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Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 11770
Submit your paper and select the Journal “Energies” and the Special Issue “Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains” via: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=energies. Please contact the guest editor or the journal editor ([email protected]) for any queries.

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Dr. Fereshteh Mafakheri

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Guest Editor

École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP), Université Du Québec, Montreal, 4750 Av. Henri-Julien, Montréal, QC H2T 2C8, Canada
Interests: data and decision analytics; biomass and bioenergy systems; production and supply chain management; risk analysis; project management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to renewables is diversifying energy sources and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Among renewable energy sources, biomass is the only fuel-based option that relies on continuous supply of biomass materials for energy conversion. There are numerous types of biomass materials from agricultural residues to forestry residues and from solid waste to crops varying in characteristics and availability. In this sense, supply chain management discipline could serve as a means of improving the economy of scale, reducing delays, and increasing the reliability of biomass-to-energy conversion processes. In addition, adoption of biomass-to-energy practices creates transformative change across the supporting supply chains in the form of socioeconomic benefits, including job creation and waste management contributing to promotion of a circular economy.

This Special Issue aims at exploring various contributions of supply chain management practices into improving the efficiency, continuity, and sustainability of biomass-to-energy conversion. The problems arising in the design, optimization, and coordination of biomass supply chains are of particular interest along with issues specific to each function of this peculiar supply chain, including sourcing, preprocessing, storage, distribution, transport, and energy conversion. In addition, spatial and temporal decisions related to bioenergy supply chains (that could span across countries and continents) could present a number of challenges with respect to carbon emission saving potentials and long-term feasibility. Technical papers, reviews, and case studies are invited to this Special Issue covering the above-described topics of interest that could include, but are not limited to, the following:

Biomass sourcing strategies;
Biomass supply chain design;
Biomass supply chain optimization;
Logistics and inventory planning;
Supply chain tracking and Blockchain technology;
Sustainability assessment of biomass-to-energy supply chains;
Supply chain coordination;
Risk assessment and management in bioenergy supply chains;
Feedstock and demand forecasting;
Transportation planning;
Fuel–technology matching;
Cooperation and bargaining in biomass supply chains;
Simulation and scenario analysis for future planning;
Hubs and distribution channels.

Dr. Fereshteh Mafakheri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Biomass
Bioenergy
Supply chain management
Supply chain design
Forecasting
Data analytics
Machine learning
Optimization
Game theory
Scheduling
Inventory planning
Transport and logistics
Simulation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimating the Optimal Location for the Storage of Pellet Surplus

by Andrzej Bochniak and Monika Stoma

Energies 2021, 14(20), 6657; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14206657 - 14 Oct 2021

Viewed by 1131

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of managing the surplus that arises during the seasonal production of pellets, which will be sold in the period of increased demand. Dijkstra’s algorithm is used in issues connected with finding a new storage place with a view of the optimisation of the transport costs of pellets produced by a company in 18 different towns in the Lubelskie Voivodeship in Poland. The most optimal location for the new pellet storage site has been determined, for which the total length of the traveled routes is the shortest, taking into account the actual shares of individual plants in the total production. The construction of the graph with the shortest paths was made on the basis of the existing network of available transport roads, and the nodes of the graph were their intersections. The most advantageous storage location of pellets was identified by the calculation the total transport cost using a minimum-cost tree of shortest paths. Based on the estimated transport assumptions, the lowest total cost of transport from all 18 plants was 3092.0 (km), which corresponds to an average distance to production plants of 89.7 km and 61.7 km to estimated selling distribution. The new storage point is suggested near the town of Piaski. Average cost of travel for all trees obtained for existing plant locations and subsequent distribution to points of sale was 4113.7 (km), while standard deviation 735.2 (km). Additionally, a relative increase in costs was estimated in the case of selecting other locations. Using spatial interpolation and geoprocessing tools, a map—showing the increase in pellet transport costs in relation to the most optimal solution—was developed. The constructed map allows for a better analysis of cost increases than a single point. It was stated that the increase in transport costs does not exceed 10% of lowest cost for 17.6% area of studied area. It was found that the most convenient area is shifted to the south of the voivodship and improperly adopted storage location can increase transport costs by up to 75%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains)

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18 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Properties and Combustion-Related Problems Prediction of Agricultural Crop Residues

by Xuejun Qian, Jingwen Xue, Yulai Yang and Seong W. Lee

Energies 2021, 14(15), 4619; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154619 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 2810

Abstract

The prediction and pre-evaluation of the thermal properties and combustion-related problems (e.g., emissions and ash-related problems) are critical to reducing emissions and improving combustion efficiency during the agricultural crop residues combustion process. This study integrated the higher heating value (HHV) model, specific heat model, and fuel indices as a new systematic approach to characterize the agricultural crop residues. Sixteen linear and non-linear regression models were developed from three main compositions of the ultimate analysis (e.g., C, H, and O) to predict the HHV of the agricultural crop residues. Newly developed HHV models have been validated with lower estimation errors and a higher degree of accuracy than the existing models. The specific heat of flue gas during the combustion process was estimated from the concentrations of C, H, O, S, and ash content under various excess air (EA) ratios and flue gas temperatures. The specific heat of agricultural crop residues was between 1.033 to 1.327 kJ/kg·K, while it was increased by decreasing the EA ratios and elevating the temperature of the flue gas. Combustion-related problems, namely corrosions, PM_1.0 emissions, SO_x, HCl, and ash-related problems were predicted using the fuel indices along with S and Cl concentrations, and ash compositions. Results showed that agricultural crop residues pose a severe corrosion risk and lower ash sintering temperature. This integrated approach can be applied to a wide range of biomass before the actual combustion process which may predict thermal-chemical properties and reduce the potential combustion-related emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains)

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35 pages, 7879 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A System Dynamics Approach to Comparative Analysis of Biomass Supply Chain Coordination Strategies

by Shohre Khoddami, Fereshteh Mafakheri and Yong Zeng

Energies 2021, 14(10), 2808; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102808 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

Biomass is an abundant energy source, particularly in Canada, as an alternative or primary source for electricity generation. However, low economy of scale could cause a loss of efficiency for bioenergy adoption in small remote communities. In this sense, coordination among the players could promote the efficiency and profitability of bioenergy supply chains for these communities. There are different coordination strategies with varying impacts on supply chain players’ profit or cost. Therefore, analyzing and comparing them could provide insights on how to decide about the choice of coordination strategy. In doing so, this study considers the coordination strategies of quantity discounts and cost-sharing. The study adopts a system dynamics approach for simulating these coordination scenarios, obtaining their corresponding optimal supply chain decisions, followed by a comparative analysis. For a case study, the study considers multiple suppliers providing biomass for electricity generation in three communities in northern Quebec. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains)

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19 pages, 4167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Economic Viability of Agricultural Pellets to Supplement the Current Global Wood Pellets Supply for Bioenergy Production

by Mahmood Ebadian, Shahab Sokhansanj, David Lee, Alyssa Klein and Lawrence Townley-Smith

Energies 2021, 14(8), 2263; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14082263 - 17 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2672

Abstract

In this study, an inter-continental agricultural pellet supply chain is modeled, and the production cost and price of agricultural pellets are estimated and compared against the recent cost and price of wood pellets in the global marketplace. The inter-continental supply chain is verified and validated using an integration of an interactive mapping application and a simulation platform. The integrated model is applied to a case study in which agricultural pellets are produced in six locations in Canada and shipped and discharged at the three major ports in Western Europe. The cost of agricultural pellets in the six locations is estimated to be in the range of EUR 92–95/tonne (CAD 138–142/tonne), which is comparable with the recent cost of wood pellets produced in small-scale pellet plants (EUR 99–109/tonne). The average agricultural pellet price shipped from the six plants to the three ports in Western Europe is estimated to be in a range of EUR 183–204 (CAD 274–305/tonne), 29–42% more expensive that the average recent price of wood pellets (EUR 143/tonne) at the same ports. There are several potential areas in the agricultural pellet supply chains that can reduce the pellet production and distribution costs in the mid and long terms, making them affordable supplement to the existing wood pellet markets. Potential economic activities generated by the production of pellets in farm communities can be significant. The generated annual revenue in the biomass logistics system in all six locations is estimated to be about CAD 21.80 million. In addition, the logistics equipment fleet needs 176 local operators with a potential annual income of CAD 2.18 million. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains)

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18 pages, 3427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Operation Adaptation of Moving Bed Biomass Combustors under Various Waste Fuel Conditions

by Mohammad Hosseini Rahdar and Fuzhan Nasiri

Energies 2020, 13(23), 6352; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236352 - 1 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1758

Abstract

This paper analyzes a moving grate biomass boiler operating with three alternative waste fuels, including biomass pellets, wood waste, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from a combination of thermal, economic, and environmental perspectives. The focus of this paper is on system functionality adaptation to retrofit the current systems operational conditions. A one-dimensional numerical bed model integrated with a black-box overbed model was developed to carefully investigate the fuel bed’s thermal characteristics, as well as the boiler’s output. According to the results, the system operates more efficiently under the biomass pellets feeding and annually generates 548 GJ heat, while it drops significantly in other scenarios. The system was economically evaluated based on a 25-year life cycle cost analysis. Subsequently, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 36% was calculated for biomass pellets, while the value reduced by 50% and 27% regarding wood waste and RDF, respectively. The fuel cost was identified as the main contributor to the total life cycle cost of the heating system, regardless of which feeding fuel was utilized. A long-term environmental impacts assessment of the boiler operation emerged, to show how plant-based fuels can significantly decrease the impacts of climate change that have originated from fossil fuel usage. The current study concludes that all the proposed scenarios are feasible to different degrees, and can extensively benefit a diverse set of energy sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Analysis of Biomass-to-Energy Supply Chains)

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