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Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy
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Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 August 2025 | Viewed by 12015

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wojciech Jerzak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza Av. 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: renewable energy; pyrolysis; low-emission combustion; trace elements; thermodynamic equilibrium prediction; NOx; CO emissions; flue gas analysis; ash analysis; bio-fuels; reaction kinetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The effective use of biomass for energy purposes is part of the extensive scientific research aimed at minimizing the carbon footprint. Promising technologies for the thermal processing of biomass that are still being developed include pyrolysis and gasification processes. The thermal processing of waste biomass not only reduces its storage but also, above all, enables the use of the energy potential contained in it. Improving the gasification and pyrolysis processes requires conducting experimental (micro-, laboratory-, and pilot-scale) and numerical research. One of the most important research priorities is to increase the efficiency of gasification as well as pyrolysis processes and to improve the quality of the obtained products. It is therefore necessary to conduct gasification and pyrolysis investigations, including on the following:

  • Various types of biomass (also contaminated) and their fragmentation.
  • Influence of temperature, pressure, atmosphere, and residence time of vapors as well as reagents in the reactor.
  • New ways of using products for energy.
  • Use of various types of catalysts.
  • Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses of processes.
  • Issues with emission reductions through CO2 capture, and many others.

Dr. Wojciech Jerzak
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biomass
  • gasification
  • pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis
  • biochar
  • bio-oil
  • carbon footprint
  • CO2 emissions
  • catalyst
  • modeling
  • waste-to-energy

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3706 KiB  
Article
Renewable Energies and Biochar: A Green Alternative for Reducing Carbon Footprints Using Tree Species from the Southern Andean Region of Ecuador
by Juan-Carlos Cobos-Torres, Luis-Holguer Idrovo-Ortiz, Sandra Lucia Cobos-Mora and Vinicio Santillan
Energies 2025, 18(5), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18051027 - 20 Feb 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 479
Abstract
The urgent need for sustainable strategies to mitigate climate change has spurred the development of efficient carbon sequestration methods with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, presenting promising opportunities to produce biochar and, with this bioproduct, enhance crop productivity. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate [...] Read more.
The urgent need for sustainable strategies to mitigate climate change has spurred the development of efficient carbon sequestration methods with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, presenting promising opportunities to produce biochar and, with this bioproduct, enhance crop productivity. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint produced by the low-temperature slow pyrolysis of biomass obtained from the pruning residues of four tree species present in parks and gardens of the southern Andean region of Ecuador. An electric reactor (ER), powered by 44 solar panels of 535 W each, was used to perform the pyrolysis process at 350 °C over four hours. For each species—Persea americana, Polylepis spp., Acacia spp., and Prunus salicifolia—three replicates of the process were conducted using 1.5 kg of biomass per trial. The results showed that Acacia spp. residues produced biochar with higher bulk density (0.303 g/cm3), organic matter (82.85%), total organic carbon (71.21%), oxygen (27.84%), C/N ratio (120.69), and potassium (459.12 ppm). The biochar produced from Prunus salicifolia exhibited the highest levels of pollutant gas emissions and carbon footprint (5.93 × 10−6 ton∙m−3 CO2 eq and 0.001067 ton∙m−3 CO2 eq, respectively). In contrast, the biochar produced from Polylepis spp. was the least polluting (0.001018 ton∙m−3 CO2 eq), highlighting its potential as a source for biochar production from tree species found in the southern Andean region of Ecuador. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis of Persea americana (avocado) resulted in very low gas emissions, although it exhibited the second-highest carbon footprint due to the high energy consumption associated with the process. In conclusion, this study identified Persea americana and Polylepis spp. as the best options for biochar production through pyrolysis, positioning them as viable alternatives for developing sustainable strategies to mitigate climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy)
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30 pages, 9229 KiB  
Article
Waste-to-Energy Conversion of Rubberwood Residues for Enhanced Biomass Fuels: Process Optimization and Eco-Efficiency Evaluation
by Jannisa Kasawapat, Attaso Khamwichit and Wipawee Dechapanya
Energies 2024, 17(21), 5444; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17215444 - 31 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1280
Abstract
Torrefaction was applied to enhance the fuel properties of sawdust (SD) and bark wood (BW), biomass wastes from the rubberwood processing industry. Design Expert (DE) software was used in an experimental design to study the effects of affecting factors including torrefaction temperature and [...] Read more.
Torrefaction was applied to enhance the fuel properties of sawdust (SD) and bark wood (BW), biomass wastes from the rubberwood processing industry. Design Expert (DE) software was used in an experimental design to study the effects of affecting factors including torrefaction temperature and time as well as the biomass size towards the desirable properties such as HHV, mass yield, fixed carbon content, and eco-efficiency values. Promising results showed that the HHVs of the torrefied SD (25 MJ/kg) and BW (26 MJ/kg) were significantly increased when compared to preheated SD (17 MJ/kg) and preheated BW (17 MJ/kg) and in a range similar to that of coal (25–35 MJ/kg). The TGA, FTIR, biomass compositions, and O/C ratios suggested that thermochemical reactions played a significant role in the torrefaction at which thermal degradation coupled with possible in situ chemical reactions took place, to some extent. The optimal conditions of the torrefaction were identified at 320 °C and 30 min for SD, and 325 °C and 30 min for BW. The maximum HHVs at the optimal condition were 22, 23, and 20 MJ/kg while the eco-efficiency values were 29.18, 27.89, and 13.72 kJ/kg CO2_eq*THB for torrefied SD, torrefied BW, and coal, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that torrefied rubberwood residues enhanced HHV, eco-efficiency, and less contribution to CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy)
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21 pages, 3092 KiB  
Article
Pyrolytic Pathway of Wheat Straw Pellet by the Thermogravimetric Analyzer
by Bidhan Nath, Les Bowtell, Guangnan Chen, Elizabeth Graham and Thong Nguyen-Huy
Energies 2024, 17(15), 3693; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17153693 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1124
Abstract
The study of the thermokinetics of two types of wheat straw pellets, T1 (100% wheat straw) and T2 (70% wheat straw, 10% each of bentonite clay, sawdust, and biochar), under a nitrogen atmosphere (31–800 °C and 5, 10, and 20 °C/min [...] Read more.
The study of the thermokinetics of two types of wheat straw pellets, T1 (100% wheat straw) and T2 (70% wheat straw, 10% each of bentonite clay, sawdust, and biochar), under a nitrogen atmosphere (31–800 °C and 5, 10, and 20 °C/min heating rates) using model-free and model-based approaches by TG/DTG data, revealed promising results. While model-free methods were not suitable, model-based reactions, particularly Fn (nth-order phase interfacial) and F2 (second-order) models, effectively described the three-phase consecutive thermal degradation pathway (A→B, C→D, and D→E). The activation energy (Eα) for phases 2 and 3 (Fn model) averaged 136.04 and 358.11 kJ/mol for T1 and 132.86 and 227.10 kJ/mol for T2, respectively. The pre-exponential factor (lnA) varied across heating rates and pellets (T2: 38.244–2.9 × 109 1/s; T1: 1.2 × 102–5.45 × 1014 1/s). Notably, pellets with additives (T2) exhibited a higher degradable fraction due to lower Eα. These findings suggest a promising potential for utilizing wheat straw pellet biomass as a bioenergy feedstock, highlighting the practical implications of this research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy)
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Review

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31 pages, 2260 KiB  
Review
Comprehensive Review of Biomass Pyrolysis: Conventional and Advanced Technologies, Reactor Designs, Product Compositions and Yields, and Techno-Economic Analysis
by Wojciech Jerzak, Esther Acha and Bin Li
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5082; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205082 - 12 Oct 2024
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8366
Abstract
Pyrolysis is an environmentally friendly and efficient method for converting biomass into a wide range of products, including fuels, chemicals, fertilizers, catalysts, and sorption materials. This review confirms that scientific research on biomass pyrolysis has remained strong over the past 10 years. The [...] Read more.
Pyrolysis is an environmentally friendly and efficient method for converting biomass into a wide range of products, including fuels, chemicals, fertilizers, catalysts, and sorption materials. This review confirms that scientific research on biomass pyrolysis has remained strong over the past 10 years. The authors examine the operating conditions of different types of pyrolysis, including slow, intermediate, fast, and flash, highlighting the distinct heating rates for each. Furthermore, biomass pyrolysis reactors are categorized into four groups, pneumatic bed reactors, gravity reactors, stationary bed reactors, and mechanical reactors, with a discussion on each type. The review then focuses on recent advancements in pyrolysis technologies that have improved efficiency, yield, and product quality, which, in turn, support sustainable energy production and effective waste management. The composition and yields of products from the different types of pyrolysis have been also reviewed. Finally, a techno-economic analysis has been conducted for both the pyrolysis of biomass alone and the co-pyrolysis of biomass with other raw materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Biomass Pyrolysis and Gasification Technologies into Bioenergy)
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