Special Issue "Biomass and Biofuels 2012"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Amidon
Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Website: http://www.esf.edu/pbe/people/amidon.asp
E-Mail: teamidon@esf.edu

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to see articles in the intellectual space from raw materials (any form of biomass), to extraction and separation into components, to conversion of intermediates into final products. The products do not have to be biofuels if the products are renewable in origin and substitute for fossil fuel derived products. Engineering work applicable to any of the component operations are also appreciated. We would also be interested in articles showing that more sophistication in product development could lead to greater returns.  An example here might be furfural production from xylose as a more valuable product than fermentation of xylose to ethanol as well as showing that this might be an energetically preferable way to produce furfural.

Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Amidon
Guest Editor

Submission

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• biomass
• biofuels
• biorefinery
• extraction
• component separation
• conversion
• novel biobased products
• biorefinery engineering
• biomass and biorefinery policy
• fossil fuel substitution

Title: Effect of Torrefaction Temperature and Time on Some Chemical Compositional Changes in Miscanthus and White oak Sawdust
Authors: Jaya Shankar Tumuluru *, Richard D. Boardman, J. Richard Hess and Christopher T. Wright
Affiliation: Biofuels and Renewable Energies Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2025, USA
Abstract: Torrefaction tests on miscanthus and white oak sawdust were carried out in a bubbling sand bed reactor to see the effect of temperature and residence time on the chemical composition. Process conditions for miscanthus and white oak saw dust are 250–350°C and 30–120 minutes, and 220 and 270°C and 30 minutes, respectively. Composition of the torrefied samples studied includes moisture content and moisture-free hydrogen (%), nitrogen (%), sulfur (%), and volatiles. Torrefaction  of miscanthus at 250°C and a residence time of 30 minutes resulted in a significant decrease in moisture—about 82.68%—but the other components, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and volatiles  changed only marginally. Increasing the torrefaction temperature to 350°C and residence time to 120 minutes further reduced the moisture to a final value of 0.54% (a reduction of 93.2% compared to the original) and also resulted in a significant decrease in hydrogen, nitrogen, and volatiles by 58.29%, 14.28%, and 70.45%, respectively and the sulfur values were below detection limits. The regression equations developed for the moisture, hydrogen, nitrogen and volatile content of the torrefied miscanthus samples with respect to torrefaction temperature and time have adequately described the changes in chemical composition based on r² values of >0.82. The surface plots developed based on the regression equations indicate that torrefaction temperatures of 280–350°C and residence times of 30–120 minutes can help reduce moisture, nitrogen, and volatile, from 1.13 to 0.6 %, 0.27 to 0.23 %, and 79 to 23 % respectively. Torrefaction studies on white oak sawdust (woody biomass) at 220 and 270°C for 30 minutes indicated a similar trend where moisture, volatiles, hydrogen, and nitrogen decreased with increased torrefaction temperature from initial values of 8.53%, 80.75%, 5.91% and 0.17% to 1.79%, 66.31%, 4.67%, 0.16%, respectively.

Title: Biofuels in EU-Countries: The Economic, Ecological and Energetic Perspective up to 2050
Authors: Amela Ajanovic ¹, Martin Beermann ², Reinhard Haas ¹ and Gerfried Jungmeier ²
Affiliations: ¹ Energy Economics Group, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Wien, Austria ² Joanneum Research Graz, Austria
Abstract: Currently used biofuels of 1st generation (BF-1) – e.g. biodiesel from rape seed, bioethanol from wheat and maize, biomethane from manure, grass and green maize – are associated with ecological problems, high costs, low net energy yields, limited potentials, unfavourable land-use changes and competition to food production. As an alternative biofuels second generation (BF-2) are considered as a promising clean energy carriers for the future. Major advantages expected are: (i) better ecological performance: low life-cycle carbon emissions; (ii) no associated land-use changes; (iii)  huge potential for lignocellulosic feedstocks. These primary lignocellulose resources encompass: straw, corn stover, forest wood residues, wood industry residues, waste wood and short rotation copies. The core objective of this paper is to investigate the economic, ecological and energetic perspectives of 1st and 2nd generation biofuels in Europe in a dynamic framework till 2050. The major conclusions of this analysis are: (i) in Europe second generation biofuels might become economically competitive between 2020 and 2030. Yet, this will only be achieved if the following conditions apply: (ii) achievement of significant learning effects leading to considerable lower plant costs; (iii) improvement of conversion effeiciency from feedstock to fuel leading to lower feedstock prices and better ecological performance; (iv) increases in conventional diesel and gasoline prices, e.g. due to CO2 based taxes. So in general it can be stated that by 2050 in Europe compared to today neither for BF-1 nor for BF-2 significant cost reductions can be expected. But proper tax policies and continuous increases of fossil fuel prices could make biofuels (BF-1 and/or BF-2) competitive in the market.