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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2020) | Viewed by 56685

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Dr. Jaya Shankar Tumuluru

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Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, USDA-ARS, Las Cruces, NM 88005, USA
Interests: biomass logistics; biomass preprocessing and pretreatment and size reduction and densification technologies; thermal pretreatment technologies; techno-economic analysis; data science; modeling and optimization of the processes; byproduct utilization; cotton ginningmization
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Dear Colleagues,

As an important renewable and sustainable energy resource, forest biomass is considered as the primary energy resource. Woody biomass can be converted to biofuels by different methods, such as thermal, chemical, and biochemical methods. Woody biomass, as an energy source, can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to different biofuels. The focus of this Special Issue to classify woody biomass, harvesting technologies, supply chain logistics, physical and chemical properties, mechanical preprocessing (size reduction, and densification), and drying. In this Special Issue, emphasis will be on thermal pretreatments, such as torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization, which makes woody biomass suitable for cofiring and thermochemical conversion to produce liquid fuels using technologies like pyrolysis and gasification. International trade of solid and liquid fuel products produced using woody biomass is also within the scope of the Special Issue.

Dr. Jaya Tumuluru
Guest Editor

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Keywords

woody biomass
types and classification
harvesting technologies
storage methods and issues
size reduction,
drying
densification
torrefaction
hydrothermal carbonization
gasification
pyrolysis
transportation logistics
international market

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Pure and Blended Pellets Made from Norway Spruce and Pea Starch: A Comparative Study of Bonding Mechanism Relevant to Quality

by Anthony Ike Anukam, Jonas Berghel, Stefan Frodeson, Elizabeth Bosede Famewo and Pardon Nyamukamba

Energies 2019, 12(23), 4415; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12234415 - 20 Nov 2019

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3860

Abstract

The mechanism of bonding in biomass pellets is such a complex event to comprehend, as the nature of the bonds formed between combining particles and their relevance to pellet quality are not completely understood. In this study, pure and blended biomass pellets made from Norway spruce and pea starch were characterized using advanced analytical instruments able to provide information beyond what is visible to the human eye, with intent to investigate differences in bonding mechanism relevant to quality. The results, which were comprehensively interpreted from a structural chemistry perspective, indicated that, at a molecular level, the major disparity in bonding mechanism between particles of the pellets and the quality of the pellets, defined in terms of strength and burning efficiency, were determined by variation in the concentration of polar functional groups emanating from the major organic and elemental components of the pellets, as well as the strength of the bonds between atoms of these groups. Microscopic-level analysis, which did not provide any clear morphological features that could be linked to incongruity in quality, showed fracture surfaces of the pellets and patterns of surface roughness, as well as the mode of interconnectivity of particles, which were evidence of the production of pellets with dissimilarities in particle bonding mechanism and visual appearance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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26 pages, 6802 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Pelleting of Pine and Switchgrass Blends: Effect of Process Variables and Blend Ratio on the Pellet Quality and Energy Consumption

by Jaya Shankar Tumuluru

Energies 2019, 12(7), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12071198 - 28 Mar 2019

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 6009

Abstract

The blending of woody and herbaceous biomass can influence pellet quality and the energy consumption of the process. This work aims to understand the pelleting characteristics of 2-inch top-pine residue blended with switchgrass at high moisture content. The process variables tested are blend moisture content, length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio in the pellet die, and the blend ratio. A flat die pellet mill was also used in this study. The pine and switchgrass blend ratios that were tested include: (1) 25% 2-inch top pine residue with 75% switchgrass; (2) 50% 2-inch top pine residue with 50% switchgrass; and (3) 75% 2-inch top pine residue with 25% switchgrass. The pelleting process conditions tested included the L/D ratio in the pellet die (i.e., 1.5 to 2.6) and the blend moisture content (20 to 30%, w.b.). Analysis of experimental data indicated that blending 25% switchgrass with 75% 2-inch top pine residue and 50% switchgrass with 50% 2-inch top pine residue resulted in pellets with a bulk density of > 550 kg/m³ and durability of > 95%. Optimization of the response surface models developed for process conditions in terms of product properties indicated that a higher L/D ratio of 2.6 and a lower blend-moisture content of 20% (w.b.) maximized bulk density and durability. Higher pine in the blends improved the pellet durability and reduced energy consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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15 pages, 1604 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlations to Predict Elemental Compositions and Heating Value of Torrefied Biomass

by Mahmudul Hasan, Yousef Haseli and Ernur Karadogan

Energies 2018, 11(9), 2443; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092443 - 14 Sep 2018

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6106

Abstract

Measurements reported in the literature on ultimate analysis of various types of torrefied woody biomass, comprising 152 data points, have been compiled and empirical correlations are developed to predict the carbon content, hydrogen content, and heating value of a torrefied wood as a function of solid mass yield. The range of torrefaction temperature, residence time and solid yield of the collected data is 200–300 °C, 5–60 min and 58–97%, respectively. Two correlations are proposed for carbon content with a coefficient of determination

(R^{2})

of 81.52% and 89.86%, two for hydrogen content with

R^{2}

of 79.01% and 88.45%, and one for higher heating value with

R^{2}

of 92.80%. The root mean square error (RMSE) values of the proposed correlations are 0.037, 0.028, 0.059, 0.043 and 0.023, respectively. The predictability of the proposed relations is examined with an additional set of experimental data and compared with the existing correlations in the literature. The new correlations can be used as a useful tool when designing torrefaction plants, furnaces, or gasifiers operating on torrefied wood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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12 pages, 1770 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Fertilization and Rootstocks in the Biomass Energy Characterization of Prunus dulcis (Miller)

by Alba Mondragón-Valero, Borja Velázquez-Martí, Domingo M. Salazar and Isabel López-Cortés

Energies 2018, 11(5), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11051189 - 8 May 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2897

Abstract

The importance of replacing fossil fuels with new energy routes such as the use of biomass leads to the improvement of sources such as agricultural and forest systems through adequate management techniques.The selection of the vegetal material and the management practices can influence the properties and quality of the obtained biofuel. The properties of the biomass obtained from pruning almond trees (Prunus dulcis (Mill)) have been analyzed in this study. Two varieties were tested, Marcona and Vayro, with three rootstocks, GF305, GF677 and GN Garnem, under different fertilization systems. The quality of the biofuel was evaluated with respect to the chemical composition and gross calorific value. We observed that the variables that mostly influenced the gross calorific value of the biomass were the variety, the rootstock and, primarily, the variety-rootstock interaction. Marcona presented better biomass properties than Vayro. Trees grafted on GF305 obtained a higher gross calorific value than the ones grafted on GF677 and GN Garnem. The percentage of nitrogen highly depended on the fertilization treatment applied, with saccharides and aminoacid fertilization accumulating a higher level of nitrogen than the humic and fluvic fertilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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12 pages, 2997 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring the Regional Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels and the Potential of GHG Reduction

by Fengli Zhang, Dana M. Johnson, Jinjiang Wang, Shuhai Liu and Shimin Zhang

Energies 2018, 11(1), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11010198 - 15 Jan 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3751

Abstract

Forest biomass is an important resource for producing bioenergy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The State of Michigan in the United States (U.S.) is one region recognized for its high potential of supplying forest biomass; however, the long-term availability of timber harvests and the associated harvest residues from this area has not been fully explored. In this study time trend analyses was employed for long term timber assessment and developed mathematical models for harvest residue estimation, as well as the implications of use for ethanol. The GHG savings potential of ethanol over gasoline was also modeled. The methods were applied in Michigan under scenarios of different harvest solutions, harvest types, transportation distances, conversion technologies, and higher heating values over a 50-year period. Our results indicate that the study region has the potential to supply 0.75–1.4 Megatonnes (Mt) dry timber annually and less than 0.05 Mt of dry residue produced from these harvests. This amount of forest biomass could generate 0.15–1.01 Mt of ethanol, which contains 0.68–17.32 GJ of energy. The substitution of ethanol for gasoline as transportation fuel has potential to reduce emissions by 0.043–1.09 Mt CO_2eq annually. The developed method is generalizable in other similar regions of different countries for bioenergy related analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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20 pages, 7775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Thermal Pretreatment Temperatures on Woody Biomass Chemical Composition, Physical Properties and Microstructure

by Ping Wang and Bret H. Howard

Energies 2018, 11(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11010025 - 23 Dec 2017

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 6372

Abstract

Thermal pretreatment of biomass by torrefaction and low temperature pyrolysis has the potential for generating high quality and more suitable fuels. To utilize a model to describe the complex and dynamic changes taking place during these two treatments for process design, optimization and scale-up, detailed data is needed on the property evolution during treatment of well-defined individual biomass particles. The objectives of this study are to investigate the influence of thermal pretreatment temperatures on wood biomass biochemical compositions, physical properties and microstructure. Wild cherry wood was selected as a model biomass and prepared for this study. The well-defined wood particle samples were consecutively heated at 220, 260, 300, 350, 450 and 550 °C for 0.5 h under nitrogen. Untreated and treated samples were characterized for biochemical composition changes (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), physical properties (color, dimensions, weight, density and grindablity), chemical property (proximate analysis and heating value) and microstructural changes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hemicellulose was mostly decomposed in the samples treated at 260 and 300 °C and resulted in the cell walls weakening resulting in improved grindability. The dimensions of the wood were reduced in all directions and shrinkage increased with increased treatment temperature and weight loss. With increased treatment temperature, losses of weight and volume increased and bulk density decreased. The low temperature pyrolyzed wood samples improved solid fuel property with high fuel ratio, which are close to lignite/bituminous coal. Morphology of the wood remained intact through the treatment range but the cell walls were thinner. These results will improve the understanding of the property changes of the biomass during pretreatment and will help to develop models for process simulation and potential application of the treated biomass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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12 pages, 5806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Syngas Cooling and Biomass Filter Medium on Tar Removal

by Sunil Thapa, Prakashbhai R. Bhoi, Ajay Kumar and Raymond L. Huhnke

Energies 2017, 10(3), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10030349 - 11 Mar 2017

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 9128

Abstract

Biomass gasification is a proven technology; however, one of the major obstacles in using product syngas for electric power generation and biofuels is the removal of tar. The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate effectiveness of tar removal methods by cooling the syngas and using wood shavings as filtering media. The performance of the wood shavings filter equipped with an oil bubbler and heat exchanger as cooling systems was tested using tar-laden syngas generated from a 20-kW downdraft gasifier. The tar reduction efficiencies of wood shavings filter, wood shavings filter with heat exchanger, and wood shavings filter with oil bubbler were 10%, 61%, and 97%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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15 pages, 1498 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Torreﬁed Biomass Pellets—Comparing Grindability in Different Laboratory Mills

by Jan Hari Arti Khalsa, Diana Leistner, Nadja Weller, Leilani I. Darvell and Ben Dooley

Energies 2016, 9(10), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9100794 - 4 Oct 2016

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 8996

Abstract

The ﬁring and co-ﬁring of biomass in pulverized coal ﬁred power plants around the world is expected to increase in the coming years. Torrefaction may prove to be a suitable way of upgrading biomass for such an application. For transport and storage purposes, the torreﬁed biomass will tend to be in pellet form. Whilst standard methods for the assessment of the milling characteristics of coal exist, this is not the case for torreﬁed materials—whether in pellet form or not. The grindability of the fuel directly impacts the overall efﬁciency of the combustion process and as such it is an important parameter. In the present study, the grindability of different torreﬁed biomass pellets was tested in three different laboratory mill types; cutting mill (CM), hammer mill (HM) and impact mill (IM). The speciﬁc grinding energy (SGE) required for a deﬁned mass throughput of pellets in each mill was measured and results were compared to other pellet characterization methods (e.g., durability, and hardness) as well as the modiﬁed Hardgrove Index. Seven different torreﬁed biomass pellets including willow, pine, beech, poplar, spruce, forest residue and straw were used as feedstock. On average, the particle-size distribution width (across all feedstock) was narrowest for the IM (0.41 mm), followed by the HM (0.51 mm) and widest for the CM (0.62 mm). Regarding the SGE, the IM consumed on average 8.23 Wh/kg while CM and HM consumed 5.15 and 5.24 Wh/kg, respectively. From the three mills compared in this study, the IM seems better ﬁt for being used in a standardized method that could be developed in the future, e.g., as an ISO standard. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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Review

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19 pages, 452 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Potential of Forest Biomass for Bioenergy in Australia

by Sam Van Holsbeeck, Mark Brown, Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan

Energies 2020, 13(5), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13051147 - 3 Mar 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4693

Abstract

The use of forest biomass for bioenergy in Australia represents only 1% of total energy production but is being recognized for having the potential to deliver low-cost and low-emission, renewable energy solutions. This review addresses the potential of forest biomass for bioenergy production in Australia relative to the amount of biomass energy measures available for production, harvest and transport, conversion, distribution and emission. Thirty-Five Australian studies on forest biomass for bioenergy are reviewed and categorized under five hierarchical terms delimiting the level of assessment on the biomass potential. Most of these studies assess the amount of biomass at a production level using measures such as the allometric volume equation and form factor assumptions linked to forest inventory data or applied in-field weighing of samples to predict the theoretical potential of forest biomass across an area or region. However, when estimating the potential of forest biomass for bioenergy production, it is essential to consider the entire supply chain that includes many limitations and reductions on the recovery of the forest biomass from production in the field to distribution to the network. This review reiterated definitions for theoretical, available, technological, economic and environmental biomass potential and identified missing links between them in the Australian literature. There is a need for further research on the forest biomass potential to explore lower cost and lowest net emission solutions as a replacement to fossil resources for energy production in Australia but methods the could provide promising solutions are available and can be applied to address this gap. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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8 pages, 2210 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Pyrolysis Kinetics of the Arid Land Biomass Halophyte Salicornia Bigelovii and Phoenix Dactylifera Using Thermogravimetric Analysis

by Prosper Dzidzienyo, Juan-Rodrigo Bastidas-Oyanedel and Jens Ejbye Schmidt

Energies 2018, 11(9), 2283; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092283 - 30 Aug 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3111

Abstract

Biomass availability in arid regions is challenging due to limited arable land and lack of fresh water. In this study, we focus on pyrolysis of two biomasses that are typically abundant agricultural biomasses in arid regions, focusing on understanding the reaction rates and Arrhenius kinetic parameters that describe the pyrolysis reactions of halophyte Salicornia bigelovii, date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and co-pyrolysis biomass using thermo-gravimetric analysis under non-isothermal conditions. The mass loss data obtained from thermogravimetric analysis of S. bigelovii and date palm revealed the reaction rate peaked between 592 K and 612 K for P. dactylifera leaves and 588 K and 609 K for S. bigelovii at heating rates, 5 K/min, 10 K/min and 15 K/min during the active pyrolysis phase. The activation energy for S. bigelovii and P. dactylifera leaves during this active pyrolysis phase were estimated using the Kissinger method as 147.6 KJ/mol and 164.7 KJ/mol respectively with pre-exponential factors of 3.13 × 10⁹/min and 9.55 × 10¹⁰/min for the respective biomasses. Other isoconversional models such as the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa were used to determine these kinetic parameters during other phases of the pyrolysis reaction and gave similar results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Woody Biomass for Bioenergy Production)

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