bed gasifiers, Wet cleaning and condensing heat recovery of flue gases; Combustion of wet biomass by underfeed grate boiler; Research on biomass and waste for energy; Engineering and consulting on energy (saving) projects; and Research and development on combustion of solid fuels

Emissions from decentralised CHP plants 2007 - Energinet.dk Environmental project no. 07/1882. Project report 5 - Emission factors and emission inventory for decentralised CHP production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Thomsen, M.

2010-06-15

Updated emission factors for decentralised combined heat and power (CHP) plants with a capacity < 25MWe have been estimated based on project emission measurements as well as emission measurements performed in recent years that were collected. The emission factors valid for 2006/2007 have been estimated for the plant technologies: Municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants, plants combusting straw or wood, natural gas fuelled reciprocating engines, biogas fuelled engines, natural gas fuelled gas turbines, gas oil fuelled reciprocating engines, gas oil fuelled gas turbines, steam turbines combusting residual oil and reciprocating engines combusting biomass producer gas based on wood. The emission factors for MSW incineration plants are much lower than the emission factors that were estimated for year 2000. The considerable reduction in the emission factors is a result of lower emission limit values in Danish legislation since 2006 that has lead to installation of new and improved flue gas cleaning systems in most MSW incineration plants. For CHP plants combusting wood or straw no major technical improvements have been implemented. The emission factors for natural gas fuelled reciprocating engines have been reduced since year 2000 as a result of technical improvements that have been carried out due to lower emission limit values in Danish legislation. The NO{sub x} emission factor for natural gas fuelled gas turbines has decreased 62 % since year 2000. This is a result of installation of low-NO{sub x} burners in almost all gas turbines that has been necessary to meet new emission limits in Danish legislation. The emission measurements programme included screening of the emissions of HCB, PCB, PCDD/-F and PBDD/-F. Compared to the Danish national emission decentralized CHP plants are major emission sources for CH{sub 4}, NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2}, heavy metals and HCB. (author)

Supervision of fuelling stations and pipelines; Ueberwachung von Tankanlagen und Rohrleitungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leimbach, W. [Rietschle Thomas Puchheim GmbH (Germany). ASF Leckanzeiger Systeme

2005-08-01

Construction of fuelling stations and fuel stores requires deep knowledge in order to ensure uninterrupted operation according to specifications (TRbF 20 Laeger and TRbF 40 Tankstellen). Even after the coming into force of the Operational Safety Ordinance (Betriebssicherheitsverordnung), the current technical rules will remain in force until new technical rules will have been developed by the Experts Committee for Operational Safety (Ausschuss fuer Betriebssicherheit) and published by the Federal Minister of Economy and Labour. (orig.)

Efficiency evaluation of gas fuelled and electric driven buses in the public transport sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aigner, Tobias Alexander

2013-07-01

The following report evaluates the efficiency of gas fuelled and electric driven buses in the public transport sector on a theoretical basis. The results indicate that the combination of CHP power plants and electric driven buses reach an overall efficiency of about 51% throughout the production chain (Well-to-Wheel), including heat distribution losses. The overall Well-to-Wheel efficiency for conventional gas turbines without heat recovery decreases to around 28%. For gas fuelled buses the Well-to-Wheel efficiency is about 30%. The Co2-emissions are evaluated based on the example of a #Left Double Quotation Mark#Volvo B10L CNG#Right Double Quotation Mark# gas bus and the electric driven #Left Double Quotation Mark#Eurabus 600#Right Double Quotation Mark#. The low energy consumption of the electric driven bus results in Co2-emissions of only 181.4 g Co2/km (Grid-to-Wheel). Depending on the utilised power plant technology the overall Co2-emissions (Well-to-Wheel) amount to 307.5 g Co2/km for a CHP power plant and 553.5 g Co2/km for a conventional gas turbine. On the other hand, gas fuelled buses emit about 1.25 kg Co2/km (Tank-to-Wheel), which is eightfold the emissions of an electrical bus. The Well-to-Tank emissions further increase to about 1.32 kg Co2/km. The emission calculation is based on real gas consumption data from a Norwegian public transport utility. The results indicate that the combination of CHP plants and electrical buses provide a much higher efficiency while reducing Co2-emissions. (author)

Assessment of Methods to Pretreat Microalgal Biomass for Enhanced Biogas Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline de L. Marques

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In anaerobic digestion of microalgae, the intracellular material may remain intact due to the non-ruptured membrane and/or cell wall, reducing the methane yield. Therefore, different pretreatment methods were evaluated for the solubilization of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. The anaerobic digestion of biomass hydrolyzed at 150 °C for 60 min with sulfuric acid 0.1% v/v showed higher methane yield (204-316 mL methane/g volatile solids applied compared to raw biomass (104-163 mL methane/g volatile solids applied. The replacement of sulfuric acid with carbonic acid (by bubbling carbon dioxide up to pH 2.0 provided results similar to those obtained with sulfuric acid, reaching solubilization of 41.6% of the biomass. This result shows that part of the flue gas (containing carbon dioxide and other acid gases as well as high temperatures may be used for the hydrolysis of the residual biomass from microalgae, thus lowering operational costs (e.g., energy consumption and chemical input.

Non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction characterization and SEM observations of fibrous and ligneous biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Lu, Ke-Miao; Lee, Wen-Jhy; Liu, Shih-Hsien; Lin, Ta-Chang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction of biomass is studied. • Two fibrous biomasses and two ligneous biomasses are tested. • SEM observations of four biomasses are provided. • Fibrous biomass is more sensitive to O 2 concentration than ligneous biomass. • The performance of non-oxidative torrefaction is better than that of oxidative torrefaction. - Abstract: Oxidative torrefaction is a method to reduce the operating cost of upgrading biomass. To understand the potential of oxidative torrefaction and its impact on the internal structure of biomass, non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction of two fibrous biomass materials (oil palm fiber and coconut fiber) and two ligneous ones (eucalyptus and Cryptomeria japonica) at 300 °C for 1 h are studied and compared with each other. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations are also performed to explore the impact of torrefaction atmosphere on the lignocellulosic structure of biomass. The results indicate that the fibrous biomass is more sensitive to O 2 concentration than the ligneous biomass. In oxidative torrefaction, an increase in O 2 concentration decreases the solid yield. The energy yield is linearly proportional to the solid yield, which is opposite to the behavior of non-oxidative torrefaction. The performance of non-oxidative torrefaction is better than that of oxidative torrefaction. As a whole, ligneous biomass can be torrefied in oxidative environments at lower O 2 concentrations, whereas fibrous biomass is more suitable for non-oxidative torrefaction

Inflow of atomic gas fuelling star formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michałowski, M. J.; Gentile, G.; Hjorth, Jeppe

2016-01-01

Gamma-ray burst host galaxies are deficient in molecular gas, and show anomalous metal-poor regions close to GRB positions. Using recent Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) Hi observations we show that they have substantial atomic gas reservoirs. This suggests that star formation in these ga......Gamma-ray burst host galaxies are deficient in molecular gas, and show anomalous metal-poor regions close to GRB positions. Using recent Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) Hi observations we show that they have substantial atomic gas reservoirs. This suggests that star formation...... in these galaxies may be fuelled by recent inflow of metal-poor atomic gas. While this process is debated, it can happen in low-metallicity gas near the onset of star formation because gas cooling (necessary for star formation) is faster than the Hi-to-H2 conversion....

Analysis and evalution of selected future biofuel options on the basis of solid biomass; Analyse und Bewertung ausgewaehlter zukuenftiger Biokraftstoffoptionen auf der Basis fester Biomasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Langer, Franziska

2011-12-13

The aim of this work is starting from the investigation of the technical development prospects along the fuel delivery chain to develop a suitable reproducible tool for the analysis and evaluation of future biofuel policies and on selected fuel options from solid biomass (1. bioethanol by biochemical fermentation, 2. Fischer-Tropsch-Diesel by thermochemical gasification, and 3. Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas (Bio-SNG) by thermochemical gasification). For this it is necessary for these biofuels in accordance with the current technology state the essential perspectives for the practical implementation taking into account the short, medium and long term (e.g. time horizon for implementation in up to 5 years, in about 10 to 15 years, or about 20 to 25 years) to identify possible technical options. [German] Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, ausgehend von der Untersuchung der technischen Entwicklungsperspektiven entlang der Kraftstoffbereitstellungskette ein geeignetes reproduzierbares Werkzeug fuer die Analyse und Bewertung zukuenftiger Biokraftstoffkonzepte zu entwickeln und auf ausgewaehlte Kraftstoffoptionen auf Basis fester Biomasse (hier Bioethanol ueber die biochemische Fermentation, Fischer-Tropsch-Diesel ueber die thermochemische Vergasung und Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas (Bio-SNG) ueber die thermochemische Vergasung) anzuwenden. Dazu gilt es fuer diese Biokraftstoffe unter Beachtung des aktuellen Technikstandes die wesentlichen Perspektiven fuer die praktische Umsetzung unter Beruecksichtigung der kurz-, mittel- bis langfristig (d.h. Zeithorizont fuer die Realisierung in bis zu 5 Jahren, in etwa 10 bis 15 Jahren bzw. in etwa 20 bis 25 Jahren) denkbaren technischen Moeglichkeiten zu identifizieren.

Biomass decomposition in near critical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinag, Ali; Guelbay, Selen; Uskan, Burcin; Canel, Muammer

2010-01-01

Conversion of baby food (taken as model biomass for protein and carbohydrate containing biomass) to the valuable chemicals in near critical water (648 K and 24 MPa) in an autoclave is presented in this work. K 2 CO 3 , Nickel on silica and Zeolith (HZSM-5) are selected as catalysts. A detailed characterization of the aqueous phases is performed by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Total Organic Carbon Analyser. Solid particles recovered by the experiments are also subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. This study determines the effect of reaction conditions on the reactivity of the major biomass component. Acetic, formic and glycolic acid, aldehydes (acetaldehyde, formaldehyde), phenol and phenol derivatives, furfural, methyl furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural are the intermediates found in the aqueous phase. Baby food contains mostly carbohydrates, proteins, a variety of salts and minerals, etc. Thus, the results show the effect of these ingredients on the hydrothermal conversion of biomass. It is found that the formation and degradation pathways of the intermediates are influenced by the biomass structure.

Biomass decomposition in near critical water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinag, Ali, E-mail: sinag@science.ankara.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, Science Faculty, Ankara University, 06100 Besevler, Ankara (Turkey); Guelbay, Selen; Uskan, Burcin; Canel, Muammer [Department of Chemistry, Science Faculty, Ankara University, 06100 Besevler, Ankara (Turkey)

2010-03-15

Conversion of baby food (taken as model biomass for protein and carbohydrate containing biomass) to the valuable chemicals in near critical water (648 K and 24 MPa) in an autoclave is presented in this work. K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, Nickel on silica and Zeolith (HZSM-5) are selected as catalysts. A detailed characterization of the aqueous phases is performed by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Total Organic Carbon Analyser. Solid particles recovered by the experiments are also subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. This study determines the effect of reaction conditions on the reactivity of the major biomass component. Acetic, formic and glycolic acid, aldehydes (acetaldehyde, formaldehyde), phenol and phenol derivatives, furfural, methyl furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural are the intermediates found in the aqueous phase. Baby food contains mostly carbohydrates, proteins, a variety of salts and minerals, etc. Thus, the results show the effect of these ingredients on the hydrothermal conversion of biomass. It is found that the formation and degradation pathways of the intermediates are influenced by the biomass structure.

Integrated resource management of biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodwin, E.R.

1992-01-01

An overview is presented of the use of biomass, with emphasis on peat, as an alternative energy source, from an integrated resource management perspective. Details are provided of the volume of the peat resource, economics of peat harvesting, and constraints to peat resource use, which mainly centre on its high water content. Use of waste heat to dry peat can increase the efficiency of peat burning for electric power generation, and new technologies such as gasification and turbo expanders may also find utilization. The burning or gasification of biomass will release no more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than other fuels, has less sulfur content than solid fuels. The removal of peat reduces methane emissions and allows use of produced carbon dioxide for horticulture and ash for fertilizer, and creates space that may be used for forestry or agricultural biomass growth. 38 refs

Problems of stress analysis of fuelling machine head components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, D.D.

1975-01-01

The problem of stress analysis of fuelling machine head components are discussed. To fulfil the functional requirements, the components are required to have certain shapes where stress problems cannot be matched to a catalogue of pre-determined solutions. The areas where complex systems of loading due to hydrostatic pressure, weight, moments and temperature gradients coupled with the intricate shapes of the components make it difficult to arrive at satisfactory solutions. Particularly, the analysis requirements of the magazine housing, end cover, gravloc clamps and centre support are highlighted. An experimental stress analysis programme together with a theoretical finite element analysis is perhaps the answer. (author)

Occurrence and exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in a rural Chinese home through biomass fuelled cooking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Junnan; Zhong Junjun; Yang Yifeng; Li Bengang; Shen Guofeng; Su Yuhong; Wang Chen; Li Wei; Shen Huizhong; Wang Bin; Wang Rong; Huang Ye; Zhang Yanyan; Cao Hongying; Zhu Ying; Simonich, Staci L.M.; Tao Shu

2012-01-01

The concentration and composition of PAHs emitted from biomass cooking fuel were characterized in a rural non-smoking household in northern China. Twenty-two parent PAHs (pPAHs), 12 nitro-PAHs (nPAHs), and 4 oxy-PAHs (oPAHs) were measured in the kitchen, bedroom, and outdoors during both summer and winter. The most severe contamination occurred in the kitchen in the winter, where the daily mean concentrations of pPAHs, nPAHs, and oPAHs were 7500 ± 4100, 38 ± 29, and 8400 ± 9200 ng/m 3 , respectively. Our results suggest that the nPAHs were largely from secondary formation in ambient air while oPAHs were either from primary emission of biomass burning or secondary formation from pPAHs in the kitchen. The daily mean benzo(a)pyrene equivalent exposure concentration was as high as 200 ± 160 ng/m 3 in the winter for the housewife who did the cooking compared to 59 ± 37 ng/m 3 for the control group that did not cook. - Highlights: ► Very high levels of parent PAHs, nitro-PAHs, and oxy-PAHs were detected in a rural non-smoking household in northern China. ► The PAHs measured in the bedroom air were primarily from the kitchen in the winter and from ambient air in the summer. ► The nPAHs were largely from secondary formation in ambient air, while oPAHs were either from primary emission of biomass burning or secondary formation. ► The daily mean benzo(a)pyrene equivalent exposure concentration was as high as 200 ± 160 ng/m 3 in the winter for the cooking housewife. - Rural residents, particularly housewives that cook, are exposed to very high PAH, including nitro and oxygenated-PAH, concentrations in indoor air.

Process Design and Economics for the Production of Algal Biomass: Algal Biomass Production in Open Pond Systems and Processing Through Dewatering for Downstream Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, Ryan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Markham, Jennifer [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kinchin, Christopher [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Grundl, Nicholas [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Tan, Eric C.D. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Humbird, David [DWH Process Consulting, Denver, CO (United States)

2016-02-17

This report describes in detail a set of aspirational design and process targets to better understand the realistic economic potential for the production of algal biomass for subsequent conversion to biofuels and/or coproducts, based on the use of open pond cultivation systems and a series of dewatering operations to concentrate the biomass up to 20 wt% solids (ash-free dry weight basis).

Solid-state fermentation : modelling fungal growth and activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, J.P.

1998-01-01

In solid-state fermentation (SSF) research, it is not possible to separate biomass quantitatively from the substrate. The evolution of biomass dry weight in time can therefore not be measured. Of the aiternatives to dry weight available, glucosamine content is most

CFD-supported development of small-scale biomass furnaces; CFD-gestuetzte Entwicklung von Biomassefeuerungen im kleinen Leistungsbereich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scharler, R. [Bios Bioenergiesystem GmbH, Graz (Austria); Obernberger, I. [Technische Univ. Eindhoven (Netherlands). Thermochemische Biomassekonversion; Weissinger, A. [Oesterreichische Kraft und Waerme aus Biomasse GmbH (KWB), St. Margarethen/Raab (Austria). Bereich Forschung und Entwicklung; Schmidt, W. [Oesterreichische Kraft und Waerme aus Biomasse GmbH (KWB), St. Margarethen/Raab (Austria). Bereich Produktentwicklung, Umwelt- und Informationsmanagement

2005-07-01

Despite the complexity of solid biomass combustion, the Bios Bioenergiesysteme GmbH, Graz, Austria, has successfully developed and optimised several biomass furnaces in the range of 500 kW to 30 MW based on CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). A project carried out in co-operation with the KWB Kraft und Waerme aus Biomasse GmbH, St. Margarethen, Austria, demonstrates the application of CFD for the efficient and improved design of small-scale furnaces for solid biofuels like pellets and wood chips as basis for a series production. (orig.)

Renewable energy potential from biomass residues in Egypt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Said, N.; Zamorano, M. [Civil Engineering Dept., Univ. of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, Granada (Spain); El-Shatoury, S.A. [Botany Dept., Faculty of Sciences, Suez Canal Univ., Ismailia (Egypt)

2012-11-01

Egypt has been one of the developing countries following successful programs for the development of renewable energy resources, with special emphasis on solar, wind and biomass. Utilization of biomass as a source of energy is important from energetic as well as environmental viewpoint. Furthermore, Egypt produces millions of biomass waste every year causing pollution and health problems. So, the incorporation of biomass with other renewable energy will increase the impact of solving energy and environmental problem. There is a good potential for the utilization of biomass energy resources in Egypt. Four main types of biomass energy sources are included in this study: agricultural residues, municipal solid wastes, animal wastes and sewage sludge. Analysis of the potential biomass resource quantity and its theoretical energy content has been computed according to literature review. The agriculture crop residue represents the main source of biomass waste with a high considerable amount of the theoretical potential energy in Egypt. Rice straw is considered one of the most important of such residue due to its high amount and its produced energy through different conversion techniques represent a suitable candidate for crop energy production in Egypt.

An assessment of the biomass potential of Cyprus for energy production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kythreotou, Nicoletta; Tassou, Savvas A.; Florides, Georgios

2012-01-01

Biodegradable waste in Cyprus predominately consists of the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, solid and liquid agricultural residues and solid and liquid wastes from food and drink industries. Biodegradable waste is a very important source of biomass. The potential amount of solid and liquid biomass of the specified waste streams was estimated to be 9.2 million tonnes, after collecting data on the waste generation coefficients. Both liquid and solid waste can be used for the production of biogas (BG), which can be combusted for the production of thermal and electrical energy. The potential biogas production was estimated on the basis of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) consumption and on the basis of digested mass. The potential biogas production was found to be 114 and 697 million m 3 respectively. Further research is required for the improvement of waste generation coefficients. The results on energy production provide an indication of the importance of promotion of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of biodegradable waste to the energy balance of the country. Anaerobic digestion can provide decentralisation of energy production, and production of energy in areas that are in most cases remote. -- Highlights: ► Waste generation coefficients were estimated according to available data for Cyprus. ► Total solid and liquid biomass from waste was estimated to be 9.2 million tonnes. ► Biogas production was estimated using COD and mass digested. ► Further research is required for the improvement of waste generation coefficients. ► Energy production estimates indicates the importance of anaerobic digestion.

Performance analysis of different organic Rankine cycle configurations on board liquefied natural gas-fuelled vessels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baldasso, Enrico; Andreasen, Jesper Graa; Meroni, Andrea

2017-01-01

Gas-fuelled shipping is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Similarly, much effort is devoted to the study of waste heat recovery systems to be implemented on board ships. In this context, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology is considered one of the most promising...

Environmental implications of fossil-fuelled power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, A.

1979-01-01

The public health and environmental implications of electricity generation by fossil-fuelled power stations are discussed with respect to pollutant emission and the disposal of waste products. The following conclusions were deduced. The policy of using tall chimney stacks has ensured that acceptable concentrations of potential pollutants are observed in the vicinity of power stations. Large scale carbon dioxide emission may represent a problem in the future due to its effect on the climate. The effects of sulphur dioxide and the oxides of nitrogen need to be kept under review but it is likely that sources other than power stations will be of greater importance in this context. Pulverised fuel ash is a safe and useful by product of power production. Finally the radiation dose to man caused by the release of naturally occurring radioisotopes is negligible compared to the natural background levels. (UK)

Demonstrating the compatibility of Canflex fuel bundles with a CANDU 6 fuelling machine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alavi, P; Oldaker, I E [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON (Canada); Suk, H C; Choi, C B [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

CANFLEX is a new 43-element fuel bundle, designed for high operating margins. It has many small-diameter elements in its two outer rings, and large-diameter elements in its centre rings. By this means, the linear heat ratings are lower than those of standard 37-element bundles for similar power outputs. A necessary part of the out-reactor qualification program for the CANFLEX fuel bundle design, is a demonstration of the bundle`s compatibility with the mechanical components in a CANDU 6 Fuelling Machine (FM) under typical conditions of pressure, flow and temperature. The diameter of the CANFLEX bundle is the same as that of a 37-element bundle, but the smaller-diameter elements in the outer ring result in a slightly larger end-plate diameter. Therefore, to minimize any risk of unanticipated damage to the CANDU 6 FM sidestops, a series of measurements and static laboratory tests were undertaken prior to the fuelling machine tests. The tests and measurements showed that; a) the CANFLEX bundle end plate is compatible with the FM sidestops, b) all the dimensions of the CANFLEX fuel bundle are within the specified limits. (author). 3 tabs., 3 figs.

A sustainable woody biomass biorefinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shijie; Lu, Houfang; Hu, Ruofei; Shupe, Alan; Lin, Lu; Liang, Bin

2012-01-01

Woody biomass is renewable only if sustainable production is imposed. An optimum and sustainable biomass stand production rate is found to be one with the incremental growth rate at harvest equal to the average overall growth rate. Utilization of woody biomass leads to a sustainable economy. Woody biomass is comprised of at least four components: extractives, hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. While extractives and hemicellulose are least resistant to chemical and thermal degradation, cellulose is most resistant to chemical, thermal, and biological attack. The difference or heterogeneity in reactivity leads to the recalcitrance of woody biomass at conversion. A selection of processes is presented together as a biorefinery based on incremental sequential deconstruction, fractionation/conversion of woody biomass to achieve efficient separation of major components. A preference is given to a biorefinery absent of pretreatment and detoxification process that produce waste byproducts. While numerous biorefinery approaches are known, a focused review on the integrated studies of water-based biorefinery processes is presented. Hot-water extraction is the first process step to extract value from woody biomass while improving the quality of the remaining solid material. This first step removes extractives and hemicellulose fractions from woody biomass. While extractives and hemicellulose are largely removed in the extraction liquor, cellulose and lignin largely remain in the residual woody structure. Xylo-oligomers, aromatics and acetic acid in the hardwood extract are the major components having the greatest potential value for development. Higher temperature and longer residence time lead to higher mass removal. While high temperature (>200°C) can lead to nearly total dissolution, the amount of sugars present in the extraction liquor decreases rapidly with temperature. Dilute acid hydrolysis of concentrated wood extracts renders the wood extract with monomeric sugars

Energetic potential of algal biomass from high-rate algal ponds for the production of solid biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Taynan de Oliveira; Calijuri, Maria Lúcia; Avelar, Nayara Vilela; Carneiro, Angélica de Cássia de Oliveira; de Assis, Letícia Rodrigues

2017-08-01

In this investigation, chemical characteristics, higher, lower and net heating value, bulk and energy density, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to study the thermal characteristics of three algal biomasses. These biomasses, grown as by-products of wastewater treatment in high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs), were: (i) biomass produced in domestic effluent and collected directly from an HRAP (PO); (ii) biomass produced in domestic effluent in a mixed pond-panel system and collected from the panels (PA); and (iii) biomass originating from the treatment effluent from the meat processing industry and collected directly from an HRAP (IN). The biomass IN was the best alternative for thermal power generation. Subsequently, a mixture of the algal biomasses and Jatropha epicarp was used to produce briquettes containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of algal biomass, and their properties were evaluated. In general, the addition of algal biomass to briquettes decreased both the hygroscopicity and fixed carbon content and increased the bulk density, ash content, and energy density. A 50% proportion of biomass IN was found to be the best raw material for producing briquettes. Therefore, the production of briquettes consisting of algal biomass and Jatropha epicarp at a laboratory scale was shown to be technically feasible.

Lignin-blocking treatment of biomass and uses thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bin [Hanover, NH; Wyman, Charles E [Norwich, VT

2009-10-20

Disclosed is a method for converting cellulose in a lignocellulosic biomass. The method provides for a lignin-blocking polypeptide and/or protein treatment of high lignin solids. The treatment enhances cellulase availability in cellulose conversion. Cellulase efficiencies are improved by the protein or polypeptide treatment. The treatment may be used in combination with steam explosion and acid prehydrolysis techniques. Hydrolysis yields from lignin containing biomass are enhanced 5-20%, and enzyme utilization is increased from 10% to 50%. Thus, a more efficient and economical method of processing lignin containing biomass materials utilizes a polypeptide/protein treatment step that effectively blocks lignin binding of cellulase.

Strategic analysis of biomass and waste fuels for electric power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiltsee, G.A. Jr.; Easterly, J.; Vence, T.

1993-12-01

In this report, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) intends to help utility companies evaluate biomass and wastes for power generation. These fuels may be alternatives or supplements to fossil fuels in three applications: (1) utility boiler coining; (2) dedicated combustion/energy recovery plants; and 3) dedicated gasification/combined cycle plants. The report summarizes data on biomass and waste properties, and evaluates the cost and performance of fuel preparation and power generation technologies. The primary biomass and waste resources evaluated are: (1) wood wastes (from forests, mills, construction/demolition, and orchards) and short rotation woody crops; (2) agricultural wastes (from fields, animals, and processing) and herbaceous energy crops; and (3) consumer or industrial wastes (e.g., municipal solid waste, scrap tires, sewage sludge, auto shredder waste). The major fuel types studied in detail are wood, municipal solid waste, and scrap tires. The key products of the project include the BIOPOWER model of biomass/waste-fired power plant performance and cost. Key conclusions of the evaluation are: (1) significant biomass and waste fuel resources are available; (2) biomass power technology cannot currently compete with natural gas-fired combined cycle technology; (3) coining biomass and waste fuels with coal in utility and industrial boilers is the most efficient, lowest cost, and lowest risk method of energy recovery from residual materials; (4) better biomass and waste fuel production and conversion technology must be developed, with the help of coordinated government energy and environmental policies and incentives; and (5) community partnerships can enhance the chances for success of a project

Mechanism of crud migration into the fuelling machine and its effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sie, T.

2003-01-01

'Full text:' The objective of this paper is to summarize the opinion of experts on the mechanism of crud deposit formation and its migration into the fueling machine. Also to point out the negative effects of crud on the performance of the fueling machine head and the head overhaul / maintenance program in general. There are numerous moving/rotating components (ball screws, linear and rotating bearings, mechanical gears, mechanical seals, etc.) inside the fueling machine. By design, all these are lubricated by D2O. Because of the delicate nature of the moving components, crud contaminated D2O is obviously not a good choice of lubricant. Crud causes poor performance of the FM drive systems, premature wear of the mechanical seals, and other internal components. Due to the fuelling machine's role in maintaining reactor power and safety related functions, it is of extreme importance that the performance of the fueling machine is controlled. Major field functional failures must be prevented. In the extreme case the effect of the crud contaminated D2O could lead to a major functional failure while the fueling machine is locked on channel or has irradiated fuel on board. The next worse scenario is intolerably frequent process stops, thus requiring costly and premature fuelling machine overhaul / repairs with its associated negative effects: maintenance cost, radiation exposure, reduced fueling rates, and major upsets to the general head overhaul schedule. (author)

Empowerment model of biomass in west java

Science.gov (United States)

Mulyana, C.; Fitriani, N. I.; Saad, A.; Yuliah, Y.

2017-06-01

Scarcity of fossil energy accelerates the search of renewable energy sources as the substitution. In West Java, biomass has potential to be developed into bio-briquette because the resources are abundant. The objectives of this research are mapping the potency of biomass as bio-briquette in West Java, and making the model of the empowerment biomass potential involving five fundamental step which are raw material, pre-processing process, conversion mechanism, products, and end user. The main object of this model focused on 3 forms which are solid, liquid, and gas which was made by involving the community component as the owner biomass, district government, academics and researcher communities, related industries as users of biomass, and the central government as the policy holders and investors as a funder. In the model was described their respective roles and mutual relationship one with another so that the bio-briquette as a substitute of fossil fuels can be realized. Application of this model will provide the benefits in renewability energy sources, environmental, socio economical and energy security.

The potentials of biomass as renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edens, J.J.

1994-01-01

Biomass is a term used in the context of energy to define a range of products derived from photosynthesis. Annually large amounts of solar energy is stored in the leaves, stems and branches of plants. Of the various renewable sources of energy, biomass is thus unique in that it represents stored solar energy. In addition it is the only source of carbon, and it may be converted into convenient solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. Biomass, principally in the form of wood, is humankind's oldest form of energy, and has been used to fuel both domestic and industrial activities. Traditional use has been, through direct combustion, a process still used extensively in many parts of the world. Biomass is a renewable and indigenous resource that requires little or no foreign exchange. But it is a dispersed, labor-intensive and land requiring source of energy and may avoid or reduce problems of waste disposal. We'll try to assess the potential contribution of biomass to the future world energy supply. 4 refs., 6 tabs

Measurements on and simulations of a biogas-fuelled bus; Maetningar paa och simulering av biogasbuss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsson, L.O.; Nilsson, Johan

1995-03-01

Mathematical models for torque/fuel consumption and emissions have been studied for a biogas-fuelled bus used in urban traffic in Linkoeping, Sweden. It is noted that the cycle ECE R-49 is not representative for city buses, but that the Braunschweig cycle gives rather good agreement. 2 refs, 37 figs

Biomass markets. Growth strategy and challenges for French actors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This study comprises three reports. The first one is an executive summary which focuses on the main aspects of the evolution of the activity in the biomass sector, and highlights factors of change and their strategic consequences. The second one proposes an overview of the situation of biomass French markets, analyses growth strategies adopted by actors of the biomass sector (development of new production capacities, international growth, development of strategies based on several energies, diversification of prospects, innovation and improvement of installation efficiency), and discusses the main strategic challenges on the medium term. The third report proposes a presentation of the context of French biomass markets (political, regulatory and energetic framework, energetic assessment and assessment of the waste-based sector, economic context, housing stock, and other contextual factors), a presentation of the biomass French market (data for 2005-2013, dynamics of three specific segments: solid biomass, renewable urban wastes, and biogas), and a description of the competitive landscape (economic structure, actors) and of the 15 main actors

Electrifying biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusnierczyk, D.

2005-01-01

British Columbia's (BC) energy plan was outlined in this PowerPoint presentation. BC Hydro is the third largest electric utility in Canada with a generating capacity of 11,000 MW, 90 per cent of which is hydro generation. Various independent power project (IPP) biomass technologies were outlined, including details of biogas, wood residue and municipal solid waste facilities. An outline of BC Hydro's overall supply mix was presented, along with details of the IPP supply mix. It was suggested that the cancellation of the Duke Point power project has driven growth in the renewable energy sector. A chart of potential energy contribution by resource type was presented, as well as unit energy cost ranges. Resources included small and large hydro; demand side management; resource smart natural gas; natural gas; coal; wind; geothermal; biomass; wave; and tidal. The acquisition process was reviewed. Details of calls for tenders were presented, and issues concerning bidder responsibility and self-selection were examined. It was observed that wood residue presents a firm source of electricity that is generally local, and has support from the public. In addition, permits for wood residue energy conversion are readily available. However, size limitations, fuel risks, and issues concerning site control may prove to be significant challenges. It was concluded that the success of biomass energy development will depend on adequate access and competitive pricing. tabs., figs

Development of biomass gasification systems for gas turbine power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, E.D.; Svenningsson, P.

1991-01-01

Gas turbines are of interest for biomass applications because, unlike steam turbines, they have relatively high efficiencies and low unit capital costs in the small sizes appropriate for biomass installations. Gasification is a simple and efficient way to make biomass usable in gas turbines. The authors evaluate here the technical requirements for gas turbine power generation with biomass gas and the status of pressurized biomass gasification and hot gas cleanup systems. They also discuss the economics of gasifier-gas turbine cycles and make some comparisons with competing technologies. Their analysis indicates that biomass gasifiers fueling advanced gas turbines are promising for cost-competitive cogeneration and central station power generation. Gasifier-gas turbine systems are not available commercially, but could probably be developed in 3 to 5 years. Extensive past work related to coal gasification and pressurized combustion of solid fuels for gas turbines would be relevant in this effort, as would work on pressurized biomass gasification for methanol synthesis

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Aparicio, S; Hak, C

2013-05-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO2, O3, acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde>150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20-30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel applications of biomass wet pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sillanpaa, M. [Lappeenranta Univ. of Technology (Finland)], email: mika.sillanpaa@lut.fi

2012-07-01

Production of carbonaceous material from unconventional wet biomass sources by thermal processing offers interesting novel opportunities and application possibilities in different fields. Thermal treatment at low temperatures refers to torrefication in general. Disadvantage in this technique is that biomass has to be dried first which consumes a lot energy and time and limits use of biomass materials widely. In wetpyrolysis (hydrothermal carbonization, HTC), biomass source can be wetter, like wood, household wastes, manure or industrial wastewater sludge. Reaction takes place in water environment at higher temperature (180-250 deg C) and pressure which is self-generated. Typically reaction system is high pressure reactor also called autoclave. Comparing to torrefaction HTC produces more solid yield, water soluble organic compounds but formation is low during reaction. Properties of the product can be easily modified by changing reaction conditions, utilization of additives or catalysts. Novel materials obtained by this technique will be used in different applications in water treatment and it will be also interesting to compare purification efficiency of these materials to activated carbon.

Anaerobic digestion of solid biomass and biowaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

Within the International Trade Fair for Biogas Plant Technology from 23rd to 24th February, 2012 in Berlin, the following lectures were held: (1) Presentation and results of the EU project 24biomass'' (Claudia Lutsyuk); (2) The Polish biogas market (Tomasz Surowiec); (3) Presence and future of the biogas sector in Poland - EBE project (Eugeniusz Jedrysik); (4) Modern biogas generation in Poland - Case studies of the company Poldanor (Jens Bo Holm-Nielsen); (5) Low space requirement - The challenge in the integration of biogas plants in existing composting facilities - examples from real life (Michael Oertig); (6) Integration of biogas plants in composting facilities by partial-flow fermentation (Bruno Mattheeuws); (7) The significance of an efficient removal of foreign matter from biomass before fermentation in a waste incinerator for municipal wastes (Stephan Schulte); (8) Sustainable enhancement of the anaerobic degradation and increase of the biogas production by means of ultrasonic treatment - examples from real life (Silvana Velten); (9) Cultivation of energy plants on sandy soils in the northeastern part of Germany (Gunter Ebel); (10) Topinambur, a new sustainable energy crop for biogas generation (Vito Pignatelli); (11) Potential of biogas generation from reed (Vilis Dubrovskis); (12) Biogas generation from maize straw - a new procedure of harvesting and processing (Thomas Amon); (13) Generation of biogas by cofermentation of pig manure and grass silage: a pilot study (Ximmin Zhan); (14) Thermophilic dry fermentation of poultry litter and energy crops for the generation of biogas, organic fertilizer and protection of water resources from environmental damages in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA (John Intersoll); (15) Energetic utilisation of horse manure (Saskia Oldenburg); (16) Realization of the greatest and most modern Hungarian biogas plant in Szarvas (Ludwig Dinkloh); (16) Biogas in Russia - The investment program of the cooperation &apos

Anaerobic digestion of solid biomass and biowaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

Within the International Trade Fair for Biogas Plant Technology from 23rd to 24th February, 2012 in Berlin, the following lectures were held: (1) Presentation and results of the EU project 24biomass'' (Claudia Lutsyuk); (2) The Polish biogas market (Tomasz Surowiec); (3) Presence and future of the biogas sector in Poland - EBE project (Eugeniusz Jedrysik); (4) Modern biogas generation in Poland - Case studies of the company Poldanor (Jens Bo Holm-Nielsen); (5) Low space requirement - The challenge in the integration of biogas plants in existing composting facilities - examples from real life (Michael Oertig); (6) Integration of biogas plants in composting facilities by partial-flow fermentation (Bruno Mattheeuws); (7) The significance of an efficient removal of foreign matter from biomass before fermentation in a waste incinerator for municipal wastes (Stephan Schulte); (8) Sustainable enhancement of the anaerobic degradation and increase of the biogas production by means of ultrasonic treatment - examples from real life (Silvana Velten); (9) Cultivation of energy plants on sandy soils in the northeastern part of Germany (Gunter Ebel); (10) Topinambur, a new sustainable energy crop for biogas generation (Vito Pignatelli); (11) Potential of biogas generation from reed (Vilis Dubrovskis); (12) Biogas generation from maize straw - a new procedure of harvesting and processing (Thomas Amon); (13) Generation of biogas by cofermentation of pig manure and grass silage: a pilot study (Ximmin Zhan); (14) Thermophilic dry fermentation of poultry litter and energy crops for the generation of biogas, organic fertilizer and protection of water resources from environmental damages in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA (John Intersoll); (15) Energetic utilisation of horse manure (Saskia Oldenburg); (16) Realization of the greatest and most modern Hungarian biogas plant in Szarvas (Ludwig Dinkloh); (16) Biogas in Russia - The investment program of the cooperation ''Bio

The role of constructed wetlands for biomass production within the water-soil-waste nexus.

Science.gov (United States)

Avellan, C T; Ardakanian, R; Gremillion, P

2017-05-01

The use of constructed wetlands for water pollution control has a long standing tradition in urban, peri-urban, rural, agricultural and mining environments. The capacity of wetland plants to take up nutrients and to filter organic matter has been widely discussed and presented in diverse fora and published in hundreds of articles. In an ever increasingly complex global world, constructed wetlands not only play a role in providing safe sanitation in decentralized settings, shelter for biodiversity, and cleansing of polluted sites, in addition, they produce biomass that can be harvested and used for the production of fodder and fuel. The United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) was established in December 2012 in Dresden, Germany, to assess the trade-offs between and among resources when making sustainable decisions. Against the backdrop of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, which was introduced as a critical element for the discussions on sustainability at Rio +20, the UNU was mandated to pay critical attention to the interconnections of the underlying resources, namely, water, soil and waste. Biomass for human consumption comes in the form of food for direct use, as fodder for livestock, and as semi-woody biomass for fuelling purposes, be it directly for heating and cooking or for the production of biogas and/or biofuel. Given the universal applicability of constructed wetlands in virtually all settings, from arid to tropical, from relatively high to low nutrient loads, and from a vast variety of pollutants, we postulate that the biomass produced in constructed wetlands can be used more extensively in order to enhance the multi-purpose use of these sites.

Analysis of carbon dioxide emission of gas fuelled cogeneration plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordin, Adzuieen; Amin, M; Majid, A

2013-01-01

Gas turbines are widely used for power generation. In cogeneration system, the gas turbine generates electricity and the exhaust heat from the gas turbine is used to generate steam or chilled water. Besides enhancing the efficiency of the system, the process assists in reducing the emission of CO 2 to the environment. This study analyzes the amount of CO 2 emission by Universiti Teknologi Petronas gas fuelled cogeneration system using energy balance equations. The results indicate that the cogeneration system reduces the CO 2 emission to the environment by 60%. This finding could encourage the power plant owners to install heat recovery systems to their respective plants

Analysis of carbon dioxide emission of gas fuelled cogeneration plant

Science.gov (United States)

Nordin, Adzuieen; Amin, M.; Majid, A.

2013-12-01

Gas turbines are widely used for power generation. In cogeneration system, the gas turbine generates electricity and the exhaust heat from the gas turbine is used to generate steam or chilled water. Besides enhancing the efficiency of the system, the process assists in reducing the emission of CO2 to the environment. This study analyzes the amount of CO2 emission by Universiti Teknologi Petronas gas fuelled cogeneration system using energy balance equations. The results indicate that the cogeneration system reduces the CO2 emission to the environment by 60%. This finding could encourage the power plant owners to install heat recovery systems to their respective plants.

Estimating the fuel moisture content to control the reciprocating grate furnace firing wet woody biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Striūgas, N.; Vorotinskienė, L.; Paulauskas, R.; Navakas, R.; Džiugys, A.; Narbutas, L.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Combustion of biomass with varying moisture content might lead to unstable operation of a furnace. • Method for automatic control of a furnace fired with wet biomass was developed. • Fuel moisture is estimated by cost-effective indirect method for predictive control. • Fuel moisture estimation methods and furnace control algorithm were validated in an industrial boiler. - Abstract: In small countries like Lithuania with a widespread district heating system, 5–10 MW moving grate biomass furnaces equipped with water boilers and condensing economisers are widely used. Such systems are designed for firing biomass fuels; however, varying fuel moisture, mostly in the range from 30% to 60%, complicates the automated operation. Without manual adjustment of the grate motion mode and other parameters, unstable operation or even extinction of the furnace is possible. To ensure stable furnace operation with moist fuel, the indirect method to estimate the fuel moisture content was developed based on the heat balance of the flue gas condensing economiser. The developed method was implemented into the automatic control unit of the furnace to estimate the moisture content in the feedstock and predictively adjust the furnace parameters for optimal fuel combustion. The indirect method based on the economiser heat balance was experimentally validated in a 6 MW grate-fired furnace fuelled by biomass with moisture contents of 37, 46, 50, 54 and 60%. The analysis shows that the estimated and manually measured values of the fuel moisture content do not differ by more than 3%. This deviation indicates that the indirect fuel moisture calculation method is sufficiently precise and the calculated moisture content varies proportionally to changes in the thermal capacity of the economiser. By smoothing the data using sliding weighted averaging, the oscillations of the fuel moisture content were identified.

Burned gas and unburned mixture composition prediction in biodiesel-fuelled compression igniton engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuepeng, S.; Komintarachati, C.

2009-01-01

A prediction of burned gas and unburned mixture composition from a variety of methyl ester based bio diesel combustion in compression ignition engine, in comparison with conventional diesel fuel is presented. A free-energy minimisation scheme was used to determine mixture composition. Firstly, effects of bio diesel type were studied without exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The combustion of the higher hydrogen-to-carbon molar ratio (H/C) bio diesel resulted in lower carbon dioxide and oxygen emissions but higher water vapour in the exhaust gases, compared to those of lower H/C ratios. At the same results also show that relative air-to-fuel ratio, that bio diesel combustion gases contain a higher amount of water vapour and a higher level of carbon dioxide compared to those of diesel. Secondly, influences of EGR (burned gas fraction) addition to bio diesel-fuelled engine on unburned mixture were simulated. For both diesel and bio diesel, the increased burned gas fraction addition to the fresh charge increased carbon dioxide and water vapour emissions while lowering oxygen content, especially for the bio diesel case. The prediction was compared with experimental results from literatures; good agreement was found. This can be considered to be a means for explaining some phenomenon occurring in bio diesel-fuelled engines. (author)

Emissions analysis on diesel engine fuelled with cashew nut shell biodiesel and pentanol blends.

Science.gov (United States)

Devarajan, Yuvarajan; Munuswamy, Dinesh Babu; Nagappan, BeemKumar

2017-05-01

The present work is intended to investigate the emission characteristics of neat cashew nut shell methyl ester (CNSME100) by adding pentanol at two different proportions and compared with the baseline diesel. CNSME100 is prepared by the conventional transesterification process. CNSME100 is chosen due to its non-edible nature. Pentanol is chosen as an additive because of its higher inbuilt oxygen content and surface to volume ratio which reduces the drawbacks of neat CNSME100. Emission characteristics were carried out in single cylinder naturally aspirated CI engine fuelled with neat cashew nut shell methyl ester (CNSME), cashew nut shell methyl ester and pentanol by 10% volume (CNSME90P10), cashew nut shell methyl ester and pentanol by 20% volume (CNSME80P20), and diesel. This work also aims to investigate the feasibility of operating an engine fuelled with neat methyl ester and alcohol blends. Experimental results showed that by blending higher alcohol to neat cashew nut shell methyl ester reduces the emissions significantly. It is also found that the emission from neat methyl ester and pentanol blends is lesser than diesel at all loads.

Characteristics and utilisation of high-temperature (HTHP) filter dusts from pfb gasification of biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranta, J. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

The aim of the study was to survey characteristics, utilisation and possible environmental impacts of solid wastes, i.e., in case of biomass, mainly high-temperature filter ash (HTHP) from pressurised fluidised-bed gasification (PFBG). The aim is to utilise solid wastes (slag, filter dust, additives) from biomass gasification instead of dumping. One alternative is recycling to the soil as liming material or fertiliser. It is expected that the ash recycled to forest soils changes the environment less than non-recycled ash. (orig.) 3 refs.

Characteristics and utilisation of high-temperature (HTHP) filter dusts from pfb gasification of biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranta, J [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

The aim of the study was to survey characteristics, utilisation and possible environmental impacts of solid wastes, i.e., in case of biomass, mainly high-temperature filter ash (HTHP) from pressurised fluidised-bed gasification (PFBG). The aim is to utilise solid wastes (slag, filter dust, additives) from biomass gasification instead of dumping. One alternative is recycling to the soil as liming material or fertiliser. It is expected that the ash recycled to forest soils changes the environment less than non-recycled ash. (orig.) 3 refs.

Overview of biomass and waste fuel resources for power production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easterly, J.L.; Burnham, M.

1993-01-01

This paper provides an overview of issues and opportunities associated with the use of biomass for electric power generation. Important physical characteristics of biomass and waste fuels are summarized, including comparisons with conventional fossil fuels, primarily coal. The paper also provides an overview of the current use of biomass and waste fuels for electric power generation. Biomass and waste fuels are currently used for approximately 9,800 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity, including about 6,100 MW of capacity fueled by wood/wood waste and about 2,200 MW of capacity fueled with municipal solid waste. Perspectives on the future availability of biomass fuels (including energy crops) are addressed, as well as projected levels of market penetration for biomass power. By the year 2010, there is a potential for 22,000 MW, to as much as 70,000 MW of biomass-powered electric generating capacity in the U.S. Given the range of benefits offered by biomass, including reduced sulfur emissions, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, job creation, rural revitalization impacts, and new incentives under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the potential use of biomass for power production could significantly expand in the future

A Comparative study on VOCs and aldehyde-ketone emissions from a spark Ignition vehicle fuelled on compressed natural gas and gasoline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, A.N.

2012-01-01

In this work, an experimental study was conducted on a spark ignition (SI) vehicle fuelled on compressed natural gas (CNG), and gasoline to compare the unregulated emissions such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehyde-ketones or carbonyls. In the meantime, ozone forming potential (OFP) of pollutants was also calculated on the basis of their specific reactivity (SR). The vehicle was run on a chassis dynamometer following the Chinese National Standards test scheduled for light duty vehicle (LDV) emissions. According to the results, total aldehyde-ketones were increased by 39.4% due to the substantial increase in formaldehyde and acrolein + acetone emissions, while VOCs and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene) reduced by 85.2 and 86% respectively, in case of CNG fuelled vehicle as compared to gasoline vehicle. Although total aldehyde-ketones were higher with CNG relative to gasoline, their SR was lower due decrease in acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, and methacrolein species having higher maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) values. The SR of VOCs and aldehyde-ketones emitted from CNG fuelled vehicle was decreased by above 10% and 32% respectively, owing to better physicochemical properties and more complete burning of CNG as compared to gasoline. (author)

Potential contribution of biomass to the sustainable energy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demirbas, M. Fatih; Balat, Mustafa; Balat, Havva

2009-01-01

Biomass is a renewable energy source and its importance will increase as national energy policy and strategy focuses more heavily on renewable sources and conservation. Biomass is considered the renewable energy source with the highest potential to contribute to the energy needs of modern society for both the industrialized and developing countries worldwide. The most important biomass energy sources are wood and wood wastes, agricultural crops and their waste byproducts, municipal solid waste, animal wastes, waste from food processing, and aquatic plants and algae. Biomass is one potential source of renewable energy and the conversion of plant material into a suitable form of energy, usually electricity or as a fuel for an internal combustion engine, can be achieved using a number of different routes, each with specific pros and cons. Currently, much research has been focused on sustainable and environmental friendly energy from biomass to replace conventional fossil fuels. The main objective of the present study is to investigate global potential and use of biomass energy and its contribution to the sustainable energy development by presenting its historical development.

National energy policies: Obstructing the reduction of global CO2 emissions? An analysis of Swedish energy policies for the district heating sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Difs, Kristina

2010-01-01

The effect of national energy policies on a local Swedish district heating (DH) system has been studied, regarding the profitability of new investments and the potential for climate change mitigation. The DH system has been optimised regarding three investments: biomass-fuelled CHP (bio CHP), natural gas-fuelled combined cycle CHP (NGCC CHP) and biomass-fuelled heat-only boiler (bio HOB) in two scenarios (with or without national taxes and policy instruments). In both scenarios EU's tradable CO 2 emission permits are included. Results from the study show that when national policies are included, the most cost-effective investment option is the bio CHP technology. However, when national taxes and policy instruments are excluded, the DH system containing the NGCC CHP plant has 30% lower system cost than the bio CHP system. Regardless of the scenario and when coal condensing is considered as marginal electricity production, the NGCC CHP has the largest global CO 2 reduction potential, about 300 ktonne CO 2 . However, the CO 2 reduction potential is highly dependent on the marginal electricity production. Demonstrated here is that national policies such as tradable green certificates can, when applied to DH systems, contribute to investments that will not fully utilise the DH systems' potential for global CO 2 emissions reductions. - Research highlights: →Swedish energy policies are promoting biomass fuelled electricity generating technologies over efficient fossil fuel electricity generating technologies. →An efficient fossil fuel technology like the natural gas combine cycle CHP technology with high power-to-heat ratio has potential to reduce the global CO 2 emissions more than a biomass fuelled electricity generating technology. →Swedish energy policies such as tradable green certificates for renewable electricity can, when applied to district heating systems, contribute to investments that will not fully utilise the district heating systems potential for

International and domestic uses of solid biofuels under different renewable energy support scenarios in the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoefnagels, Ric; Resch, Gustav; Junginger, Martin; Faaij, André

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A GIS based intermodal biomass transport model was developed for the European Union. • It was linked to the renewable energy model Green-X updated with biomass trade. • Scenarios of renewable energy deployment in the EU27 to 2020 were assessed. • Domestic biomass resources will remain the largest source of bioenergy (over 90%). • But increasing amounts of solid biomass will be traded (up to 506 PJ in 2020). - Abstract: This article describes the development of a geographic information systems (GIS) based biomass transport analysis tool BIT-UU used in combination with the European renewable energy model Green-X. BIT-UU calculates cost and GHG emissions from lowest cost routes, using intermodal transport (by road, rail, inland waterways and sea) between origins of supply and demand destinations. With the developed biomass trade module in Green-X, the role of bioenergy can be evaluated in the larger context of renewable energy deployment. The modeling framework takes into account the current and future energy policies at EU and country levels, competition with alternative sources of renewable energy (e.g. photovoltaic, wind) and sectors (electricity, heat, transport fuels) as well as competition between EU member states for the same biomass resources. Scenario projections to 2020 are used to demonstrate the developed modeling framework. According to these scenarios, biomass from domestic supply remains the most important source of bioenergy (91–93% in 2020). However, the role of traded solid biomass will become increasingly important. With a business as usual scenario, assuming continuation of current renewable energy policies to 2020, the binding renewable energy targets will not be achieved, but trade of solid biomass will still increase up to 451 PJ in 2020. In the scenario that meets the conditions to achieve the 20% renewable energy target in 2020, traded solid biomass is projected to increase to 440 PJ if sustainability criteria are

Indoor air pollution from solid biomass fuels combustion in rural agricultural area of Tibet, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, X; Yu, Q; Gu, Q; Chen, Y; Ding, K; Zhu, J; Chen, L

2009-06-01

In this study, we are trying to investigate the indoor air pollution and to estimate the residents' pollution exposure reduction of energy altering in rural Tibet. Daily PM(2.5) monitoring was conducted in indoor microenvironments like kitchen, living-room, bedroom, and yard in rural Tibet from December 2006 to March 2007. For kitchen air pollution, impact of two fuel types, methane and solid biomass fuels (SBFs), were compared. Questionnaire survey on the domestic energy pattern and residents' daily activity pattern was performed in Zha-nang County. Daily average PM(2.5) concentrations in kitchen, living-room, bedroom, and yard were 134.91 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 45, 95%CI 84.02, 185.80), 103.61 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 21, 95%CI 85.77, 121.45), 76.13 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 18, 95%CI 57.22, 95.04), and 78.33 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 34, 95%CI 60.00, 96.65) respectively. Using SBFs in kitchen resulted in higher indoor pollution than using methane. PM(2.5) concentrations in kitchen with dung cake, fuel wood and methane use were 117.41 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 18, 95%CI 71.03, 163.79), 271.11 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 12, 95%CI 104.74, 437.48), and 46.96 microg/m(3) (mean, n = 15, 95%CI 28.10, 65.82) respectively. Family income has significant influence on cooking energy choice, while the lack of commercial energy supply affects the energy choice for heating more. The effects of two countermeasures to improve indoor air quality were estimated in this research. One is to replace SBFs by clean energy like methane, the other is to separate the cooking place from other rooms and by applying these countermeasures, residents' exposure to particulate matters would reduce by 25-50% (methane) or 20-30% (separation) compared to the present situation. Indoor air pollution caused by solid biomass fuels is one of the most important burdens of disease in the developing countries, which attracts the attention of environment and public health researchers, as well as policy makers. This paper

Reducing particulate matter in the operation of firewood burning stoves taking into account the toxicological relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenz, Volker Alfred

2010-01-01

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is climate change. Correspondingly, inter alia, the German government has set a target by 2020, to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the 1990 level by 20%. For this purpose can and should an increased energetic use of biomass contribute. End of 2007, the bioenergy had a share of around three quarters of the renewable primary energy input. Of which more than 45% were used for the heat supply. A total of more than 90% of renewable heat have been provided from biomass. From the provided amount of heat come over 80% from the combustion of solid biofuels - so far almost exclusively wood products - in small and medium wood-fuelled combustion systems. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions the federal government is accelerating a further expansion of energetic use of biomass in the heating sector. This expansion of thermal use of biomass, however, for reasons of pollution control, should not rise simultaneously with the emissions of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides or particulate matter. [de

Emissions from decentralised CHP plants 2007 - Energinet.dk Environmental project no. 07/1882

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Thomsen, Marianne

Updated emission factors for decentralised combined heat and power (CHP) plants with a capacity project emission measurements as well as emission measurements performed in recent years that were collected. The emission factors valid for 2006/2007 have been...... estimated for the plant technologies: Municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants, plants combusting straw or wood, natural gas fuelled reciprocating engines, biogas fuelled engines, natural gas fuelled gas turbines, gas oil fuelled reciprocating engines, gas oil fuelled gas turbines, steam turbines...

Methods and apparatus for catalytic hydrothermal gasification of biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Douglas C.; Butner, Robert Scott; Neuenschwander, Gary G.; Zacher, Alan H.; Hart, Todd R.

2012-08-14

Continuous processing of wet biomass feedstock by catalytic hydrothermal gasification must address catalyst fouling and poisoning. One solution can involve heating the wet biomass with a heating unit to a temperature sufficient for organic constituents in the feedstock to decompose, for precipitates of inorganic wastes to form, for preheating the wet feedstock in preparation for subsequent separation of sulfur contaminants, or combinations thereof. Treatment further includes separating the precipitates out of the wet feedstock, removing sulfur contaminants, or both using a solids separation unit and a sulfur separation unit, respectively. Having removed much of the inorganic wastes and the sulfur that can cause poisoning and fouling, the wet biomass feedstock can be exposed to the heterogeneous catalyst for gasification.

CO2 substitution potential and CO2 reduction costs of an energetic exploitation of solid biomasses in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becher, S.

1995-01-01

For the reduction of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, the CO 2 , emissions are clearly to be reduced in future, according to the resolution made by the Federal Republic. Against the background of this objective, possible contributions of the biogenous solid fuels for the reduction of the CO 2 release of fossil origin are presented and discussed. For that, first the existing potentials of biomass in Germany and their present use are shown. Based on this, the CO 2 emissions by the present use already avoided, as well as the existing unexploited potentials of the CO 2 reduction potentials still to be exploited are determined. In accordance with an 'integral' starting point, thereby all pre- and post-positioned processes are considered. Finally, the specific CO 2 reduction costs are analysed and compared with other options. (orig.) [de

performance eval performance evaluation of a biomass stove using

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

2015-07-03

Jul 3, 2015 ... stoves have come in various sizes and styles which require biomass ... impacts associated solid wood based fuel is reduced through .... The LEMS model is an ideal test for .... increased firepower, the curve returns to a fairly.

Assessment of potential biomass energy production in China towards 2030 and 2050

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Guangling

2018-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a more detailed picture of potential biomass energy production in the Chinese energy system towards 2030 and 2050. Biomass for bioenergy feedstocks comes from five sources, which are agricultural crop residues, forest residues and industrial wood waste, energy crops and woody crops, animal manure, and municipal solid waste. The potential biomass production is predicted based on the resource availability. In the process of identifying biomass resources production, assumptions are made regarding arable land, marginal land, crops yields, forest growth rate, and meat consumption and waste production. Four scenarios were designed to describe the potential biomass energy production to elaborate the role of biomass energy in the Chinese energy system in 2030. The assessment shows that under certain restrictions on land availability, the maximum potential biomass energy productions are estimated to be 18,833 and 24,901 PJ in 2030 and 2050.

Biomass sorghum as a novel substrate in solid-state fermentation for the production of hemicellulases and cellulases by Aspergillus niger and A. fumigatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, L M; Dos Santos, B V; Albuquerque, C J B; Baeta, B E L; Pasquini, D; Baffi, M A

2018-03-01

We investigated the role of carbon and nitrogen sources in the production of cellulase and hemicellulase by Aspergillus strains. The strains Aspergillus niger SCBM1 and Aspergillus fumigatus SCBM6 were cultivated under solid-state fermentation (SSF), with biomass sorghum (BS) and wheat bran (WB) as lignocellulosic substrates, in different proportions, along with variable nitrogen sources. The best SSF condition for the induction of such enzymes was observed employing A. niger SCBM1 in BS supplemented with peptone; maximum production levels were achieved as follows: 72 h of fermentation for xylanase and exoglucanase (300·07 and 30·64 U g -1 respectively), 120 h for β-glucosidase and endoglucanase (54·90 and 41·47 U g -1 respectively) and 144 h for β-xylosidase (64·88 U g -1 ). This work demonstrated the viability of the use of BS for the production of hemi- and cellulolytic enzymes; the high concentration of celluloses in BS could be associated with the significant production of cellulases, mainly exoglucanase. This is the first study which presents the promising use of biomass sorghum (genetically modified sorghum to increase its biomass content) as an alternative carbon source for the production of enzymes by SSF. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Reactivity feedback coefficients of a low enriched uranium fuelled material test research reactor at end-of-life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhammad, Farhan

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The isotopic concentration in the fuel changes as soon as it starts its operation. → The neutronic properties of a reactor also change with fuel burnup. → The reactivity feedbacks at end-of-life of a material test reactor fuelled with low enriched uranium fuel are calculated. → Codes used include WIMS-D4 and CITATION. - Abstract: The reactivity feedback coefficients at end-of-life of a material test reactor fuelled with low enriched uranium fuel were calculated. The reactor used for the study was the IAEA's 10 MW benchmark reactor. Simulations were carried out to calculate the different reactivity feedback coefficients including Doppler feedback coefficient, reactivity coefficient for change of water temperature and reactivity coefficient for change of water density. Nuclear reactor analysis codes including WIMS-D4 and CITATION were employed to carry out these calculations. It was observed that the magnitude of all the reactivity feedback coefficients increased at end of life of the reactor by almost 2-5%.

Determination of Calorific Values of Some Nigerian Bio-Mass Solid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigerian biomass for thermal energy generation can be classified into field wastes, such as straw and corn cob; processing by products, such as rice husk, cocoa pods and palm kernel husk; and products from the lumber industry, such as saw dust, fire wood and wood shavings. These materials are produced in sufficiently ...

Investigation of biomasses and chars obtained from pyrolysis of different biomasses with solid-state 13C and 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Link, S.; Arvelakis, S.; Spliethoff, H.; Waard, de P.; Samoson, A.

2008-01-01

A number of biomass samples (reed, pine pellets, Douglas fir wood chips, wheat straw, peach stones, and olive residue), pretreated biomass samples (leached wheat straw, leached peach stones, and leached olive residue), as well as their chars obtained by pyrolysis using different heating rates (5,

Composite materials from forest biomass : a review of current practices, science, and technology

Science.gov (United States)

Roger M. Rowell

2007-01-01

Renewable and sustainable composite materials can be produced using forest biomass if we maintain healthy forests. Small diameter trees and other forest biomass can be processed in the forest into small solid wood pieces, sliced veneers, strands, flakes, chips, particles and fiber that can be used to make construction composite products such as glued-laminated lumber,...

A LOW COST AND HIGH QUALITY SOLID FUEL FROM BIOMASS AND COAL FINES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John T. Kelly; George Miller; Mehdi Namazian

2001-07-01

Use of biomass wastes as fuels in existing boilers would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, SO2 and NOx emissions, while beneficially utilizing wastes. However, the use of biomass has been limited by its low energy content and density, high moisture content, inconsistent configuration and decay characteristics. If biomass is upgraded by conventional methods, the cost of the fuel becomes prohibitive. Altex has identified a process, called the Altex Fuel Pellet (AFP) process, that utilizes a mixture of biomass wastes, including municipal biosolids, and some coal fines, to produce a strong, high energy content, good burning and weather resistant fuel pellet, that is lower in cost than coal. This cost benefit is primarily derived from fees that are collected for accepting municipal biosolids. Besides low cost, the process is also flexible and can incorporate several biomass materials of interest The work reported on herein showed the technical and economic feasibility of the AFP process. Low-cost sawdust wood waste and light fractions of municipal wastes were selected as key biomass wastes to be combined with biosolids and coal fines to produce AFP pellets. The process combines steps of dewatering, pellet extrusion, drying and weatherizing. Prior to pilot-scale tests, bench-scale test equipment was used to produce limited quantities of pellets for characterization. These tests showed which pellet formulations had a high potential. Pilot-scale tests then showed that extremely robust pellets could be produced that have high energy content, good density and adequate weatherability. It was concluded that these pellets could be handled, stored and transported using equipment similar to that used for coal. Tests showed that AFP pellets have a high combustion rate when burned in a stoker type systems. While NOx emissions under stoker type firing conditions was high, a simple air staging approach reduced emissions to below that for coal. In pulverized-fuel-fired tests it was

Biological conversion of forage sorghum biomass to ethanol by steam explosion pretreatment and simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation at high solid content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manzanares, Paloma; Ballesteros, Ignacio; Negro, Maria Jose; Oliva, Jose Miguel; Gonzalez, Alberto; Ballesteros, Mercedes [Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Biofuels Unit, Madrid (Spain)

2012-06-15

In this work, forage sorghum biomass was studied as feedstock for ethanol production by a biological conversion process comprising the steps of hydrothermal steam explosion pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes, and fermentation with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Steam explosion conditions were optimized using a response surface methodology considering temperature (180-230 C) and time (2-10 min). Sugar recovery in the pretreatment and the enzymatic digestibility of the pretreated solid were used to determine the optimum conditions, i.e., 220 C and 7 min. At these conditions, saccharification efficiency attained 89 % of the theoretical and the recovery of xylose in the prehydrolyzate accounted for 35 % of the amount of xylose present in raw material. Then, a simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation (SSF) process was tested at laboratory scale on the solid fraction of forage sorghum pretreated at optimum condition, in order to evaluate ethanol production. The effect of the enzyme dose and the supplementation with xylanase enzyme of the cellulolytic enzyme cocktail was studied at increasing solid concentration up to 18 % (w/w) in SSF media. Results show good performance of SSF in all consistencies tested with a significant effect of increasing enzyme load in SSF yield and final ethanol concentration. Xylanase supplementation allows increasing solid concentration up to 18 % (w/w) with good SSF performance and final ethanol content of 55 g/l after 4-5 days. Based on this result, about 190 l of ethanol could be obtained from 1 t of untreated forage sorghum, which means a transformation yield of 85 % of the glucose contained in the feedstock. (orig.)

Long Term Potentials and Costs of RES - Part II: The Role of International Biomass Trade

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoefnagels, E.T.A.; Junginger, H.M.; Resch, G.; Panzer, C.

2011-01-01

This report investigated the impact of international transport on the total cost and greenhouse gas balance of solid woody biomass. For this purpose, a geospatial intermodal biomass transport model was developed in the ArcGIS 10.0 Network Analyst extension. This model has been complemented with data

Analysis of Competitiveness and Support Instruments for Heat and Electricity Production from Wood Biomass in Latvia

Science.gov (United States)

Klavs, G.; Kudrenickis, I.; Kundzina, A.

2012-01-01

Utilisation of renewable energy sources is one of the key factors in a search for efficient ways of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and improving the energy supply security. So far, the district heating supply in Latvia has been based on natural gas, with the wood fuel playing a minor role; the same is true for decentralised combined heat-power (CHP) production. The paper describes a method for evaluation of the economic feasibility of heat and electricity production from wood biomass under the competition between different fuel types and taking into account the electricity market. For the simulation, a cost estimation model is applied. The results demonstrate that wood biomass can successfully be utilised for competitive heat production by boiler houses, while for electricity production by CHP utilities it cannot compete on the market (even despite the low prices on wood biomass fuel) unless particular financial support instruments are applied. The authors evaluate the necessary support level and the impact of two main support instruments - the investment subsidies and the feed-in tariff - on the economic viability of wood-fuelled CHP plants, and show that the feed-in tariff could be considered as an instrument strongly affecting the competitiveness of such type CHP. Regarding the feed-in tariff determination, a compromise should be found between the economy-dictated requirement to develop CHP projects concerning capacities above 5 MWel - on the one hand, and the relatively small heat loads in many Latvian towns - on the other.

Development of non-linear vibration analysis code for CANDU fuelling machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Hajime; Hirai, Takeshi; Horikoshi, Kiyomi; Mizukoshi, Kaoru; Takenaka, Yasuo; Suzuki, Norio.

1988-01-01

This paper describes the development of a non-linear, dynamic analysis code for the CANDU 600 fuelling machine (F-M), which includes a number of non-linearities such as gap with or without Coulomb friction, special multi-linear spring connections, etc. The capabilities and features of the code and the mathematical treatment for the non-linearities are explained. The modeling and numerical methodology for the non-linearities employed in the code are verified experimentally. Finally, the simulation analyses for the full-scale F-M vibration testing are carried out, and the applicability of the code to such multi-degree of freedom systems as F-M is demonstrated. (author)

Combustion and gasification of solid biomass: energy solutions for the Amazon; Combustao e gasificacao de biomassa solida: solucoes energeticas para a Amazonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barreto, Eduardo Jose Fagundes; Rendeiro, Goncalo; Nogueira, Manoel Fernandes Martins; Brasil, Augusto Cesar de Mendonca; Cruz, Daniel Onofre de Almeida; Guerra, Danielle Regina da Silva; Macedo, Emanuel Negrao; Ichihara, Jorge de Araujo

2008-07-01

For electrify isolated rural communities in the Amazon, the Ministerio de Minas e Energia - MME (Brazilian Mining and Energy Ministry), promoted under the 'Luz para todos' (Light for All) program, a series of activities aimed at the development and implementation of projects for small- scale power generation and training professionals, in the region, for the deployment of alternative energy solutions from renewable energy sources. Among these activities are the production of the collection 'Energy Solutions for the Amazon', consisting of five volumes. This is the fourth volume in the series that presents an overview of the combustion and gasification of solid biomass.

Impact of torrefaction on the grindability and fuel characteristics of forest biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Phanphanich, Manunya; Mani, Sudhagar

2011-01-01

Thermal pretreatment or torrefaction of biomass under anoxic condition can produce an energy dense and consistent quality solid biomass fuel for combustion and co-firing applications. This paper investigates the fuel characteristics and grindability of pine chips and logging residues torrefied at temperatures ranging from 225 °C to 300 °C and 30 min residence time. Grinding performance of torrefied biomass evaluated by determining energy required for grinding, particle size distribution and average particle size were compared with raw biomass and coal. Specific energy required for grinding of torrefied biomass decreased significantly with increase in torrefaction temperatures. The grinding energy of torrefied biomass was reduced to as low as 24 kW h/t at 300 °C torrefaction temperature. The gross calorific value of torrefied chips increased with increase in torrefaction temperature. Torrefaction of biomass clearly showed the improved fuel characteristics and grinding properties closer to coal. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass viability: An experimental study and the development of an empirical mathematical model for submerged membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuthi, M F R; Ngo, H H; Guo, W S; Nghiem, L D; Hai, F I; Xia, S Q; Zhang, Z Q; Li, J X

2015-08-01

This study investigates the influence of key biomass parameters on specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) in a sponge submerged membrane bioreactor (SSMBR) to develop mathematical models of biomass viability. Extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS) were considered as a lumped parameter of bound EPS (bEPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP). Statistical analyses of experimental results indicate that the bEPS, SMP, mixed liquor suspended solids and volatile suspended solids (MLSS and MLVSS) have functional relationships with SOUR and their relative influence on SOUR was in the order of EPS>bEPS>SMP>MLVSS/MLSS. Based on correlations among biomass parameters and SOUR, two independent empirical models of biomass viability were developed. The models were validated using results of the SSMBR. However, further validation of the models for different operating conditions is suggested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Review on Biomass Torrefaction Process and Product Properties for Energy Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; J. Richard Hess; Christopher T. Wright; Richard D. Boardman

2011-10-01

Torrefaction of biomass can be described as a mild form of pyrolysis at temperatures typically ranging between 200 and 300 C in an inert and reduced environment. Common biomass reactions during torrefaction include devolatilization, depolymerization, and carbonization of hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. Torrefaction process produces a brown to black solid uniform product and also condensable (water, organics, and lipids) and non condensable gases (CO2, CO, and CH4). Typically during torrefaction, 70% of the mass is retained as a solid product, containing 90% of the initial energy content, and 30% of the lost mass is converted into condensable and non-condensable products. The system's energy efficiency can be improved by reintroducing the material lost during torrefaction as a source of heat. Torrefaction of biomass improves its physical properties like grindability; particle shape, size, and distribution; pelletability; and proximate and ultimate composition like moisture, carbon and hydrogen content, and calorific value. Carbon and calorific value of torrefied biomass increases by 15-25%, and moisture content reduces to <3% (w.b.). Torrefaction reduces grinding energy by about 70%, and the ground torrefied biomass has improved sphericity, particle surface area, and particle size distribution. Pelletization of torrefied biomass at temperatures of 225 C reduces specific energy consumption by two times and increases the capacity of the mill by two times. The loss of the OH group during torrefaction makes the material hydrophobic (loses the ability to attract water molecules) and more stable against chemical oxidation and microbial degradation. These improved properties make torrefied biomass particularly suitable for cofiring in power plants and as an upgraded feedstock for gasification.

Computational Model of a Biomass Driven Absorption Refrigeration System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munyeowaji Mbikan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The impact of vapour compression refrigeration is the main push for scientists to find an alternative sustainable technology. Vapour absorption is an ideal technology which makes use of waste heat or renewable heat, such as biomass, to drive absorption chillers from medium to large applications. In this paper, the aim was to investigate the feasibility of a biomass driven aqua-ammonia absorption system. An estimation of the solid biomass fuel quantity required to provide heat for the operation of a vapour absorption refrigeration cycle (VARC is presented; the quantity of biomass required depends on the fuel density and the efficiency of the combustion and heat transfer systems. A single-stage aqua-ammonia refrigeration system analysis routine was developed to evaluate the system performance and ascertain the rate of energy transfer required to operate the system, and hence, the biomass quantity needed. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the results of the performance of a computational model of an aqua-ammonia system under a range of parameters. The model showed good agreement with published experimental data.

A techno-economic evaluation of a biomass energy conversion park

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S.; Witters, N. [Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Pelkmans, L.; Guisson, R. [VITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Reumermann, P. [BTG Biomass Technology Group, Josink Esweg 34, 7545 PN Enschede (Netherlands); Marquez Luzardo, N. [School of Life Sciences and Environmental Technology, Avans Hogeschool, Hogeschoollaan 1, 4800 RA Breda (Netherlands); Broeze, J. [Agrotechnology and Food Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen (Netherlands)

2013-04-15

Biomass as a renewable energy source has many advantages and is therefore recognized as one of the main renewable energy sources to be deployed in order to attain the target of 20% renewable energy use of final energy consumption by 2020 in Europe. In this paper the concept of a biomass Energy Conversion Park (ECP) is introduced. A biomass ECP can be defined as a synergetic, multi-dimensional biomass conversion site with a highly integrated set of conversion technologies in which a multitude of regionally available biomass (residue) sources are converted into energy and materials. A techno-economic assessment is performed on a case study in the Netherlands to illustrate the concept and to comparatively assess the highly integrated system with two mono-dimensional models. The three evaluated models consist of (1) digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, (2) co-digestion of manure and co-substrates, and (3) integration. From a socio-economic point of view it can be concluded that it is economically and energetically more interesting to invest in the integrated model than in two separate models. The integration is economically feasible and environmental benefits can be realized. For example, the integrated model allows the implementation of a co-digester. Unmanaged manure would otherwise represent a constant pollution risk. However, from an investor's standpoint one should firstly invest in the municipal solid waste digester since the net present value (NPV) of this mono-dimensional model is higher than that of the multi-dimensional model. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most influencing parameters. Our results are of interest for companies involved in the conversion of biomass. The conclusions are useful for policy makers when deciding on policy instruments concerning manure processing or biogas production.

Management of solid residues in waste-to-energy and biomass systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vehlow, J.; Bergfeldt, B. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Technik und Umwelt (Germany). Inst. fuer Technische Chemie; Wilen, C.; Ranta, J. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Schwaiger, H. [Forschungsgesellschaft Joanneum mbH, Graz (Austria); Visser, H.J.M. [ECN Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Petten (Netherlands); Gu, S.; Gyftopoulou, E.; Brammer, J. [Aston Univ., Birmingham (United Kingdom)

2007-12-15

A literature review has been performed for getting in-depth information about quality of residues from thermal processes for waste and biomass as well as their disposal or utilisation options and current practices. Residues from waste incineration have been subject to intense research programs for many years and it can be concluded that the quality of bottom ashes has meanwhile a high standard. The question whether an utilisation as secondary building material is accepted or not depends on the definition of acceptable economic impac. For filter ashes and gas cleaning residues the situation is more complex. Their quality is known: due to their high inventory of heavy metals and organic micro-pollutants they are classified as hazardous waste which means they require specific measures for their safe long-term disposal. A number of stabilisation and treatment processes for filter ashes and gas cleaning residues including the recovery of species out of these materials have been developed but none has been implemented in full scale due to economic constraints. There is reason to speculate that even recovery processes which are not profitable for private companies might point out economically useful if future and long-term costs which have to be covered of the society, e.g. for rehabilitation of contaminated sites, are taken into account. Their quality as well as that of residues from combustion of contaminated biomass is mainly depending on the quality of the fuel. The inventory of critical ingredients in fuel produced from waste or waste fractions, especially of halogens and heavy metals, is often rather high and shows typically a wide range of variation. A reliable quality control for such fuels is very difficult. Other residues can - like gas cleaning residues from waste incineration - be inertised in order to meet the criteria for the access to cheaper landfills than those for hazardous waste. A similar conclusion can be drawn for the quality and management of

Black carbon emissions from biomass and coal in rural China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weishi; Lu, Zifeng; Xu, Yuan; Wang, Can; Gu, Yefu; Xu, Hui; Streets, David G.

2018-03-01

Residential solid fuel combustion makes a major contribution to black carbon (BC) emissions in China. A new estimation of BC emissions from rural solid biomass and coal consumption has been derived from field survey data. The following new contributions are made: (1) emission factors are collected and reviewed; (2) household energy data are collected from field survey data and from the literature; (3) a new extrapolation method is developed to extend the field survey data to other locations; (4) the ownership and usage of two stove types are estimated and considered in the emission calculations; and (5) uncertainties associated with the estimation results are quantified. It is shown that rural households with higher income will consume less biomass but more coal. Agricultural acreage and temperature also significantly influence the amount of solid fuel consumed in rural areas. It is estimated that 640 ± 245 Gg BC/y were emitted to the atmosphere due to residential solid fuel consumption in rural China in 2014. Emissions of BC from straw, wood, and coal contributed 42 ± 13%, 36 ± 15%, and 22 ± 10% of the total, respectively. We show that effective BC mitigation (a reduction of 47%) could be obtained through widespread introduction of improved stoves in rural households.

Black carbon emissions from biomass and coal in rural China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Weishi; Lu, Zifeng; Xu, Yuan; Wang, Can; Gu, Yefu; Xu, Hui; Streets, David G.

2018-03-01

Residential solid fuel combustion makes a major contribution to black carbon (BC) emissions in China. A new estimation of BC emissions from rural solid biomass and coal consumption has been derived from field survey data. The following new contributions are made: (1) emission factors are collected and reviewed; (2) household energy data are collected from field survey data and from the literature; (3) a new extrapolation method is developed to extend the field survey data to other locations; (4) the ownership and usage of two stove types are estimated and considered in the emission calculations; and (5) uncertainties associated with the estimation results are quantified. It is shown that rural households with higher income will consume less biomass but more coal. Agricultural acreage and temperature also significantly influence the amount of solid fuel consumed in rural areas. It is estimated that 640±245 Gg BC/y were emitted to the atmosphere due to residential solid fuel consumption in rural China in 2014. Emissions of BC from straw, wood, and coal contributed 42±13%, 36±15%, and 22±10% of the total, respectively. We show that effective BC mitigation (a reduction of 47%) could be obtained through widespread introduction of improved stoves in rural households

Arsenic removal from As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata biomass: Coupling extraction with precipitation.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Evandro B; de Oliveira, Letuzia M; Wilkie, Ann C; Liu, Yungen; Ma, Lena Q

2018-02-01

Proper disposal of As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata biomass (Chinese brake fern) enhances its application in phytoremediation. The goal of this study was to optimize As removal from P. vittata (PV) biomass by testing different particle sizes, extractants, extraction times and solid-to-liquid ratios. PV biomass was extracted using different extractants followed by different Mg-salts to recover soluble As via precipitation. Water-soluble As in PV biomass varied from 6.8% to 61% of total As depending on extraction time, with 99% of As being arsenate (AsV). Extraction with 2.1% HCl, 2.1% H 3 PO 4 , 1 M NaOH and 50% ethanol recovered 81, 78, 47 and 14% of As from PV biomass. A follow-up extraction using HCl recovered 27-32% with ethanol recovering only 5%. Though ethanol showed the lowest extractable As, residual As in the biomass was also the lowest. Among the extractants, 35% ethanol was the best to remove As from PV biomass. Approximately 90% As was removed from PV biomass using particle size phytoremediation more feasible. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A modern automatic Carriage-Trolley Position Control System for Dhruva fuelling machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawal, Ankit; Hari Balakrishna; Narvekar, J.P.; Sanadhya, Vivek

2014-01-01

A fully automatic absolute encoder based position control system has been designed developed implemented and commissioned for the Dhruva Fuelling Machine A (FM/A). This supports both the coarse and fine positioning modes. Provision for fully manual positioning as a standby system has been retained. This system replaces the ageing peg counting based incremental positioner used briefly during the early period after the Dhruva FM/A was commissioned. The older system suffered from peg detection skipping problems; hence it was not being used. Only full manual positioning was being carried out. This paper describes the automatic Carriage Trolley Position Control System (CTPCS). (author)

Biomass ignition in mills and storages – is it explained by conventional thermal ignition theory?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwarzer, Lars; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Glarborg, Peter

of the process, which can then be incorporated into refined models of self-ignition for biomass and other organic solids. In the present study, the slow, transient heating of several lignocellulosic biomasses and a bituminous coal from ambient temperature to around 300° C were investigated in a lab scale tube...

Plant Biomass Leaching for Nutrient Recovery in Closed Loop Systems Project

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitlin, Nancy P.; Wheeler, Raymond (Compiler); Lunn, Griffin

2015-01-01

Plants will be important for food and O2 production during long term human habitation in space. Recycling of nutrients (e.g., from waste materials) could reduce the resupply costs of fertilizers for growing these plants. Work at NASA's Kennedy Space Center has shown that ion exchange resins can extract fertilizer (plant essential nutrients) from human waste water, after which the residual brine could be treated with electrodialysis to recover more water and produce high value chemicals (e.g., acids and bases). In habitats with significant plant production, inedible biomass becomes a major source of solid waste. To "close the loop" we also need to recover useful nutrients and fertilizer from inedible biomass. We are investigating different approaches to retrieve nutrients from inedible plant biomass, including physical leaching with water, processing the biomass in bioreactors, changing the pH of leaching processing, and/or conducting multiple leaches of biomass residues.

Use of numerical modeling in design for co-firing biomass in wall-fired burners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yin, Chungen; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2004-01-01

modification to the motion and reaction due to their non-sphericity. The simulation results show a big difference between the two cases and indicate it is very significant to take into account the non-sphericity of biomass particles in order to model biomass combustion more accurately. Methods to improve...... of numerical modeling. The models currently used to predict solid fuel combustion rely on a spherical particle shape assumption, which may deviate a lot from reality for big biomass particles. A sphere gives a minimum in terms of the surface-area-to-volume ratio, which impacts significantly both motion...... and reaction of a particle. To better understand biomass combustion and thus improve the design for co-firing biomass in wall-fired burners, non-sphericity of biomass particles is considered. To ease comparison, two cases are numerically studied in a 10m long gas/biomass co-fired burner model. (1) The biomass...

The impact of steam and current density on carbon formation from biomass gasification tar on Ni/YSZ, and Ni/CGO solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Mermelstein, Joshua; Millan, Marcos; Brandon, Nigel

The combination of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and biomass gasification has the potential to become an attractive technology for the production of clean renewable energy. However the impact of tars, formed during biomass gasification, on the performance and durability of SOFC anodes has not been well established experimentally. This paper reports an experimental study on the mitigation of carbon formation arising from the exposure of the commonly used Ni/YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) and Ni/CGO (gadolinium-doped ceria) SOFC anodes to biomass gasification tars. Carbon formation and cell degradation was reduced through means of steam reforming of the tar over the nickel anode, and partial oxidation of benzene model tar via the transport of oxygen ions to the anode while operating the fuel cell under load. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that a threshold current density of 365 mA cm -2 was required to suppress carbon formation in dry conditions, which was consistent with the results of experiments conducted in this study. The importance of both anode microstructure and composition towards carbon deposition was seen in the comparison of Ni/YSZ and Ni/CGO anodes exposed to the biomass gasification tar. Under steam concentrations greater than the thermodynamic threshold for carbon deposition, Ni/YSZ anodes still exhibited cell degradation, as shown by increased polarization resistances, and carbon formation was seen using SEM imaging. Ni/CGO anodes were found to be more resilient to carbon formation than Ni/YSZ anodes, and displayed increased performance after each subsequent exposure to tar, likely due to continued reforming of condensed tar on the anode.

Physico-chemical properties and biological effects of diesel and biomass particles

KAUST Repository

Longhin, Eleonora; Gualtieri, Maurizio; Capasso, Laura; Bengalli, Rossella; Mollerup, Steen; Holme, Jø rn A.; Ø vrevik, Johan; Casadei, Simone; Di Benedetto, Cristiano; Parenti, Paolo; Camatini, Marina

2016-01-01

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Diesel combustion and solid biomass burning are the major sources of ultrafine particles (UFP) in urbanized areas. Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, including lung cancer, are possible outcomes of combustion particles

Energy from biomass: An overview. Energie uit biomassa: Een overzicht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Toorn, L J; Elliott, T P [Non-Traditional Business Division, Shell International Petroleum Company, London (United Kingdom)

1992-03-01

Attention is paid to the effect of the use of energy from biomass on the greenhouse effect. An overview is given of the aspects of forest plantation, carbon dioxide fixation and energy from biomass, in particular with regard to the potential impact of the use of biomass energy on the speed of accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. A simple model of the carbon cycle to illustrate the geochemical, biological and antropogenic characteristics of the cycle is presented and briefly discussed. Biomass, which is appropriate for energy applications, can be subdivided into three categories: polysaccharides, vegetable oils, and lignocellulosis. The costs for the latter are discussed. Three important options to use biomass as a commercial energy source are solid fuels, liquid fuels, and power generation. For each option the value of energy (on a large-scale level) is compared to the costs of several types of biomass. Recent evaluation of new techniques show that small biomass conversion plants can realize an electricity efficiency of 40%, with capitalized costs far below comparable conventional biomass conversion plants. One of the policy instruments to stimulate the use of biomass as an energy source is the carbon levy, in which the assumed external costs to reduce carbon dioxide emission are expressed. Political and administrative feasibility are important factors in the decision making with regard to carbon storage and energy plantations. 6 figs.

Integration of a municipal solid waste gasification plant with solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bellomare, Filippo; Rokni, Masoud

2013-01-01

An interesting source of producing energy with low pollutants emission and reduced environmental impact are the biomasses; particularly using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as fuel, can be a competitive solution not only to produce energy with negligible costs but also to decrease the storage...... in landfills. A Municipal Solid Waste Gasification Plant Integrated with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Gas Turbine (GT) has been studied and the plant is called IGSG (Integrated Gasification SOFC and GT). Gasification plant is fed by MSW to produce syngas by which the anode side of an SOFC is fed wherein...

Thermochemical conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Lin, Bo-Jhih; Huang, Ming-Yueh; Chang, Jo-Shu

2015-05-01

Following first-generation and second-generation biofuels produced from food and non-food crops, respectively, algal biomass has become an important feedstock for the production of third-generation biofuels. Microalgal biomass is characterized by rapid growth and high carbon fixing efficiency when they grow. On account of potential of mass production and greenhouse gas uptake, microalgae are promising feedstocks for biofuels development. Thermochemical conversion is an effective process for biofuel production from biomass. The technology mainly includes torrefaction, liquefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification. Through these conversion technologies, solid, liquid, and gaseous biofuels are produced from microalgae for heat and power generation. The liquid bio-oils can further be upgraded for chemicals, while the synthesis gas can be synthesized into liquid fuels. This paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of the thermochemical conversion technologies of microalgal biomass into fuels. Detailed conversion processes and their outcome are also addressed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recipe-based co-HTL of biomass and organic waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toor, Saqib Sohail; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup; Sintamarean, Iulia-Maria

2018-01-01

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) has been investigated for several decades as a means to convert a wide range of biomasses and residues efficiently and with high yield into biofuel intermediates. As a wet processing technology, HTL is generally carried out in aqueous media of at least 50%–60% water...... making it very suitable for most natural biomasses and organic residues [1–4]. Processed at temperatures around 280–370°C, even up to approximately 400°C, and pressures between 10 and 30 MPa, the original biomass breaks down into a bio-crude phase (typically the main and desired product), an aqueous...... phase with water-soluble organics, and minor fractions of solid residue and gas. The yield and composition of these products depends not only on reactor type, process conditions, and product workup but also to a very large extent on the biochemical composition of the biomass. Over the past few years...

Investigations of impurity control in JET using fuelling, and interpretation of experiments using the LIM impurity code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondhalekar, A.; Stangeby, P.C.; Elder, J.D.

1994-01-01

Inhibition of contamination of the plasma core in JET by edge impurities during high power heating of deuterium plasmas in limiter configuration using fuelling is demonstrated. By injecting deuterium gas during heating, in the presence of a much larger recycling deuterium flux, a reduction of more than a factor of 2 was effected in n z (0)/Φ z , the ratio of central impurity density to impurity influx at the plasma edge. The reduction in n z (0) was obtained without much effect on peak electron temperature and density. Reduction of plasma contamination by gas fuelling was observed also when hot spots formed on the limiter, a condition that without simultaneous gas fuelling culminated in runaway plasma contamination. Detailed analysis of the experiments is undertaken with the purpose of identifying the processes by which plasma contamination was inhibited, employing standard limiter plasma contamination modelling. Processes which might produce the observed impurity inhibiting effects of gas injection include: (a) reduction in impurity production at the limiter; (b) increase in impurity screening in the scrape-off layer; (c) increase in radial impurity transport at the plasma edge; (d) increase in average deuteron flow velocity to the limiter along the scrape-off layer. These are examined in detail using the Monte Carlo limiter impurity transport code LIM. Bearing in mind that uncertainties exist both in the choice of appropriate modelling assumptions to be used and in the measurement of required edge plasma parameters, changes in n z (0)/Φ z by a factor of 2 are at the limit of the present modelling capability. However, comparison between LIM code simulations and measurements of plasma impurity content indicate that the standard limiter plasma contamination model may not be adequate and that other processes need to be added in order to be able to describe the experiments in JET. (author). 24 refs, 2 figs, 8 tabs

Pretreatment methods to obtain pumpable high solid loading wood–water slurries for continuous hydrothermal liquefaction systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dãrãbana, Iulia-Maria; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup; Pedersen, Thomas Helmer

2015-01-01

Feedstock pretreatment is a prerequisite step for continuous processing of lignocellulosic biomass through HTL, in order to facilitate the pumpability of biomass aqueous slurries. Until now, HTL feedstock pumpability could only be achieved at solid mass content below 15%. In this work, two...... pretreatment methods to obtain wood-based slurries with more than 20% solid mass content, for continuous processing in HTL systems, are proposed. The effect of biomass particle size and pretreatment method on the feedstock pumpability is analyzed. The experimental results show that pumpable wood-based slurries...

MINIMIZING NET CO2 EMISSIONS BY OXIDATIVE CO-PYROLYSIS OF COAL / BIOMASS BLENDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Todd Lang; Robert Hurt

2001-12-23

This study presents a set of thermodynamic calculations on the optimal mode of solid fuel utilization considering a wide range of fuel types and processing technologies. The technologies include stand-alone combustion, biomass/coal cofiring, oxidative pyrolysis, and straight carbonization with no energy recovery but with elemental carbon storage. The results show that the thermodynamically optimal way to process solid fuels depends strongly on the specific fuels and technologies available, the local demand for heat or for electricity, and the local baseline energy-production method. Burning renewable fuels reduces anthropogenic CO{sub 2} emissions as widely recognized. In certain cases, however, other processing methods are equally or more effective, including the simple carbonization or oxidative pyrolysis of biomass fuels.

Potential of Biomass for Energy. Market Survey Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-03-01

The objective of this market survey is to provide information about the biomass sector in Portugal, relevant to mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the Netherlands that are interested to strengthen their position in that sector. Much knowledge could be gathered from conversations with the partners of Sunergy, the company responsible for this survey. Sunergy is producing bio-diesel, and considering further investments in the solid biomass sector, and therefore well familiar with the developments. Other interviews were held with representatives of the Government (DGGE), association of forestry owners (AFLOPS), a biomass trading SME (Sobioen), the leading environmental NGO (Quercus), and an association representing the paper- and pulp industry (CELPA). Chapter 1 is a general introduction on biomass. Chapter 2 gives the background of the Portuguese energy sector and the relative importance of renewable and biomass energies within this market. Some prospects for future developments of the different renewable sources are given. Portugal's energy sector is dominated by a small number of players, which are introduced. Also the current policies and incentives (subsidies) are presented. In Chapter 3 the focus is on the Portuguese biomass sector, presenting the current use of biomass in each of the subsectors: transport, electricity and heat, and an overview of the policy framework specifically for biomass. Chapter 4 is a literature review of the market for existing and potential biomass resources, including demand, supply and other characteristics. Chapter 5 synthesizes the previous chapters. Also an overview of key drivers and key constraints for growth of this sector is given, leading to conclusions regarding the opportunities for Dutch companies. Finally, further information on how to proceed once the interest for Portugal's biomass sector is vested is listed at the end of Chapter 5

Traceability System for Improved Utilization of Solid Biofuel from Agricultural Prunings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Techane Bosona

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Biomass production and supply for renewable energy generation should be managed well and carried out in a sustainable manner. An effective traceability system (TS is required to provide sufficient information and assure the quality of the biomass. The objective of this study is to define and develop a TS to assure the pruning biomass quality for the production of solid biofuels and to provide guarantee to the final user that the biomass is in good condition according to recommended quality criteria. It is designed for an agricultural pruning supply chain in which farmers, biomass traders, transporters, and end users are major actors. It is based on the biofuel quality requirements required by final users and other standards such as the new European standards EN 14961-1, EN15234:1-2011, and EN14961-1:2010, which describe solid fuel quality parameters. Traceable quality parameters include origin and source of product, traded form, bale dimension, chips size distribution, moisture content, ash content, and density of biomass. In this TS, a unique product label is introduced and integrated into a smart logistics system (SLS. The TS uses information captured at different stages of the product supply chain. It enables the management of the whole pruning biomass supply chain with the support of a centralized web-based information platform, an integral part of the SLS.

Impact of hydrogen onboard storage technologies on the performance of hydrogen fuelled vehicles: A techno-economic well-to-wheel assessment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wit, M.P.; Faaij, A.P.C.

2007-01-01

Hydrogen onboard storage technologies form an important factor in the overall performance of hydrogen fuelled transportation, both energetically and economically. Particularly, advanced storage options such as metal hydrides and carbon nanotubes are often hinted favourable to conventional, liquid

Culture of microalgae biomass for valorization of table olive processing water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreras, C.G.; Serrano, A.; Ruiz-Filippi, G.; Borja, R.; Fermoso, F.G.

2016-01-01

Table olive processing water (TOPW) contains many complex substances, such as phenols, which could be valorized as a substrate for microalgae biomass culture. The aim of this study was to assess the capability of Nannochloropsis gaditana to grow in TOPW at different concentrations (10- 80%) in order to valorize this processing water. Within this range, the highest increment of biomass was determined at percentage of 40% of TOPW, reaching an increment of 0.36 ± 0.05 mg volatile suspended solids (VSS)/L. Components of algal biomass were similar for the experiments at 10-40% of TOPW, where proteins were the major compounds (56-74%). Total phenols were retained in the microalgae biomass (0.020 ± 0.002 g of total phenols/g VSS). Experiments for 80% of TOPW resulted in a low production of microalgae biomass. High organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and phenol removal were achieved in all TOPW concentrations. Although high-value products, such as proteins, were obtained and high removal efficiencies of nutrients were determined, microalgae biomass culture should be enhanced to become a suitable integral processing water treatment. [es

Nordic seminar on biomass gasification and combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The report comprises a collection of papers from a seminar arranged as a part of the Nordic Energy Research Program. The aim of this program is to strengthen the basic competence in the energy field at universities and research organizations in the Nordic countries. In the program 1991-1994 six areas are selected for cooperation such as energy and society, solid fuels, district heating, petroleum technology, bioenergy and environment, and fuel cells. The topics deal both with biomass combustion and gasification, and combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse derived fuel (RDF). A number of 11 papers are prepared. 97 refs., 91 figs., 11 tabs.

Nordic seminar on biomass gasification and combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The report comprises a collection of papers from a seminar arranged as a part of the Nordic Energy Research Program. The aim of this program is to strengthen the basic competence in the energy field at universities and research organizations in the Nordic countries. In the program 1991-1994 six areas are selected for cooperation such as energy and society, solid fuels, district heating, petroleum technology, bioenergy and environment, and fuel cells. The topics deal both with biomass combustion and gasification, and combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse derived fuel (RDF). A number of 11 papers are prepared. 97 refs., 91 figs., 11 tabs

Nordic seminar on biomass gasification and combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1993-12-31

The report comprises a collection of papers from a seminar arranged as a part of the Nordic Energy Research Program. The aim of this program is to strengthen the basic competence in the energy field at universities and research organizations in the Nordic countries. In the program 1991-1994 six areas are selected for cooperation such as energy and society, solid fuels, district heating, petroleum technology, bioenergy and environment, and fuel cells. The topics deal both with biomass combustion and gasification, and combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse derived fuel (RDF). A number of 11 papers are prepared. 97 refs., 91 figs., 11 tabs.

A study of coal-solid waste blend reactivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nayibe Guerrero

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method was used for analysing coal-solid waste blend reactivity in an oxidising atmosphere. The presence of biomass strongly affected coal combustion kinetics when the blend contained more than 30% of it. Activation energy values (evaluated by different blends were 28.7495 kJ/mol for 0% biomass, 31.3915 kJ/mol for 30% biomass, 39.0365 kJ/mol for 50% biomass, 102.431 kJ/mol for 70% biomass and 107.8075 kJ/mol for 100% biomass; these values were close to those reported in the literature. First-order kinetics correlated the data ve-ry well for the 100% coal sample and the blend having 30% biomass and 70% coal. Eighth-order kinetics were more suitable for correlating the experimental data for the 70% biomass-30% coal blend and the 100% biomass sample. Combustion was done without previous pyrolysis of the blends; however segregation of phenomena could be appre-ciated. This seems to indicate that combustion and devolatilisation are independent processes which should be taken into account when building equipment using these kinds of blend.

From waste to raw material -- The route from biomass to wood ash for cadmium and other heavy metals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Obernberger, I.; Narodoslawsky, M.

1997-01-01

Energetic utilization of biomass is considered an environmentally safe way of providing energy, especially for process heat and district - heating purposes. The main advantage of energy from biomass is the CO-neutrality of this energy-production process. However, this process produces a solid

Membrane bioreactor biomass characteristics and microbial yield at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, a laboratory-scale MBR and SBR were operated in parallel and at very low MCRTs (3 d, 2 d, 1 d and 0.5 d) to assess the relative bioreactor performance, biomass characteristics, and microbial yield. This study confirmed that the MBR maintains higher solids levels and better overall effluent quality than ...

Torrefaction of biomass. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-05-15

The objective of this project was to investigate and understand some of the basics of the process of torrefaction and explore the true characteristics of this new type of solid biomass fuel. Tests with torrefaction of different biomass have thus been conducted in both laboratory scale as well as bench scale investigating samples from milligram up to >100 kg. Test in TGA-FTIR and a lab scale pyro-ofen was used to understand the basic chemistry of the influence of torrefaction temperature on the kinetics of the process as well as the condensable gases leaving the process. The results reveal a process that above 250 deg. C is exothermic and that the major condensable gases consist mainly of methanol, acetic acid and water. Significant amounts of methyl-chloride were detected in the condensable gases and do thereby suggest that a certain amount of corrosive Cl could be reduced from the fuel by means of torrefaction. It was also concluded that great care has to be taken during and after production as the torrefied material was seen to self-ignite in an air environment at temperatures above 200 deg. C. The grindability of the material (energy consumption during milling) is indeed significantly improved by torrefaction and can be reduced up to 6 times compared to raw biomass. The results from test in bench scale as well as in lab scale mills suggested that in order to reach grindability similar to coal a torrefaction temperature above 240 deg. C is required for wood chips and above 290 deg. C for wood pellets. These figures will however differ with the type of biomass torrefied and the particle size of the material torrefied and milled. Moisture uptake in torrefied materials is decreased compared to raw biomass. However, due to formation of cavities in the material during torrefaction, the full effect is met first after densification. The hydrophobicity of the material increases with higher torrefaction temperature, but still a rather significant moisture uptake is

Influence of Biomass Chemical Properties on Torrefaction Characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saleh, Suriyati Binti; Hansen, Brian Brun; Jensen, Peter Arendt

2013-01-01

) on the torrefaction behavior with respect to mass loss and grindability is investigated by simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) and by using a combined torrefaction and grinding reactor. The torrefaction behavior of six raw biomass samples and selected pretreated samples (washed and impregnated with KCl and K2CO3) has...... content increased from 0 to 0.2 wt %. However, the higher lignin content in bark causes a higher solid yield than what would be expected from the alkali content, illustrating that both potassium content and lignocellulose composition affect the solid yield obtained by torrefaction. The grindability...

Biomass ash reutilisation as an additive in the composting process of organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Asquer, Carla; Cappai, Giovanna; De Gioannis, Giorgia; Muntoni, Aldo; Piredda, Martina; Spiga, Daniela

2017-11-01

In this work the effects of selected types of biomass ash on the composting process and final product quality were studied by conducting a 96-day long experiment where the source separated organic fraction of municipal waste, mixed with wood prunings that served as bulking agent, was added with 0%, 2%, 4% and 8% wt/wt of biomass ash. The evolution over time of the main process parameters was observed, and the final composts were characterised. On the basis of the results, both the composting process and the quality of the final product were improved by ash addition. Enhanced volatile solids reduction and biological stability (up to 32% and 52%, respectively, as compared to the unamended product) were attained when ash was added, since ash favored the aerobic degradation by acting asa physical conditioner. In the final products, higher humification of organic matter (expressed in terms of the humification index, that was 2.25 times higher in the most-enriched compost than in the unamended one) and total Ca, K, Mg and P content were observed when ash was used. The latter aspect may influence the composts marketability positively, particularly with regards to potassium and phosphorus. The heavy metals content, that is regarded as the main environmental disadvantage when using ash asa composting additive, did not negatively affect the final composts quality. However, some other controversial effects of ash, related to the moisture and temperature values attained during the process, pH (8.8-9.2 as compared to 8.2 of the unamended compost) and electrical conductivity levels (up to 53% higher as compared to the unamended compost) in the final composts, were also observed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of renewable energy from biomass and waste materials using fluidized bed technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozainee, M.; Rashid, M.; Looi, S.

2000-01-01

Malaysian industries generate substantial amount of biomass and waste materials such as wastes from agricultural and wood based industries, sludge waste from waste-water treatment plants and solid waste from municipals. Incinerating these waste materials not only produces renewable energy, but also solving their disposal problems. Fluidized bed combustors are widely used for incinerating these biomass materials. The significant advantages of fluidized bed incineration include simple design, efficient, and ability to reduce air pollution emissions. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of producing the green energy from biomass materials using the fluidized bed technologies. (Author)

Production of methanol/DME from biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahrenfeldt, J.; Birk Henriksen, U.; Muenster-Swendsen, J.; Fink, A.; Roengaard Clausen, L.; Munkholt Christensen, J.; Qin, K.; Lin, W.; Arendt Jensen, P.; Degn Jensen, A.

2011-07-01

In this project the production of DME/methanol from biomass has been investigated. Production of DME/methanol from biomass requires the use of a gasifier to transform the solid fuel to a synthesis gas (syngas) - this syngas can then be catalytically converted to DME/methanol. Two different gasifier types have been investigated in this project: 1) The Two-Stage Gasifier (Viking Gasifier), designed to produce a very clean gas to be used in a gas engine, has been connected to a lab-scale methanol plant, to prove that the gas from the gasifier could be used for methanol production with a minimum of gas cleaning. This was proved by experiments. Thermodynamic computer models of DME and methanol plants based on using the Two-Stage Gasification concept were created to show the potential of such plants. The models showed that the potential biomass to DME/methanol + net electricity energy efficiency was 51-58% (LHV). By using waste heat from the plants for district heating, the total energy efficiencies could reach 87-88% (LHV). 2) A lab-scale electrically heated entrained flow gasifier has been used to gasify wood and straw. Entrained flow gasifiers are today the preferred gasifier type for commercial coal gasification, but little information exists on using these types of gasifiers for biomass gasification. The experiments performed provided quantitative data on product and gas composition as a function of operation conditions. Biomass can be gasified with less oxygen consumption compared to coal. The organic fraction of the biomass that is not converted to gas appears as soot. Thermodynamic computer models of DME and methanol plants based on using entrained flow gasification were created to show the potential of such plants. These models showed that the potential torrefied biomass to DME/methanol + net electricity energy efficiency was 65-71% (LHV). Different routes to produce liquid transport fuels from biomass are possible. They include production of RME (rapeseed oil

Biomass energetics potential of wetlands at Saare county

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kask, U.; Kask, L.

2002-01-01

Most of the fuels that are being used to produce the thermal and electrical power are nonrenewable. Transferring them into energy pollutes the environment with CO 2 and surplus heat. Biomass is the most suitable energy resource in Estonian natural circumstances. Hitherto, one kind of biomass - plants of wetland - has almost not been used. There are plenty of wetlands in Saaremaa that have reasonably high productivity of biomass. Exertion of technologies of processing and using the biomass helps to create new jobs in agriculture as well in other sector of economy and evolve the regional development. The local currency circulation will improve and there are also possibilities in increase of capital expenditures and export potential. The biomass productivity of wetland plants accounting to dry matter can reach up to 4-5 kg/m 2 in a year. One advantage to use the plants of wetland (reed, cattail) in energy production is the fact that these plants will disengage from water in the end of their growth period and will need no extra drying. There are over 12000 ha of wetlands in Saaremaa, half of them could be used to get energetical biomass. The other half is either under (nature)protection or it would be economically inefficient to cut reed there. The major wetlands are in the surroundings of Mullatu bay and the Koigi swamp, also in Tornimae. There could be significant reduce in the emission of solid particles into the atmosphere, if the biomass of wetlands would be used to produce thermal and electrical power in Kuressaare. (author)

Power generation from solid fuels

CERN Document Server

Spliethoff, Hartmut

2010-01-01

Power Generation from Solid Fuels introduces the different technologies to produce heat and power from solid fossil (hard coal, brown coal) and renewable (biomass, waste) fuels, such as combustion and gasification, steam power plants and combined cycles etc. The book discusses technologies with regard to their efficiency, emissions, operational behavior, residues and costs. Besides proven state of the art processes, the focus is on the potential of new technologies currently under development or demonstration. The main motivation of the book is to explain the technical possibilities for reduci

Production of Ethanol and Biomass from Thin Stillage Using Food-Grade Zygomycetes and Ascomycetes Filamentous Fungi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge A. Ferreira

2014-06-01

Full Text Available A starch-based ethanol facility producing 200,000 m3 ethanol/year also produces ca. 2 million m3 thin stillage, which can be used to improve the entire process. In this work, five food-grade filamentous fungi, including a Zygomycete and four Ascomycetes were successfully grown in thin stillage containing 9% solids. Cultivation with Neurospora intermedia led to the production of ca. 16 g·L−1 biomass containing 56% (w/w crude protein, a reduction of 34% of the total solids, and 5 g·L−1 additional ethanol. In an industrial ethanol production process (200,000 m3 ethanol/year, this can potentially lead to the production of 11,000 m3 extra ethanol per year. Cultivation with Aspergillus oryzae resulted in 19 g·L−1 biomass containing 48% (w/w crude protein and the highest reduction of the thin stillage glycerol (54% among the Ascomycetes. Cultivation with Rhizopus sp. produced up to 15 g·L−1 biomass containing 55% (w/w crude protein. The spent thin stillage had been reduced up to 85%, 68% and 21% regarding lactic acid, glycerol and total solids, respectively. Therefore, N. intermedia, in particular, has a high potential to improve the ethanol process via production of additional ethanol and high-quality biomass, which can be considered for animal feed applications such as for fish feed.

A feasibility study of hydrothermal treatment of rice straw for multi-production of solid fuel and liquid fertilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Samnang, S.; Prawisudha, P.; Pasek, A. D.

2017-05-01

Energy use has increased steadily over the last century due to population and industry increase. With the growing of GHG, biomass becomes an essential contributor to the world energy need. Indonesia is the third rice producer in the world. Rice straw has been converted to solid fuel by Hydrothermal Treatment (HT) for electricity generation. HT is a boiling solid organic or inorganic substance in water at high pressure and temperature within a holding time. HT converts high moisture content biomass into dried, uniform, pulverized, and higher energy density solid fuels. HT can effectively transport nutrient components in biomass into a liquid product known as fertilizer. This paper deals with an evaluation of hydrothermal treatment of rice straw for solid fuel and liquid fertilizer. An investigation of rice straw characteristics were completed for Bandung rice straw with various condition of temperature, biomass-water ratio, and holding time in the purpose to find the changes of calorific value for solid product and (N, P, K, and pH) for liquid product. The results showed that solid product at 225 °C and 90 min consists in a heating value 13.8 MJ/kg equal to lignite B. Liquid product at 225 °C and 90 min had the NPK content similar to that of micronutrients compound liquid fertilizer. The dried solid product should be useful for Coal Fire Power Plant, and the liquid product is suitable for plants. This research proves that hydrothermal process can be applied to rice straw to produce solid fuel and liquid fertilizer with adequate quality.

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Aparicio, S., E-mail: sla@nilu.no; Hak, C.

2013-05-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde > 150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20–30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. - Highlights: ► Acetaldehyde levels above 150 ppm were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► High acetic acid levels (20–30 ppm) were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► Demonstrated usefulness of PTR-MS to evaluate non-criteria pollutants ► High levels of acetaldehyde and acetic acid are estimated in the dispersion plume. ► Climate mitigation measures may have adverse impact on air quality.

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Aparicio, S.; Hak, C.

2013-01-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO 2 , O 3 , acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde > 150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20–30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. - Highlights: ► Acetaldehyde levels above 150 ppm were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► High acetic acid levels (20–30 ppm) were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► Demonstrated usefulness of PTR-MS to evaluate non-criteria pollutants ► High levels of acetaldehyde and acetic acid are estimated in the dispersion plume. ► Climate mitigation measures may have adverse impact on air quality

Biomass Power Generation through Direct Integration of Updraft Gasifier and Stirling Engine Combustion System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jai-Houng Leu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Biomass is the largest renewable energy source in the world. Its importance grows gradually in the future energy market. Since most biomass sources are low in energy density and are widespread in space, small-scale biomass conversion system is therefore more competitive than a large stand-alone conversion plant. The current study proposes a small-scale solid biomass power system to explore the viability of direct coupling of an updraft fixed bed gasifier with a Stirling engine. The modified updraft fixed bed gasifier employs an embedded combustor inside the gasifier to fully combust the synthetic gas generated by the gasifier. The flue gas produced by the synthetic gas combustion inside the combustion tube is piped directly to the heater head of the Stirling engine. The engine will then extract and convert the heat contained in the flue gas into electricity automatically. Output depends on heat input. And, the heat input is proportional to the flow rate and temperature of the flue gas. The preliminary study of the proposed direct coupling of an updraft gasifier with a 25 kW Stirling engine demonstrates that full power output could be produced by the current system. It could be found from the current investigation that no auxiliary fuel is required to operate the current system smoothly. The proposed technology and units could be considered as a viable solid biomass power system.

Method for drying of biomass. Saett att torka biomassa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksson, S

1987-06-01

Peat or biomass is dried in at least two steps. In the first step the material is dried by flue gases in a heat exchanger, the steam pressure being higher than in the subsequent drying step. The steam generated is separated from the solid phase and used for heating the second step.

Biomass gasification: a strategy for energy recovery and disposal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Biomass gasification: a strategy for energy recovery and disposal of industrial and municipal wastes. Anurag Pandey, Anupam Shukla. Abstract. Energy from biological organic waste as an aspect of sustainable waste management is probably the most contentious. Solid and liquid wastes are a rapidly growing problem ...

Solid oxide fuel cell performance comparison fuelled by methane, MeOH, EtOH and diesel surrogate C8H18

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liso, Vincenzo; Cinti, Giovanni; Nielsen, Mads Pagh

2016-01-01

Carbon deposition is a major cause of degradation in solid oxide fuel cell systems. The ability to predict carbon formation in reforming processes is thus absolutely necessary for stable operation of solid oxide fuel cell systems. In the open literature it is found that thesteam input is always c...

Energetic conversion of European semi-natural grassland silages through the integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass: energy yields and the fate of organic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Hensgen, Frank; Bühle, Lutz; Donnison, Iain; Heinsoo, Katrin; Wachendorf, Michael

2014-02-01

Twelve European habitat types were investigated to determine the influence of the IFBB technique (integrated generation of biogas and solid fuel from biomass) on the fate of organic compounds and energy yields of semi-natural grassland biomass. Concentration of organic compounds in silage and IFBB press cake (PC), mass flows within that system and methane yields of IFBB press fluids (PF) were determined. The gross energy yield of the IFBB technique was calculated in comparison to hay combustion (HC) and whole crop digestion (WCD). The IFBB treatment increased fibre and organic matter (OM) concentrations and lowered non-fibre carbohydrates and crude protein concentrations. The PF was highly digestible irrespective of habitat types, showing mean methane yields between 312.1 and 405.0 LN CH4 kg(-1) VS. Gross energy yields for the IFBB system (9.75-30.19MWh ha(-1)) were in the range of HC, outperformed WCD and were influenced by the habitat type. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Density and impurity profile behaviours in HL-2A tokamak with different gas fuelling methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng-Ying, Cui; Yan, Zhou; Wei, Li; Bei-Bin, Feng; Ping, Sun; Chun-Feng, Dong; Yi, Liu; Wen-Yu, Hong; Qing-Wei, Yang; Xuan-Tong, Ding; Xu-Ru, Duan

2009-01-01

The electron density profile peaking and the impurity accumulation in the HL-2A tokamak plasma are observed when three kinds of fuelling methods are separately used at different fuelling particle locations. The density profile becomes more peaked when the line-averaged electron density approaches the Greenwald density limit n G and, consequently, impurity accumulation is often observed. A linear increase regime in the density range n e G and a saturation regime in n e > 0.6n G are obtained. There is no significant difference in achieved density peaking factor f ne between the supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) and gas puffing into the plasma main chamber. However, the achieved f ne is relatively low, in particular, in the case of density below 0.7n G , when the working gas is puffed into the divertor chamber. A discharge with a density as high as 1.2n G , i.e. n e = 1.2n G , can be achieved by SMBI just after siliconization as a wall conditioning. The metallic impurities, such as iron and chromium, also increase remarkably when the impurity accumulation happens. The mechanism behind the density peaking and impurity accumulation is studied by investigating both the density peaking factor versus the effective collisionality and the radiation peaking versus density peaking. (fluids, plasmas and electric discharges)

Simulation of the biomass updraft gasifier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teislev, B.

2006-07-15

A consistent (steady state, one-dimensional) mathematical model for a biomass updraft gasifier has been developed based on mass- and energy balances and assuming ideal mixtures of gases and solids. The gases considered are 0{sub 2}, N{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}, CO, CH{sub 4} and TAR and the solids are Ash, Carbon, dry Wood and HzO moisture and described by their partial densities in the gasifier bed, together with their axial velocities and temperature. The processes considered are Carbon Oxidation, H{sub 2}0 and CO{sub 2} reduction, the Water Gas Shift process, dry Wood Pyrolysis and Moist Biomass Drying and are described by their temperature and concentration dependant reaction rates. The same mathematical formulation is used throughout the reactor and the methodology used is to solve the resulting 16 partial and algebraic equations (with 16 variables, 8 gaseous partial densities, 4 solids partial densities, 2 velocities and 2 temperatures) in a Newton-Raphson approach using variable length of the integration step. The transition through oxidation and reduction and the passage through the drying zone has been preliminary verified to be in accordance with experimental evidence, but the software developed has not yet been able to describe the transition to pyrolysis and drying and therefore, the final product gas composition from the updraft gasifier has not been verified (apart from verification using a zero-dimensional model). For use in further work an Addendum describing the approach in the form of a 'pseudo code' (including several comments for readers not conversant with the programming language used in the present work - Visual Basic) is included. (au)

Opportunities for Green Gas. Competition of Green Gas with other Biomass Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergsma, G.C.; Croezen, H.J.

2011-04-01

Green biogas seems to be an interesting option to make the Dutch economy, with a large share of gas in the energy system, more sustainable. Biomass that is used as feedstock for biogas can also be deployed for the production of Electricity, biodiesel, bio-ethanol, bio-plastics, bio-chemical products and even bio-steel. This memo compares the main characteristics of biomass uses for production of gas with alternative uses in other sectors. The comparison shows that wet biomass flows in particular (e.g. manure and KGW) are suitable for conversion in biogas. This leads to a potential of 1 to 1.5 billion Nm 3 of gas in 2020. Gasification of dry biomass may also become interesting in the future. However, this fuel is subjected to fierce competition with the electricity sector, which can use solid biomass for combustion purposes. Moreover, the steel, chemical and transport sector may also be able to use the feedstock in time. [nl

Will biomass be the environmentally friendly fuel of the future?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, D.O.; Scrase, J.I.

1998-01-01

Many influential organisations foresee biomass playing a key role in a future, more sustainable, global energy supply matrix. Countries such as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, India, the USA and the UK are actively encouraging the use of biomass for energy, and pushing forward the development of the necessary knowledge and technology for modern biomass energy systems. There is a growing consensus that renewable energy must progressively displace the use of fossil fuels, with fears of global climate change adding urgency to this need. Among the available types of renewable energy biomass is unique in its ability to provide solid, liquid and gaseous fuels which can be stored and transported. The potential resource for bioenergy is large, especially in forest-rich nations, in richer countries where there is a surplus of agricultural land, and in many low latitude countries where high biomass yields are possible. Therefore we expect biomass to be an important fuel of the future, but this cannot be taken for granted. The systems adopted must demonstrate clear environmental and social benefits relative to alternatives if the potential is to be realised. These benefits are not inherent to biomass energy, but depend on site- and fuel cycle-specific factors. Life-cycle analysis and evaluation of external costs are important means for assessing the social and environmental pros and cons of bioenergy systems. (author)

Chapter 3: Exponential experiments on graphite-moderated lattices fuelled with near-natural uranium metal rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCulloch, D.B.; Clarke, W.G.; Ashworth, F.P.O.; Hoskins, T.A.

1963-01-01

Exponential experiments have been carried out on graphite lattices fuelled by 1.2 in. diameter uranium metal rods at three near-natural U 235 compositions, 0.6 Co, 1.3 Co and 1.6 Co. The results, together with those already existing from earlier exponential or critical measurements on these and similar natural uranium rods, have been correlated with the theory of Syrett (1961) and also with the modified form of this theory given in Vol.1, Ch. 7. (author)

Fluid selection for the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) in biomass power and heat plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drescher, Ulli; Brueggemann, Dieter

2007-01-01

In small solid biomass power and heat plants, the ORC is used for cogeneration. This application shows constraints different from other ORC. These constraints are described and an adapted power plant design is presented. The new design influences the selection criteria of working fluids. A software has been developed to find thermodynamic suitable fluids for ORC in biomass power and heat plants. Highest efficiencies are found within the family of alkylbenzenes

A comparison of circulating fluidised bed combustion and gasification power plant technologies for processing mixtures of coal, biomass and plastic waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McIlveen-Wright, D.R.; Huang, Y.; McMullan, J.T.; Pinto, F.; Franco, C.; Gulyurtlu, I.; Armesto, L.; Cabanillas, A.; Caballero, M.A.; Aznar, M.P.

2006-01-01

Environmental regulations concerning emission limitations from the use of fossil fuels in large combustion plants have stimulated interest in biomass for electricity generation. The main objective of the present study was to examine the technical and economic viability of using combustion and gasification of coal mixed with biomass and plastic wastes, with the aim of developing an environmentally acceptable process to decrease their amounts in the waste stream through energy recovery. Mixtures of a high ash coal with biomass and/or plastic using fluidised bed technologies (combustion and gasification) were considered. Experiments were carried out in laboratory and pilot plant fluidised bed systems on the combustion and air/catalyst and air/steam gasification of these feedstocks and the data obtained were used in the techno-economic analyses. The experimental results were used in simulations of medium to large-scale circulating fluidised bed (CFB) power generation plants. Techno-economic analysis of the modelled CFB combustion systems showed efficiencies of around 40.5% (and around 46.5% for the modelled CFB gasification systems) when fuelled solely by coal, which were only minimally affected by co-firing with up to 20% biomass and/or wastes. Specific investments were found to be around $2150/kWe to $2400/kWe ($1350/kWe to $1450/kWe) and break-even electricity selling prices to be around $68/MWh to $78/MWh ($49/MWh to $54/MWh). Their emissions were found to be within the emission limit values of the large combustion plant directive. Fluidised bed technologies were found to be very suitable for co-firing coal and biomass and/or plastic waste and to offer good options for the replacement of obsolete or polluting power plants. (author)

Integration of mixed conducting membranes in an oxygen–steam biomass gasification process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Puig Arnavat, Maria; Soprani, Stefano; Søgaard, Martin

2013-01-01

. The two configurations demonstrating the highest efficiency are then thermally integrated into an oxygen– steam biomass gasification plant. The energy demand for oxygen production and the membrane area required for a 6 MWth biomass plant are calculated for different operating conditions. Increasing......Oxygen–steam biomass gasification produces a high quality syngas with a high H2/CO ratio that is suitable for upgrading to liquid fuels. Such a gas is also well suited for use in conjunction with solid oxide fuel cells giving rise to a system yielding high electrical efficiency based on biomass...... distillation, especially for small to medium scale plants. This paper examines different configurations for oxygen production using MIEC membranes where the oxygen partial pressure difference is achieved by creating a vacuum on the permeate side, compressing the air on the feed side or a combination of the two...

Biomass pre-treatment for co-production of high-concentration C5- and C6-carbohydrates and their derivatives

Science.gov (United States)

Dumesic, James A.; Martin Alonso, David; Luterbacher, Jeremy Scott

2016-06-07

Described is a method of processing biomass to separate it into a liquid fraction enriched in solubilized C5-sugar-containing oligomers and C-5 sugar monomers and a solid fraction enriched in substantially insoluble cellulose and C6-sugar-containing oligomers. The method includes the steps of reacting biomass with a solvent system comprising water, at least one lactone, or at least one furan, or at least one cyclic ether, and at least one acid, for a time and at a temperature to yield the liquid and solid fractions. The liquid and solid fractions may then be separated. Gamma-valeroloactone is a preferred lactone for use in the solvent system. Tetrahydrofuran is a preferred furan species for use in the solvent system.

Performance of on-power fuelling equipment at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayabarathan, S.; Gopalakrishnan, S.

1977-01-01

Natural uranium reactors on account of their intrinsically low reactivity need frequent refuelling. The Rajasthan Atomic Power Station based on natural uranium reactors has, therefore, been provided with on-power fuel handling system which was installed in 1972. Its performance has met the design intent and operational objectives which are enumerated. However, continuous fuelling 7 to 10 days has not been possible because frequent maintenance of refuelling system is needed on account of certain deficiencies major of which is the heavy water leakage. For better performance, installation of a programmable logic controller is suggested. Mention has also been made of inadequate number of skilled man-power required for maintenance which leads to quick depletion of man-rem of all the available personnel trained for maintenance work. (M.G.B.)

Implications of Industrial Processing Strategy on Cellulosic Ethanol Production at High Solids Concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cannella, David

The production of cellulosic ethanol is a biochemical process of not edible biomasses which contain the cellulose. The process involves the use of enzymes to hydrolyze the cellulose in fermentable sugars to finally produce ethanol via fermentative microorganisms (i.e. yeasts). These biomasses...... are the leftover of agricultural productions (straws), not edible crops (giant reed) or wood, thus the ethanol so produced is also called second generation (or 2G ethanol), which differs from the first generation produced from starch (sugar beets mostly). In the industrial production of cellulosic ethanol high...... solids strategy resulted critical for its cost effectiveness: high concentration of initial biomass it will lead to high concentration of the final product (ethanol), thus more convenient to isolate. This thesis investigate the implementation of a high solids loading concept into cellulosic ethanol...

Ninth international conference on CANDU fuel, 'fuelling a clean future'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Society's 9th International Conference on CANDU fuel took place in Belleville, Ontario on September 18-21, 2005. The theme for this year's conference was 'Fuelling a Clean Future' bringing together over 80 delegates ranging from: designers, engineers, manufacturers, researchers, modellers, safety specialists and managers to share the wealth of their knowledge and experience. This international event took place at an important turning point of the CANDU technology when new fuel design is being developed for commercial application, the Advanced CANDU Reactor is being considered for projects and nuclear power is enjoying a renaissance as the source energy for our future. Most of the conference was devoted to the presentation of technical papers in four parallel sessions. The topics of these sessions were: Design and Development; Fuel Safety; Fuel Modelling; Fuel Performance; Fuel Manufacturing; Fuel Management; Thermalhydraulics; and, Spent Fuel Management and Criticalty

Safeguarding on-power fuelled reactors - instrumentation and techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waligura, A.; Konnov, Y.; Smith, R.M.; Head, D.A.

1977-05-01

Instrumentation and techniques applicable to safeguarding reactors that are fuelled on-power, particularly the CANDU type, have been developed. A demonstration is being carried out at the Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station in Canada. Irradiated nuclear materials in certain areas - the reactor and spent fuel storage bays - are monitored using photographic and television cameras, and seals. Item accounting is applied by counting spent-fuel bundles during transfer from the reactor to the storage bay and by placing these spent-fuel bundles in a sealed enclosure. Provision is made for inspection and verification of the bundles before sealing. The reactor's power history is recorded by a Track-Etch power monitor. Redundancy is provided so that the failure of any single piece of equipment does not invalidate the entire safeguards system. Several safeguards instruments and devices have been developed and evaluated. These include a super-8-mm surveillance camera system, a television surveillance system, a spent-fuel bundle counter, a device to detect dummy fuel bundles, a cover for enclosing a stack of spent-fuel bundles, and a seal suitable for underwater installation and ultrasonic interrogation. (author)

Inherent hazards, poor reporting and limited learning in the solid biomass energy sector: A case study of a wheel loader igniting wood dust, leading to fatal explosion at wood pellet manufacturer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedlund, Frank Huess; Astad, John; Nichols, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

Large loaders are commonly used when handling solid biomass fuels. A preventable accident took place in 2010, where the malfunction of a front-end wheel loader led to a dust explosion which killed the driver and destroyed the building. The case offers an opportunity to examine the hazards of solid biomass, the accident investigation and any learning that subsequently took place. The paper argues that learning opportunities were missed repeatedly. Significant root causes were not identified; principles of inherent safety in design were ignored; the hazardous area classification was based on flawed reasoning; the ATEX assessment was inadequate as it dealt only with electrical installations, ignoring work operations; and powered industrial trucks had not been recognized as a source of ignition. Perhaps most importantly, guidelines for hazardous area classification for combustible dust are insufficiently developed and give ample room for potentially erroneous subjective individual judgment. It is a contributing factor that combustible dust, although with great hazard potential, is not classified as a dangerous substance. Accidents therefore fall outside the scope of systems designed to disseminate lessons learned and prevent future accidents. More attention to safety is needed for the renewable energy and environmentally friendly biomass pellet industry also to become sustainable from a worker safety perspective. - Highlights: • Wheel loader ignited wood dust, leading to flash fire and explosion. • ATEX assessment inadequate, dealing only with electrical installations. • Guidelines for ATEX zones for combustible dusts are insufficiently developed. • Facility exploded 2002, 2010, root causes not identified, no evidence of learning. • Future repeat explosion likely had facility not been closed down

Saccharification of recalcitrant biomass and integration options for lignocellulosic sugars from Catchlight Energy's sugar process (CLE Sugar).

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Johnway; Anderson, Dwight; Levie, Benjamin

2013-01-28

Woody biomass is one of the most abundant biomass feedstocks, besides agriculture residuals in the United States. The sustainable harvest residuals and thinnings alone are estimated at about 75 million tons/year. These forest residuals and thinnings could produce the equivalent of 5 billion gallons of lignocellulosic ethanol annually. Softwood biomass is the most recalcitrant biomass in pretreatment before an enzymatic hydrolysis. To utilize the most recalcitrant lignocellulosic materials, an efficient, industrially scalable and cost effective pretreatment method is needed. Obtaining a high yield of sugar from recalcitrant biomass generally requires a high severity of pretreatment with aggressive chemistry, followed by extensive conditioning, and large doses of enzymes. Catchlight Energy's Sugar process, CLE Sugar, uses a low intensity, high throughput variation of bisulfite pulping to pretreat recalcitrant biomass, such as softwood forest residuals. By leveraging well-proven bisulfite technology and the rapid progress of enzyme suppliers, CLE Sugar can achieve a high yield of total biomass carbohydrate conversion to monomeric lignocellulosic sugars. For example, 85.8% of biomass carbohydrates are saccharified for un-debarked Loblolly pine chips (softwood), and 94.0% for debarked maple chips (hardwood). Furan compound formation was 1.29% of biomass feedstock for Loblolly pine and 1.10% for maple. At 17% solids hydrolysis of pretreated softwood, an enzyme dose of 0.075 g Sigma enzyme mixture/g dry pretreated (unwashed) biomass was needed to achieve 8.1% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate and an overall prehydrolysate liquor plus enzymatic hydrolysis conversion yield of 76.6%. At a much lower enzyme dosage of 0.044 g CTec2 enzyme product/g dry (unwashed) pretreated softwood, hydrolysis at 17% solids achieved 9.2% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate with an overall sugar yield of 85.0% in the combined prehydrolysate liquor and enzymatic hydrolysate. CLE Sugar has

Development of an extruder-feeder biomass direct liquefaction process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, D.H.; Wolf, D. (Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)

1991-10-01

As an abundant, renewable, domestic energy resource, biomass could help the United States reduce its dependence on imported oil. Biomass is the only renewable energy technology capable of addressing the national need for liquid transportation fuels. Thus, there is an incentive to develop economic conversion processes for converting biomass, including wood, into liquid fuels. Through research sponsored by the US DOE's Biomass Thermochemical Conversion Program, the University of Arizona has developed a unique biomass direct liquefaction system. The system features a modified single-screw extruder capable of pumping solid slurries containing as high as 60 wt% wood flour in wood oil derived vacuum bottoms at pressures up to 3000 psi. The extruder-feeder has been integrated with a unique reactor by the University to form a system which offers potential for improving high pressure biomass direct liquefaction technology. The extruder-feeder acts simultaneously as both a feed preheater and a pumping device for injecting wood slurries into a high pressure reactor in the biomass liquefaction process. An experimental facility was constructed and following shakedown operations, wood crude oil was produced by mid-1985. By July 1988, a total of 57 experimental continuous biomass liquefaction runs were made using White Birch wood feedstock. Good operability was achieved at slurry feed rates up to 30 lb/hr, reactor pressures from 800 to 3000 psi and temperatures from 350{degree}C to 430{degree}C under conditions covering a range of carbon monoxide feed rates and sodium carbonate catalyst addition. Crude wood oils containing as little as 6--10 wt% residual oxygen were produced. 38 refs., 82 figs., 26 tabs.

Contribution to a Danish action plan for development and demonstration of CHP from solid biomass; Oplaeg til en national handlingsplan for udvikling og demonstration indenfor kraftvarme fra fast biomasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, Morten Tony

2011-01-15

The report is the contribution from the industry to an action plan for development and demonstration of CHP technology for solid biomass. The report aims to serve as inspiration and basis for administrators and applicants of Danish funding schemes for development and demonstration in future tenders. Although Danish-based cogeneration technologies for solid biofuels are advanced compared to the competitors in many areas there is a large need to continuously improve the technology by sustained development and demonstration activities. The aim is to overcome the technological barriers that this project has identified and thus maintain competitiveness. The industry currently has very strong focus on market deployment of especially technologies for cogeneration in small scale (up to 15 MW thermal power) and on the overall economy of these plants. Reference installations that displays many operational hours with a reasonable economy, are crucial for investors. Currently, no companies market commercial plants that have sufficiently low costs to operate under Danish conditions and few do for the conditions found internationally. Thus, from the industry perspective there is still a need for development and demonstration of CHP technology below 15 MW thermal. The analysis does not exclude any technology tracks, but the development and demonstration efforts should lead to improvements in conditions such as availability, efficiencies and operating and maintenance costs. Also technologies for large plants and systems need to be improved with respect to availability and efficiency and reduced operating and maintenance costs. For all technologies, there is a need to develop the use of special solid biofuels that on the one hand may have troublesome characteristics but on the other may help lower operating costs. The Danish-based companies have good opportunities to find support for the development and demonstration effort. A number of support programs and pools are in place and

A key review on emergy analysis and assessment of biomass resources for a sustainable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Gaijing; Long Weiding

2010-01-01

The present study comprehensively reviews emergy analysis and performance evaluation of biomass energy. Biomass resources utilization technologies include (a) bioethanol production, (b) biomass for bio-oil, (c) biodiesel production, (d) straw as fuel in district heating plants, (e) electricity from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration power plant, (f) electricity from waste landfill gas. Systems diagrams of biomass, which are to conduct a critical inventory of processes, storage, and flows that are important to the system under consideration and are therefore necessary to evaluate, for biomasses are given. Emergy indicators, such as percent renewable (PR), emergy yield ratio (EYR), environmental load ratio (ELR) and environmental sustainability index (ESI) are shown to evaluate the environmental load and local sustainability of the biomass energy. The emergy indicators show that bio-fuels from crop are not sustainable and waste management for fuels provides an emergy recovery even lower than mining fossil fuel.

Biogas Production from Local Biomass Feedstock in the Mekong Delta and Its Utilization for a Direct Internal Reforming Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke Shiratori

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Fuel-flexible solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC technologies are presently under study in a Vietnam-Japan international joint research project. The purpose of this project is to develop and demonstrate an SOFC-incorporated energy circulation system for the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta region. Lab-scale methane fermentation experiments in this study with a mixture of biomass feedstock collected in the Mekong Delta (shrimp pond sludge, bagasse, and molasses from sugar production recorded biogas production yield over 400 L kgVS−1 with H2S concentration below 50 ppm level. This real biogas was directly supplied to an SOFC without any fuel processing such as desulfurization, methane enrichment and pre-reforming, and stable power generation was achieved by applying paper-structured catalyst (PSC technology.

Performance of a biomass adapted to oncological ward wastewater vs. biomass from municipal WWTP on the removal of pharmaceutical molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamon, P; Moulin, P; Ercolei, L; Marrot, B

2018-01-01

The performance of a biomass adapted to Oncological Ward Wastewater (OWW) in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was compared with that of a municipal WWTP, on the removal of pharmaceutical molecules and more specifically on their overall resistance and purifying ability in the presence of pharmaceutical cocktails. Sorption and biotransformation mechanisms on two antineoplastics, one antibiotic and a painkiller were evaluated. Sludge acclimated to OWW allowed for a 34% increase in the removal rate and in the minimum inhibition concentration. The percentage of the amounts of specific pharmaceutical compounds removed by biotransformation or by sorption were measured. These results are positive, as they show that the observed removal of pharmaceutical molecules by biomass acclimated to OWW can mostly be attributed to developed biotransformation, unlike the biomass from the municipal WWTP for which sorption is sometimes the only removal mechanism. The biotransformation kinetic and the solid-water distribution coefficients in this study show good agreement with literature data, even for much higher pharmaceutical concentrations in OWW. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of different waste biomass for energy application.

Science.gov (United States)

Motghare, Kalyani A; Rathod, Ajit P; Wasewar, Kailas L; Labhsetwar, Nitin K

2016-01-01

Biomass is available in many varieties, consisting of crops as well as its residues from agriculture, forestry, and the agro-industry. These different biomass find their way as freely available fuel in rural areas but are also responsible for air pollution. Emissions from such solid fuel combustion to indoor, regional and global air pollution largely depend on fuel types, combustion device, fuel properties, fuel moisture, amount of air supply for combustion and also on climatic conditions. In both economic and environment point of view, gasification constitutes an attractive alternative for the use of biomass as a fuel, than the combustion process. A large number of studies have been reported on a variety of biomass and agriculture residues for their possible use as renewable fuels. Considering the area specific agriculture residues and biomass availability and related transportation cost, it is important to explore various local biomass for their suitability as a fuel. Maharashtra (India) is the mainstay for the agriculture and therefore, produces a significant amount of waste biomass. The aim of the present research work is to analyze different local biomass wastes for their proximate analysis and calorific value to assess their potential as fuel. The biomass explored include cotton waste, leaf, soybean waste, wheat straw, rice straw, coconut coir, forest residues, etc. mainly due to their abundance. The calorific value and the proximate analysis of the different components of the biomass helped in assessing its potential for utilization in different industries. It is observed that ash content of these biomass species is quite low, while the volatile matter content is high as compared to Indian Coal. This may be appropriate for briquetting and thus can be used as a domestic fuel in biomass based gasifier cook stoves. Utilizing these biomass species as fuel in improved cook-stove and domestic gasifier cook-stoves would be a perspective step in the rural energy and

Char and coke formation as unwanted side reaction of the hydrothermal biomass gasification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karayildirim, T. [Department of Chemistry, Science Faculty, Ege University, Bornova-Izmir (Turkey); Sinag, A. [Department of Chemistry, Science Faculty, Ankara University, Besevler-Ankara (Turkey); Kruse, A. [Institut fuer Technische Chemie CPV, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2008-11-15

The hydrothermal biomass gasification is a promising technology to produce hydrogen and/or methane from wet biomass with a water content of {>=}80 % (g/g). In the process, the coke formation usually is very low, but already low amounts may cause problems like, e.g., fouling in the heat exchanger. To learn more about the product formation, the results of the hydrothermal treatment (at 400,500,600 C and 1 h) of different biomass feedstocks (artichoke stalk, pinecone, sawdust, and cellulose as model biomass) in a microreactor are compared. The gas composition and the total organic carbon content of the aqueous phase were determined after reaction. The gas formation rises with increasing temperature. The formation of carbon deposits and their characterization has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The variation of the solid morphology during the hydrothermal conversion is discussed based on chemical pathways occurring during hydrothermal biomass degradation. (Abstract Copyright [2008], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Thermodynamic modeling and evaluation of high efficiency heat pipe integrated biomass Gasifier–Solid Oxide Fuel Cells–Gas Turbine systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santhanam, S.; Schilt, C.; Turker, B.; Woudstra, T.; Aravind, P.V.

2016-01-01

This study deals with the thermodynamic modeling of biomass Gasifier–SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell)–GT (Gas Turbine) systems on a small scale (100 kW_e). Evaluation of an existing biomass Gasifier–SOFC–GT system shows highest exergy losses in the gasifier, gas turbine and as waste heat. In order to reduce the exergy losses and increase the system's efficiency, improvements are suggested and the effects are analyzed. Changing the gasifying agent for air to anode gas gave the largest increase in the electrical efficiency. However, heat is required for an allothermal gasification to take place. A new and simple strategy for heat pipe integration is proposed, with heat pipes placed in between stacks in series, rather than the widely considered approach of integrating the heat pipes within the SOFC stacks. The developed system based on a Gasifier–SOFC–GT combination improved with heat pipes and anode gas recirculation, increases the electrical efficiency from approximately 55%–72%, mainly due to reduced exergy losses in the gasifier. Analysis of the improved system shows that operating the system at possibly higher operating pressures, yield higher efficiencies within the range of the operating pressures studied. Further the system was scaled up with an additional bottoming cycle achieved electrical efficiency of 73.61%. - Highlights: • A new and simple strategy for heat pipe integration between SOFC and Gasifier is proposed. • Anode exhaust gas is used as a gasifying agent. • The new proposed Gasifier–SOFC–GT system achieves electrical efficiency of 72%. • Addition of steam rankine bottoming cycle to proposed system increases electrical efficiency to 73.61%.

Environmental issues related to biomass: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, M.; Ranney, J.W.

1993-01-01

With public attention increasingly focused on environmentalism and climate change, there is enormous potential for the commercial use of biomass to accelerate. Renewable feedstocks such as biomass can provide more environmentally balanced sources of energy and other non-food products than fossil fuels. Biomass utilization is in a precarious position, however, with public attention increasingly focused on both its potential and the strength of the challenges it faces. The paper is divided into five sections. Section 2 briefly addresses economic environmental issues. The extent to which externalities are accounted for in the market price of fuels plays a significant role in determining both the ultimate size of biofuel markets and the extent of the environmental benefits of feedstock cultivation and conversion processes. Sections 3 through 4 catalogue the main hazards and benefits that are likely to arise in the large scale commercialization of biomass fuel and note where the major uncertainties lay. Environmental issues arise with the cultivation of each feedstock and with each step in the process of its conversion to fuel. Feedstocks are discussed in Section 3 in terms of three main groups; wastes, energy crops, and traditional agricultural crops. In Section 4, conversion processes are also divided into three groups, on the basis of the end energy carrier; gas, liquid, and solid and electricity. Section 5 is devoted to a conclusion and summary

Cellulase production using biomass feed stock and its application in lignocellulose saccharification for bio-ethanol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sukumaran, Rajeev K.; Singhania, Reeta Rani; Mathew, Gincy Marina; Pandey, Ashok [Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum-695 019 (India)

2009-02-15

A major constraint in the enzymatic saccharification of biomass for ethanol production is the cost of cellulase enzymes. Production cost of cellulases may be brought down by multifaceted approaches which include the use of cheap lignocellulosic substrates for fermentation production of the enzyme, and the use of cost efficient fermentation strategies like solid state fermentation (SSF). In the present study, cellulolytic enzymes for biomass hydrolysis were produced using solid state fermentation on wheat bran as substrate. Crude cellulase and a relatively glucose tolerant BGL were produced using fungi Trichoderma reesei RUT C30 and Aspergillus niger MTCC 7956, respectively. Saccharification of three different feed stock, i.e. sugar cane bagasse, rice straw and water hyacinth biomass was studied using the enzymes. Saccharification was performed with 50 FPU of cellulase and 10 U of {beta}-glucosidase per gram of pretreated biomass. Highest yield of reducing sugars (26.3 g/L) was obtained from rice straw followed by sugar cane bagasse (17.79 g/L). The enzymatic hydrolysate of rice straw was used as substrate for ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yield of ethanol was 0.093 g per gram of pretreated rice straw. (author)

Waste management and enzymatic treatment of Municipal Solid Waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jacob Wagner

generation for subsequent biogas production. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is produced in large amounts every year in the developed part of the world. The household waste composition varies between geographical areas and between seasons. However the overall content of organic and degradable material is rather......The work carried out during the Ph.D. project is part of the Danish Energy Authority funded research project called PSO REnescience and is focussed on studying the enzymatic hydrolysis and liquefaction of waste biomass. The purpose of studying the liquefaction of waste biomass is uniform slurry...... constant between 50 - 60 % wet weight and therefore holds a potential for bioenergy production. The degradable fraction has positive effects for anaerobic digestion when evaluated to desired parameters of anaerobic digestion plants. Wanted parameters are: 1) high organic content (high volatile solid...

A urine-fuelled soil-based bioregenerative life support system for long-term and long-distance manned space missions

Science.gov (United States)

Maggi, Federico; Tang, Fiona H. M.; Pallud, Céline; Gu, Chuanhui

2018-05-01

A soil-based cropping unit fuelled with human urine for long-term manned space missions was investigated with the aim to analyze whether a closed-loop nutrient cycle from human liquid wastes was achievable. Its ecohydrology and biogeochemistry were analysed in microgravity with the use of an advanced computational tool. Urine from the crew was used to supply primary (N, P, and K) and secondary (S, Ca and Mg) nutrients to wheat and soybean plants in the controlled cropping unit. Breakdown of urine compounds into primary and secondary nutrients as well as byproduct gases, adsorbed, and uptake fractions were tracked over a period of 20 years. Results suggested that human urine could satisfy the demand of at least 3 to 4 out of 6 nutrients with an offset in pH and salinity tolerable by plants. It was therefore inferred that a urine-fuelled life support system can introduce a number of advantages including: (1) recycling of liquids wastes and production of food; (2) forgiveness of neglect as compared to engineered electro-mechanical systems that may fail under unexpected or unplanned conditions; and (3) reduction of supply and waste loads during space missions.

Fuelling clean air : municipal fuel purchasing policies that reduce emissions contributing to poor air quality and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrotta, K.

2003-03-01

Air quality can be improved by low sulphur fuels in two ways: through the direct reduction of sulphates, sulphur dioxide and PM; and by improving the effectiveness of existing emission control devices. This report examined three case studies involving the fuel purchasing policies in three Ontario municipalities: Toronto, Waterloo, and Brampton. Toronto favors purchasing conventional fuels with lower sulphur levels. Waterloo will purchase on-road diesel for its off-road diesel fleet; ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) for buses; and 10 per cent ethanol blended with 90 per cent gasoline (E10) for its gasoline-fuelled fleet. Brampton purchased 20 per cent biodiesel blended with 80 per cent on-road diesel (B20). Two approaches were examined for lowering emissions from gasoline fuelled vehicles: favouring gasoline with the lowest sulphur levels, and purchasing E10. It was recommended that the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Clean Air Council look into: ownership of emissions trading credits created as a result of fuel purchasing policies; the benefits of, and mechanisms available for, pooling fuel purchases; and, establishing a subcommittee to monitor developments related to fuels, vehicles and emission control technologies. 48 refs., 18 tabs

A better understanding of biomass co-firing by developing an advanced non-spherical particle tracking model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yin, Chungen; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2004-01-01

-area-to-volume ratio and thus experiences a totally different motion and reaction as a non-spherical particle. Therefore, an advanced non-spherical particle-tracking model is developed to calculate the motion and reaction of nonspherical biomass particles. The biomass particles are assumed as solid or hollow cylinders......-gradient force. Since the drag and lift forces are both shape factor- and orientation-dependent, coupled particle rotation equations are resolved to update particle orientation. In the reaction of biomass particles, the actual particle surface area available and the average oxygen mass flux at particle surface...

Simulation of the biomass updraft gasifier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teislev, B.

2006-07-15

A consistent (steady state, one-dimensional) mathematical model for a biomass updraft gasifier has been developed based on mass- and energy balances and assuming ideal mixtures of gases and solids. The gases considered are 0{sub 2}, N{sub 2}, H{sub 2}0, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}, CO, CH{sub 4} and TAR and the solids are Ash, Carbon, dry Wood and H{sub 2}O moisture and described by their partial densities in the gasifier bed - together with their axial velocities and temperature. The processes considered are Carbon Oxidation, H{sub 2}0 and CO{sub 2} reduction, the Water Gas Shift process, dry Wood Pyrolysis and Moist Biomass Drying and are described by their temperature and concentration dependant reaction rates. The same mathematical formulation is used throughout the reactor and the methodology used is to solve the resulting 16 partial and algebraic equations (with 16 variables - 8 gaseous partial densities, 4 solids partial densities, 2 velocities and 2 temperatures) in a Newton-Raphson approach using variable length of the integration step. The transition through oxidation and reduction and the passage through the drying zone has been preliminary verified to be in accordance with experimental evidence, but the software developed has not yet been able to describe the transition to pyrolysis and drying and therefore, the final product gas composition from the updraft gasifier has not been verified (apart from verification using a zero-dimensional model). For use in further work an Addendum describing the approach in the form of a 'pseudo code' (including several comments for readers not conversant with the programming language used in the present work - Visual Basic) is included. (au)

Mathematical modelling of a continuous biomass torrefaction reactor: TORSPYDTM column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratte, J.; Fardet, E.; Mateos, D.; Hery, J.-S.

2011-01-01

Torrefaction is a soft thermal process usually applied to cocoa or coffee beans to obtain the Maillard reaction to produce aromatics and enhance the flavour. In the case of biomass the main interest of torrefaction it is to break the fibers. To do so, Thermya company has developed and patented a biomass torrefaction/depolymerisation process called TORSPYD TM . It is a homogeneous 'soft' thermal process that takes place in an inert atmosphere. The process progressively eliminates the biomass water content transforms a portion of the biomass organic matter and breaks the biomass structure by depolymerisation of the fibers. This produces a high performance solid fuel, called Biocoal, which offers a range of benefits over and above that of normal biomass fuel. To develop such a process, this company has developed two main tools: - a continuous torrefaction laboratory pilot with a capacity to produce 3 - 8 kg/h of torrefied biomass; - a mathematical model dedicated to the design and optimisation of the TORSPYD reactor. The mathematical model is able to describe the chemical and physical processes that take place in the torrefaction column at two different scales, namely: the particle, and the surrounding gas. The model enables the gas temperature profiles inside the column to be predicted, and the results of the model are then validated through experiment in the laboratory pilot. The model also allows us to estimate the thermal power necessary to torrefy any type of biomass for a given moisture content. -- Highlights: → We model a patented torrefaction/depolymerisation biomass process: TORPSPYD. → We compare simulated results to experimental data obtained from our torrefaction pilot plant. → We describe phenomenon that occurs in our torrefaction reactor and discuss about the influence of moisture of the input biomass.

Emissions from Diesel and Gasoline Vehicles Fuelled by Fischer-Tropsch Fuels and Similar Fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Ulrik; Lundorff, Peter; Ivarsson, Anders

2007-01-01

and an alkylate fuel (Aspen), which was taken to be the ultimate formula of FT gasoline. FT based diesel generally showed good emission performance, whereas the FT based gasoline not necessary lead to lower emissions. On the other hand, the Aspen fuel did show many advantages for the emissions from the gasoline...... vehicles fuelled by Fischer Tropsch (FT) based diesel and gasoline fuel, compared to the emissions from ordinary diesel and gasoline. The comparison for diesel fuels was based on a literature review, whereas the gasoline comparison had to be based on our own experiments, since almost no references were...

Cost efficient utilisation of biomass in the German energy system in the context of energy and environmental policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, Andreas

2011-01-01

The possible uses of biomass for energy provision are manifold. Gaseous, liquid and solid bioenergy carriers can be alternatively converted into heat, power or transport fuel. The contribution of the different utilisation pathways to environmental political targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction and energy political targets for the future share of renewable energy vary accordingly to their techno-economic characteristics. The aim of the presented study is to assess the different biomass options against the background of energy and environmental political targets based on a system analytical approach for the future German energy sector. The results show that heat generation and to a lower extent combined heat and power (CHP) production from solid biomass like wood and straw are the most cost effective ways to contribute to the emission reduction targets. The use of energy crops in fermentation biogas plants (maize) and for production of 1st generation transportation fuels, like biodiesel from rapeseed and ethanol from grain or sugar beet, are less favourable. Optimisation potentials lie in a switch to the production of 2nd generation biofuels and the enhanced use of either biomass residues or low production intensive energy crops. - Research Highlights: → Heat generation and CHP generation from biomass can contribute cost efficiently to emission reduction targets. → Biofuel production represenst the least cost efficient option for emission reduction when using biomass energetically. → The energetical use of biomass shows a high potential to contribute to energy and envirnoment political targets.

Modeling and experiments of biomass combustion in a large-scale grate boiler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yin, Chungen; Rosendahl, Lasse; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2007-01-01

is inherently more difficult due to the complexity of the solid biomass fuel bed on the grate, the turbulent reacting flow in the combustion chamber and the intensive interaction between them. This paper presents the CFD validation efforts for a modern large-scale biomass-fired grate boiler. Modeling...... and experiments are both done for the grate boiler. The comparison between them shows an overall acceptable agreement in tendency. However at some measuring ports, big discrepancies between the modeling and the experiments are observed, mainly because the modeling-based boundary conditions (BCs) could differ...

Media arrangement impacts cell growth in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors treating sugarcane vinasse: Structured vs. randomic biomass immobilization.

Science.gov (United States)

de Aquino, Samuel; Fuess, Lucas Tadeu; Pires, Eduardo Cleto

2017-07-01

This study reports on the application of an innovative structured-bed reactor (FVR) as an alternative to conventional packed-bed reactors (PBRs) to treat high-strength solid-rich wastewaters. Using the FVR prevents solids from accumulating within the fixed-bed, while maintaining the advantages of the biomass immobilization. The long-term operation (330days) of a FVR and a PBR applied to sugarcane vinasse under increasing organic loads (2.4-18.0kgCODm -3 day -1 ) was assessed, focusing on the impacts of the different media arrangements over the production and retention of biomass. Much higher organic matter degradation rates, as well as long-term operational stability and high conversion efficiencies (>80%) confirmed that the FVR performed better than the PBR. Despite the equivalent operating conditions, the biomass growth yield was different in both reactors, i.e., 0.095gVSSg -1 COD (FVR) and 0.066gVSSg -1 COD (PBR), indicating a clear control of the media arrangement over the biomass production in fixed-bed reactors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Quality Management System Under ISO 9001:2015 and Joint Inspection Group (JIG for Aviation Fuelling Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruamchat Kanon

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Joint Inspection Group (JIG standard for aviation fuel quality management assists in the operational process and maintenance of aviation fuel from its point of origin and through distribution systems to airports. Currently, problems arise as the JIG standard and quality management in aviation fuel are isolated and have independent procedures. Merging the JIG standards with ISO 9001:2015 can override original JIG’s philosophy by connecting all quality assessment, and management parties involved, throughout the supply chain. This integration can harmonize auditing tasks, focusing on risk/opportunity, and continue quality improvement focus. This paper proposes a development of quality management system (QMS under ISO 9001:2015 for aviation fuelling service in a systematic way. The content and critical success factors of ISO 9001:2015 and JIG standards were studied. The beneficial synergies, similarities, and logical linkages between both standards are identified. This QMS was developed in the largest petroleum company in Thailand and 60 selected experts were surveyed, with a response rate of 88.3%, for their agreement on integrated criteria. Two external quality auditors, who have ISO 9001 and JIG expertise, were interviewed to modify our initial proposed QMS. The final QMS was implemented in the into-plane fuelling services as the first phase of this implementation. Results of framework implementation are discussed in a case study. There are mutual benefits resulting from the integration of JIG and ISO 9001:2015 standards. This QMS provides a unified process for quality management practices, and enhances the effectiveness of risk evaluation as well as the opportunity for continued quality improvement. It facilitates the identification of ISO 9001:2015 requirements and establishes relationships between the roles of JIG standard and the clauses of ISO 9001:2015. The first experience from five airports as the pilot study of proposed QMS

The Forest Energy Chain in Tuscany: Economic Feasibility and Environmental Effects of Two Types of Biomass District Heating Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Fagarazzi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine two biomass district heating plants operating in Tuscany, with a specific focus on the ex-post evaluation of their economic and financial feasibility and of their environmental benefits. The former biomass district heating plant supplies only public users (Comunità Montana della Lunigiana, CML: administrative body that coordinates the municipalities located in mountain areas, the latter supplies both public and private users (Municipality of San Romano in Garfagnana. Ex-post investment analysis was performed to check both the consistency of results with the forecasts made in the stage of the project design and on the factors, which may have reduced or jeopardized the estimated economic performance of the investment (ex-ante assessment. The results of the study point out appreciable results only in the case of biomass district heating plants involving private users and fuelled by biomasses sourced from third parties. In this case, the factors that most influence ex-post results include the conditions of the woody biomass local market (market prices, the policies of energy selling prices to private users and the temporal dynamics of private users’ connection. To ensure the consistency of ex-post economic outcome with the expected results it is thus important to: (i have good knowledge of the woody local market; (ii define energy selling prices that should be cheap for private users but consistent with energy production costs and (iii constrain private users beforehand to prevent errors in the plant design and in the preliminary estimate of return on investment. Moreover, the results obtained during the monitoring activities could help in providing information on the effectiveness of the supporting measures adopted and also to orient future choices of policy makers and particularly designers, to identify the most efficient configuration of district heating organization for improving energy and

Biomass availability and commercialization trend analysis in China. A marketing study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-10-01

Among the different energy sources utilized in China, biomass energy takes a very important part. The importance of the biomass energy can be proved particularly in the rural area. In the period 1991 to 1995 the average consumption of bio-energy represented about 40% of the total rural energy consumption and about 70% of rural household energy consumption. The annual bio-energy consumption is more than 220 Mtce. According to prediction, all kinds of biomass fuels produced by new technology will take 40% of the total energy consumption all over the world at the middle of next century. In future decades, R and D for new technologies of producing all kinds of biomass energies as substitute fuels will be extremely important to China. The biomass energy resources in China mainly come from 4 sources: (1)The residues from agriculture and forestry processing such us straw, stalk, wood residues, high concentrated organic effluents from the agriculture products processing, etc.; (2) Firewood; (3) Human and animal excreta; and (4) Urban household solid wastes. The utilization technology of biomass energy can be generally classified as (a) The direct burn technology, which refers the method and equipment using crop straws and firewood as fuels through direct burning; (b) Physical conversion technology, which includes gasification technology by physical method - mainly heating and relevant equipment; (c) Biological conversion technology, which refers technology and equipment converting and gasifying the biomass through biological method - mainly anaerobic biodegradation; (d) Liquefaction technology; and (e) Conversion technology for solid waste. Chinese government has been giving great attention to the development and utilization of biomass energy. However, at present the bio-energy as one of the most important energy resources, its development and commercialized utilization are just at beginning stage. The basic conditions composing a market and commercialization environment

Towards controlling dioxins emissions from power boilers fuelled with salt-laden wood waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luthe, C.; Karidio, I.; Uloth, V.

1997-01-01

An evaluation of the dioxins emissions from a power boiler fuelled with salt-laden wood waste has provided insights on potential control technologies. Whereas a reduction in stack particulate levels does not preclude a corresponding reduction in dioxins emissions, good combustion conditions, in combination with an efficient secondary collection device for particulate removal, were found to offer effective control (stack emissions of 0.064 to 0.086 ng TEQ/m 3 ). Regarding minimization of dioxins formation at source, a preliminary assessment of the possible beneficial effect of an attenuated chlorine:sulphur ratio was encouraging. A more accurate assessment requires additional trials, preferably longer in duration, to eliminate any possible memory effects. (author)

Biomass energy in the making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2008-01-01

large volumes of organic waste, including waste from the paper and agro-food industries, household refuse, and biogas from the fermentation of treatment plant sludge. At the top of the list: the United States, which generated 56 TWh of bio-power in 2005, and Brazil, which favors bagasse from sugar cane and biogas from distillery effluents. The electrical efficiency of a small biomass plant is 30% at best (35% with the best available technologies), whereas coal-fired plants achieve about 45% efficiency and combined-cycle gas-fired plants hit the 55% mark. A problem is the varying composition of straw, wood or waste fueling the boiler, calling for robust, adaptable burners, grates and fluidized beds. Either that, or the fuel has to be converted to produce standardized fuel such as wood pellets or dried sludge, which only ups the price of the fuel even more. Converting forest waste into wood chips, for example, costs 40 to 50 euros per MWh of heat, whereas unprocessed sawmill residue costs 10 to 20 euros for the same MWh. Another obstacle to developing biomass for power generation is the problem of collecting the raw materials from far and wide. In addition to solid biomass, biogas can be used to recycle liquid or wet waste that is difficult to transport. Biogas is produced by the digestion of wet biomass in an oxygen-deprived environment. Biogas contains 40% to 70% methane. The methane can then be used to fuel a gas-fired plant. This is one of the best configurations there is, since the biomass comes directly from the final waste. It's a good illustration of the 'waste to wealth' concept, which consists of recycling waste to produce energy

Emission of nanoparticles during combustion of waste biomass in fireplace

Science.gov (United States)

Drastichová, Vendula; Krpec, Kamil; Horák, Jiří; Hopan, František; Kubesa, Petr; Martiník, Lubomír; Koloničný, Jan; Ochodek, Tadeáš; Holubčík, Michal

2014-08-01

Contamination of air by solid particles is serious problem for human health and also environment. Small particles in nano-sizes are more dangerous than same weight of larger size. Negative effect namely of the solid particles depends on (i) number, (ii) specific surface area (iii) respirability and (iv) bonding of others substances (e.g. PAHs, As, Cd, Zn, Cu etc.) which are higher for smaller (nano-sizes) particles compared to larger one. For this reason mentioned above this contribution deals with measuring of amount, and distribution of nanoparticles produced form combustion of waste city biomass in small combustion unit with impactor DLPI.

Combustion properties, water absorption and grindability of raw/torrefied biomass pellets and Silantek coal

Science.gov (United States)

Matali, Sharmeela; Rahman, Norazah Abdul; Idris, Siti Shawaliah; Yaacob, Nurhafizah

2017-12-01

Torrefaction, also known as mild pyrolysis, is proven to convert raw biomass into a value-added energy commodity particularly for application in combustion and co-firing systems with improved storage and handling properties. This paper aims to compare the characteristics of Malaysian bituminous coal i.e. Silantek coal with raw and torrefied biomass pellet originated from oil palm frond and fast growing tree species, Leucaena Leucocephala. Biomass samples were initially torrefied at 300 °C for 60 minutes. Resulting torrefied biomass pellets were analysed using a number of standard fuel characterisation analyses i.e. elemental analysis, proximate analysis and calorific content (high heating values) experiments. Investigations on combustion characteristics via dynamic thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), grindability and moisture uptake tests were also performed on the torrefied biomass pellets. Better quality bio-chars were produced as compared to its raw forms and with optimal process conditions, torrefaction may potentially produces a solid fuel with combustion reactivity and porosity equivalent to raw biomass while having compatible energy density and grindability to coal.

Safeguarding on-power fuelled reactors - instrumentation and techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waligura, A.; Konnov, Y.; Smith, R.M.; Head, D.A.

1977-01-01

Instrumentation and techniques applicable to safeguarding reactors that are fuelled on-power, particularly the CANDU type, have been developed. A demonstration is being carried out at the Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station in Canada. Irradiated nuclear materials in certain areas - the reactor and spent fuel storage bays - are monitored using photographic and television cameras, and seals. Item accounting is applied by counting spent-fuel bundles during transfer from the reactor to the storage bay and by placing these spent-fuel bundles in a sealed enclosure. Provision is made for inspection and verification of the bundles before sealing. The reactor's power history is recorded by a track-etch power monitor. Redundancy is provided so that the failure of any single piece of equipment does not invalidate the entire safeguards system. Several safeguards instruments and devices have beeen developed and evaluated. These include a super-8 mm surveillance camera system, a television surveillance system, a spent-fuel bundle counter, a device to detect dummy fuel bundles, a cover for enclosing a stack of spent-fuel bundles, and a seal suitable for underwater installation and ultrasonic interrogation. The information provided by these different instruments should increase the effectiveness of Agency safeguards and, when used in combination with other measures, will facilitate inspection at reactor sites

Experimental investigation into the oxidation reactivity and nanostructure of particulate matter from diesel engine fuelled with diesel/polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers blends

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hao; Li, Xinghu; Wang, Yan; Mu, Mingfei; Li, Xuehao; Kou, Guiyue

2016-11-01

This paper focuses on oxidation reactivity and nanostructural characteristics of particulate matter (PM) emitted from diesel engine fuelled with different volume proportions of diesel/polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn) blends (P0, P10 and P20). PM was collected using a metal filter from the exhaust manifold. The collected PM samples were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The TGA results indicated that the PM produced by P20 had the highest moisture and volatility contents and the fastest oxidation rate of solid carbon followed by P10 and P0 derived PM. SEM analysis showed that PM generated from P20 was looser with a lower mean value than PM emitted from P10 and P0. Quantitative analysis of high-resolution TEM images presented that fringe length was reduced along with increased separation distance and tortuosity with an increase in PODEn concentration. These trends improved the oxidation reactivity. According to Raman spectroscopy data, the intensity, full width at half-maximum and intensity ratio of the bands also changed demonstrating that PM nanostructure disorder was correlated with a faster oxidation rate. The results show the use of PODEn affects the oxidation reactivity and nanostructure of PM that is easier to oxidize.

Micro scale CHP based on biomass intelligent heat transfer with thermoelectric generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moser, W.; Aigenbauer, S.; Heckmann, M.; Friedl, G. (Austrian Bioenergy Centre GmbH, Wieselburg (Austria)); Hofbauer, H. (Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology (Austria))

2007-07-01

Pellet burners need auxiliary electrical power to provide CO{sub 2} balanced heat in a comfortable and environment friendly way. The idea is to produce this and some extra electricity within the device in order to save resources and to gain operation reliability and independency. An option for micro scale CHP is the usage of thermoelectric generators (TEGs). They allow direct conversion of heat into electrical power. They have the advantage of a long maintenance free durability and noiseless operation without moving parts or any working fluid. The useful heat remains almost unaffected and can still be used for heating. TEGs are predestined for the use in micro scale CHP based on solid biomass. In this paper the first results from the fully integrated prototype are presented. The performance of the TEG was observed for different loads and operating conditions in order to realise an optimised micro scale CHP based on solid biomass. (orig.)

Biomass market and trade in Norway: Status and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troemborg, Erik; Bolkesjoe, Torjus Folsland; Solberg, Birger

2008-01-01

This paper gives an overview of bioenergy use, prices, markets and markets prospects in Norway. The current energy production based on biomass in Norway is about 50 pJ or 10% of the stationary energy consumption. About one-half is produced and used in forest industries. The main share of bioenergy used by households consists of firewood in stoves. The use of refined, solid biofuels in heat production is hampered by low coverage of water-borne heating systems and historically low end-user prices of electricity. Harvest levels in Norwegian forests are much below annual growth, implying that forest biomass resources steadily accumulate. Decreasing wood prices combined with rising prices of oil and electricity in recent year have improved competitiveness of solid biofuels in the heat market. Projections of future bioenergy use in Norway using a partial equilibrium forest sector model suggest that bioenergy use will increase in some market segments with the current price levels of electricity and oil. However, quite minor improvements of bioenergy competitiveness or increased energy prices may release substantially higher bioenergy use. A net increase in bioenergy use of 5 TWh (18 PJ) by 2010 is realistic, but requires public awareness of the opportunities in bioenergy technologies, as well as significant economic incentives. Wood stoves and replacement of oil-boilers in central heating systems show highest competitiveness, whereas district heating systems need higher energy prices or more subsidies to be competitive. Biomass for combined heat and power projects or domestically produced liquid biofuels seems to have limited competitiveness in the short term. On the raw material side, wood residues, and roundwood from pine and non-coniferous species represent the main potential, whereas spruce continues to be consumed by the forest industries. According to the model projections, imported biomass will take a significant share of the possible increase of wood consumption

Biomass shock pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Holtzapple, Mark T.; Madison, Maxine Jones; Ramirez, Rocio Sierra; Deimund, Mark A.; Falls, Matthew; Dunkelman, John J.

2014-07-01

Methods and apparatus for treating biomass that may include introducing a biomass to a chamber; exposing the biomass in the chamber to a shock event to produce a shocked biomass; and transferring the shocked biomass from the chamber. In some aspects, the method may include pretreating the biomass with a chemical before introducing the biomass to the chamber and/or after transferring shocked biomass from the chamber.

The influence of biomass quality on the purification of flue gases and multicyclone assembly material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Čikić

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Various types, forms and states affect the heating value of biomass and its conversion into exploitable energy forms. As a result of biomass quality investigations, the share of solid particles in flue gases purified in a multicyclone was measured and analyzed at various heating loads of a boiler, the maximum power of which amounts to 2,2 MW. This paper presents the influence of flue gases on the roughness and corrosiveness of multicyclone material inner wall. A corrective dimensional parameter of the multicyclone was suggested for the purpose of maximum purification of flue gases at unfavorable incineration conditions and biomass characteristics.

Ethanol obtention from fruit biomass; Obtencao de etanol a partir da biomassa de frutas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joner, Gabriela Chiele; Schutz, Fabiana Costa de Araujo; Steinmacher, Nadia Cristiane [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), PR (Brazil)], emails: gabriela.chj@hotmail.com, fabianaschutz@gmail.com, nadiac@utfpr.edu.br

2011-07-01

The development of a region is directly related to the increase of energy consumption and hence the growth of the generation of residual biomass of fruits per capita. Any kind of fruit biomass produced in cities, resulting from human activities and that is released into the environment, is classified as organic waste and is rarely reused. Biomass is any renewable resource derived from organic matter that can be used as an energy source. The use of fruit biomass for ethanol production leads to an improvement of environmental quality, preventing it being thrown in landfills, causing no harm to society. An example would be the biomass generated in the region's supermarkets, which usually are not included in recovery programs. This study aimed to test the production of ethanol from biomass of different combinations of fruits, through analysis of soluble solids, pH, alcohol content and titratable acids. We obtained a detailed analysis of the correlation of the properties and characteristics of the biomass of the fruits used, allowing to define the best combination of residual biomass for ethanol production, from the point of view technical and economical. 3:1:1 proportion of banana: apple: orange, respectively, was the better combination related with alcoholic degree. (author)

Key factors for achieving profitable biogas production from agricultural waste and sustainable biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molinuevo-Salces, Beatriz; Larsen, Søren U.; Biswas, Rajib

2013-01-01

Based on numerous investigations on increasing the biogas yield of manure, a new concept was developed to increase the economical operation of manure based biogas plants by combining up concentration of manure with a more specific treatment of the recalcitrant lignocellulosic fiber fraction...... by implementing the treatment on the digested solid fraction. Catch crops have been identified as a sustainable co-substrate for biogas production with a high biogas potential. For exploiting this biomass for profitable biogas production, the biomass yield per hectare, harvest costs, TS concentration and specific...

Biomass yield and fuel characteristics of short-rotation coppice (willow, poplar, empress tree)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maier, J.; Vetter, R. [Institute for Land Management Compatible to Environmental Requirements, Muellheim (Germany)

2004-07-01

In two pedo-climatic different regions in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg three shortrotation coppices willow, poplar and empress tree were tested with regard to their biomass productivity on arable land and to their properties for energetic use. Between 8 and 13 tons of dry matter per hectare and year could be produced under extensive cultivation conditions, over 15 tons with irrigation. Due to their composition, it can be assumed that their use as solid fuel in a biomass combustor is just as unproblematic as with forest timber. (orig.)

Influence of fuel injection pressures on Calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester fuelled direct injection diesel engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanthagopal, K.; Ashok, B.; Karuppa Raj, R. Thundil

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Effect of injection pressure of Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel is investigated. • Engine characteristics of 100% Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel has been performed. • Calophyllum inophyllum is a non-edible source for biodiesel production. • Increase in injection pressure of biodiesel, improves the fuel economy. • Incylinder pressure characteristics of biodiesel follows similar trend as of diesel. - Abstract: The trend of using biodiesels in compression ignition engines have been the focus in recent decades due to the promising environmental factors and depletion of fossil fuel reserves. This work presents the effect of Calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester on diesel engine performance, emission and combustion characteristics at different injection pressures. Experimental investigations with varying injection pressures of 200 bar, 220 bar and 240 bar have been carried out to analyse the parameters like brake thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, heat release rate and engine emissions of direct injection diesel engine fuelled with 100% biodiesel and compared with neat diesel. The experimental results revealed that brake specific fuel consumption of C. inophyllum methyl ester fuelled engine has been reduced to a great extent with higher injection pressure. Significant reduction in emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and smoke opacity have been observed during fuel injection of biodiesel at 220 bar compared to other fuel injection pressures. However oxides of nitrogen increased with increase in injection pressures of C. inophyllum methyl ester and are always higher than that of neat diesel. In addition the combustion characteristics of biodiesel at all injection pressures followed a similar trend to that of conventional diesel.

Ethanol Production from Biomass: Large Scale Facility Design Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berson, R. Eric [Univ. of Louisville, KY (United States)

2009-10-29

High solids processing of biomass slurries provides the following benefits: maximized product concentration in the fermentable sugar stream, reduced water usage, and reduced reactor size. However, high solids processing poses mixing and heat transfer problems above about 15% for pretreated corn stover solids due to their high viscosities. Also, highly viscous slurries require high power consumption in conventional stirred tanks since they must be run at high rotational speeds to maintain proper mixing. An 8 liter scraped surface bio-reactor (SSBR) is employed here that is designed to efficiently handle high solids loadings for enzymatic saccharification of pretreated corn stover (PCS) while maintaining power requirements on the order of low viscous liquids in conventional stirred tanks. Saccharification of biomass exhibit slow reaction rates and incomplete conversion, which may be attributed to enzyme deactivation and loss of activity due to a variety of mechanisms. Enzyme deactivation is classified into two categories here: one, deactivation due to enzyme-substrate interactions and two, deactivation due to all other factors that are grouped together and termed “non-specific” deactivation. A study was conducted to investigate the relative extents of “non-specific” deactivation and deactivation due to “enzyme-substrate interactions” and a model was developed that describes the kinetics of cellulose hydrolysis by considering the observed deactivation effects. Enzyme substrate interactions had a much more significant effect on overall deactivation with a deactivation rate constant about 20X higher than the non-specific deactivation rate constant (0.35 h^-1 vs 0.018 h^-1). The model is well validated by the experimental data and predicts complete conversion of cellulose within 30 hours in the absence of enzyme substrate interactions.

[Environmental and health impacts of wood combustion to produce heat and power].

Science.gov (United States)

Valerio, Federico

2012-01-01

Toxic chemicals such as benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and ultra fine particles were found in the smoke produced by wood combustion. Emission factors confirm that, to produce the same energy amount, many more pollutants are emitted by wood than by natural gas. Biomass burning produces a relevant deterioration of air quality inside and outside houses, notably due to emissions of fine and ultra fine dust (PM10, PM2.5) according to reviewed studies. Important improvements in emission quality are obtained with the use of more efficient household heating systems, both in developed and in developing countries. Numerous studies have assessed the possible health effects produced by wood smoke, providing sufficient evidence that the indoor exposure to wood smoke, even in developed countries, can have adverse effects on human health. In 2010 IARC classified wood smoke as a possible human carcinogen. In Europe, electricity generation from biomass combustion is increasing (12% each year) thanks to incentives provided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels.Today adequate studies to assess the environmental and health effects of emissions from power plants fuelled by solid biomasses are still needed.

Effects of several types of biomass fuels on the yield, nanostructure and reactivity of soot from fast pyrolysis at high temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trubetskaya, Anna; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Jensen, Anker Degn

2016-01-01

This study presents the effect of biomass origin on the yield, nanostructure and reactivity of soot. Soot was produced from wood and herbaceous biomass pyrolysis at high heating rates and at temperatures of 1250 and 1400 °C in a drop tube furnace. The structure of solid residues was characterized...

Yield-determining factors in high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felby Claus

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Working at high solids (substrate concentrations is advantageous in enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass as it increases product concentrations and plant productivity while lowering energy and water input. However, for a number of lignocellulosic substrates it has been shown that at increasing substrate concentration, the corresponding yield decreases in a fashion which can not be explained by current models and knowledge of enzyme-substrate interactions. This decrease in yield is undesirable as it offsets the advantages of working at high solids levels. The cause of the 'solids effect' has so far remained unknown. Results The decreasing conversion at increasing solids concentrations was found to be a generic or intrinsic effect, describing a linear correlation from 5 to 30% initial total solids content (w/w. Insufficient mixing has previously been shown not to be involved in the effect. Hydrolysis experiments with filter paper showed that neither lignin content nor hemicellulose-derived inhibitors appear to be responsible for the decrease in yields. Product inhibition by glucose and in particular cellobiose (and ethanol in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation at the increased concentrations at high solids loading plays a role but could not completely account for the decreasing conversion. Adsorption of cellulases was found to decrease at increasing solids concentrations. There was a strong correlation between the decreasing adsorption and conversion, indicating that the inhibition of cellulase adsorption to cellulose is causing the decrease in yield. Conclusion Inhibition of enzyme adsorption by hydrolysis products appear to be the main cause of the decreasing yields at increasing substrate concentrations in the enzymatic decomposition of cellulosic biomass. In order to facilitate high conversions at high solids concentrations, understanding of the mechanisms involved in high-solids product inhibition

Power and Torque Characteristics of Diesel Engine Fuelled by Palm-Kernel Oil Biodiesel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oguntola J. ALAMU

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Short-term engine performance tests were carried out on test diesel engine fuelled with Palm kernel oil (PKO biodiesel. The biodiesel fuel was produced through transesterification process using 100g PKO, 20.0% ethanol (wt%, 1.0% potassium hydroxide catalyst at 60°C reaction temperature and 90min. reaction time. The diesel engine was attached to a general electric dynamometer. Torque and power delivered by the engine were monitored throughout the 24-hour test duration at 1300, 1500, 1700, 2000, 2250 and 2500rpm. At all engine speeds tested, results showed that torque and power outputs for PKO biodiesel were generally lower than those for petroleum diesel. Also, Peak torque for PKO biodiesel occurred at a lower engine speed compared to diesel.

Integrated biomass pyrolysis with organic Rankine cycle for power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Nur, T. B.; Syahputra, A. W.

2018-02-01

The growing interest on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) application to produce electricity by utilizing biomass energy sources are increasingly due to its successfully used to generate power from waste heat available in industrial processes. Biomass pyrolysis is one of the thermochemical technologies for converting biomass into energy and chemical products consisting of liquid bio-oil, solid biochar, and pyrolytic gas. In the application, biomass pyrolysis can be divided into three main categories; slow, fast and flash pyrolysis mainly aiming at maximizing the products of bio-oil or biochar. The temperature of synthesis gas generated during processes can be used for Organic Rankine Cycle to generate power. The heat from synthesis gas during pyrolysis processes was transfer by thermal oil heater to evaporate ORC working fluid in the evaporator unit. In this study, the potential of the palm oil empty fruit bunch, palm oil shell, and tree bark have been used as fuel from biomass to generate electricity by integrated with ORC. The Syltherm-XLT thermal oil was used as the heat carrier from combustion burner, while R245fa was used as the working fluid for ORC system. Through Aspen Plus, this study analyses the influences on performance of main thermodynamic parameters, showing the possibilities of reaching an optimum performance for different working conditions that are characteristics of different design parameters.

The indigenisation of Lubriplate 630-2 and development of Servo-Nuclease-2 grease for the fuelling machine of pressurised heavy water power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)