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Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels
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Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 7039

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Puglia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
Interests: gasification; pyrolysis; biomass; combustion; energy saving
Dr. Nicolò Morselli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
Interests: biomass; gasification; biochar; energy; BECCS; heat transfer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is prompting production systems to shift from a fossil-based economy to a carbon neutral one. In this context, biomass can play an important role if wisely exploited. Biomass is widely available and uniformly distributed worldwide and can provide a sustainable source of energy with the advantage of being less intermittent and more programmable compared to solar and wind power. There are different ways to use biomass as fuel such as direct combustion, co-combustion with alternative fuels (e.g., fossil fuels), gasification, etc. All these processes can be very attractive from an environmental point of view when the fuel used is agricultural or forest residues. However, the exploitation of biomass as energy source its often more complicated compared to that of fossil fuels or other renewable sources; therefore, research in this field is fundamental to improve the technologies in order to increase efficiency and reduce pollution and costs.

This Special Issue on “Advances in Biomass Co-Combustion with Alternative Fuels” aims to address the combined use of biomasses with different fuels in order to identify the issues and possible solutions of the technology as well as to explore possible new scenarios. 

The main research topics are:

  • Biomass and coal co-combustion;
  • Biomass and gas co-combustion;
  • Co-combustion with producer gas from biomass gasification.

Dr. Marco Puglia
Dr. Nicolò Morselli
Guest Editors

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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

  • co-combustion
  • biomass
  • co-firing
  • bioenergy
  • fuel

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2213 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of the Engine Performance and Emissions Characteristics Powered by Various Ethanol–Butanol–Gasoline Blends
by Ashraf Elfasakhany
Processes 2023, 11(4), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041264 - 19 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1454
Abstract
Although many biofuel blends have been proposed recently, comparisons of such blends are rarely investigated. Currently, it is extremely difficult to recommend one biofuel blend over another since comparisons are not carried out under the same engine conditions. In the current study, different [...] Read more.
Although many biofuel blends have been proposed recently, comparisons of such blends are rarely investigated. Currently, it is extremely difficult to recommend one biofuel blend over another since comparisons are not carried out under the same engine conditions. In the current study, different biofuel blends in dual and ternary issues are compared together, as well as with conventional gasoline under the same engine conditions. Five different biofuel blends are considered, i-butanol (iB), n-butanol (nB), bio-ethanol (E), n-butanol–bio-ethanol (nBE), and i-butanol–bio-ethanol–gasoline (iBE) blends, at two different engine speeds (2500 and 3500 rpm/min). Additionally, the blends are compared in the average bases through wide engine speeds. The comparisons of blends are carried out via engine performance and emissions. The performance includes engine power, torque, and volumetric efficiency, while the emissions include CO, CO2, and UHC. Results showed that the E blends presented higher performance than the pure/neat gasoline by about 6.5%, 1.5%, and 25% for engine power, torque, and volumetric efficiency, respectively. Nevertheless the other four blended fuels (nB, iB, nBE, and iBE) presented lower levels of engine performance than the pure gasoline by about −3.4%, −2.6%, −5.2%, and −2.3% for engine power, −1.48%, −0.9%, −1.9%, and −1.7% for torque, and −3.3%, −3%, −2.4%, and −2.7% for volumetric efficiency, respectively. Regarding emissions, the E blends presented the highest CO2 (by about 4.6%) and the lowest CO (by about −20%), while both nB and iB showed the lowest CO2 (by about −35% and −36%, respectively) and the highest CO emissions (by about −10% and −11.6%, respectively). Lastly, iB and nBE introduced, respectively, the highest and the lowest UHC emissions (by about −6.8% and −17%, respectively) among all blends. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels)
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15 pages, 2232 KiB  
Article
Biofuel Blends for Desalination Units: Comparison and Assessments
by Ashraf Elfasakhany
Processes 2023, 11(4), 1139; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041139 - 07 Apr 2023
Viewed by 954
Abstract
Although desalinations with renewables were introduced some time ago, conventional desalination units are still applied. Conventional desalinations account for 90% of desalinations worldwide. Yet, they have two significant issues: a high demand for energy and a high level of environmental contaminants. Such issues [...] Read more.
Although desalinations with renewables were introduced some time ago, conventional desalination units are still applied. Conventional desalinations account for 90% of desalinations worldwide. Yet, they have two significant issues: a high demand for energy and a high level of environmental contaminants. Such issues are studied and remedies are suggested in the current study. Varieties of biofuel blends in dual and ternary bases are investigated experimentally for indirect desalination. Results showed that ternary blends can introduce lower desalination potentials than fossil fuels by about 4–7%. The best ternary blends for the indirect desalination process are iBE, followed by niB, and finally EM. The EGT of iBE is greater than niB and EM by about 1.1 and 1.2%, respectively. Both n-butanol/iso-butanol–gasoline dual blends introduced an almost similar desalination potential as the ternary blends (e.g., lower desalination by about 4.4 and 4.7%). Nevertheless, bio-ethanol/bio-methanol–gasoline dual blends introduced greater desalination potentials than the fossil fuel by 3.2 and 3%, respectively. Regarding environmental issues, both ternary and dual blends introduced lower CO and UHC emissions than fossil fuels in varying degrees. M presented the lowest CO by about 30%, followed by EM by about 21%, and lastly E by about 20%, compared to G. However, the lowest UHC is presented by EM followed by nB and niB with rates of 18, 16.2, and 13.5%. Results also showed that the engine speed has a considerable effect on the desalination process and environment; low engine speed is recommended in the case of applying ternary blends, as well as dual n-butanol/iso-butanol–gasoline blends. Alternatively, in the case of applying bio-ethanol/bio-methanol–gasoline dual blends, moderate engine speed is preferable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels)
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20 pages, 5562 KiB  
Article
Combustion Chamber Optimization for Dual-Fuel Biogas–Diesel Co-Combustion in Compression Ignition Engines
by Stefano Caprioli, Antonello Volza, Francesco Scrignoli, Tommaso Savioli, Enrico Mattarelli and Carlo Alberto Rinaldini
Processes 2023, 11(4), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041113 - 05 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1425
Abstract
Micro-cogeneration with locally produced biogas from waste is a proven technique for supporting the decarbonization process. However, the strongly variable composition of biogas can make its use in internal combustion engines quite challenging. Dual-fuel engines offer advantages over conventional SI and diesel engines, [...] Read more.
Micro-cogeneration with locally produced biogas from waste is a proven technique for supporting the decarbonization process. However, the strongly variable composition of biogas can make its use in internal combustion engines quite challenging. Dual-fuel engines offer advantages over conventional SI and diesel engines, but there are still issues to be addressed, such as the low-load thermodynamic efficiency and nitrogen oxide emissions. In particular, it is highly desirable to reduce NOx directly in the combustion chamber in order to avoid expensive after-treatment systems. This study analyzed the influence of the combustion system, especially the piston bowl geometry and the injector nozzle, on the performance and emissions of a dual-fuel diesel–biogas engine designed for micro-cogeneration (maximum electric power: 50 kW). In detail, four different cylindrical piston bowls characterized by radii of 23, 28, 33 and 38 mm were compared with a conventional omega-shaped diesel bowl. Moreover, the influence of the injector tip position and the jet tilt angle was analyzed over ranges of 2–10 mm and 30–120°, respectively. The goal of the optimization was to find a configuration that was able to reduce the amount of NOx while maintaining high values of brake thermal efficiency at all the engine operating conditions. For this purpose, a 3D-CFD investigation was carried out by means of a customized version of the KIVA-3V code at both full load (BMEP = 8 bar, 3000 rpm, maximum brake power) and partial load (BMEP = 4 bar, 3000 rpm). The novelty of the study consisted of the parametric approach to the problem and the high number of investigated parameters. The results indicated that the standard design of the piston bowl yielded a near-optimal trade-off at full load between the thermodynamic efficiency and pollutant emissions; however, at a lower load, significant advantages could be found by designing a deeper cylindrical bowl with a smaller radius. In particular, a new bowl characterized by a radius of 23 mm was equivalent to the standard one at BMEP = 8 bar, but it yielded a NOx-specific reduction of 38% at BMEP = 4 bar with the same value of BTE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels)
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13 pages, 2541 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Study on the Thermal Behavior and Chemical-Physical Characteristics of Woody Biomass as Solid Biofuels
by Max J. A. Romero, Daniele Duca, Vittorio Maceratesi, Sara Di Stefano, Carmine De Francesco and Giuseppe Toscano
Processes 2023, 11(1), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010154 - 04 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1425
Abstract
The chemical composition of woody biomass directly influences its thermal degradation and, subsequently, the selection of processes and technologies used for its conversion into energy or value-added products. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the thermal behavior and chemical-physical characteristics of three [...] Read more.
The chemical composition of woody biomass directly influences its thermal degradation and, subsequently, the selection of processes and technologies used for its conversion into energy or value-added products. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the thermal behavior and chemical-physical characteristics of three different woody biomass species (hardwood, softwood and chemically-treated wood) using thermogravimetric and characterization analysis based on ISO 16948, ISO 18125 and ISO 18122 methods. The main findings show that the most significant trend of mass loss, around 70%, in the thermal degradation of the different species of woody biomass occurred between 150 °C and 500 °C and that the residual mass at 650 °C was between 13% and 24%. Although the three species of woody biomass showed a high average energy content (19.60 MJ/kg), softwood samples had a more stable thermal degradation than hardwoods and chemically-treated woods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels)
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16 pages, 3791 KiB  
Article
Coal-Scenedesmus Microalgae Co-Firing in a Fixed Bed Combustion Reactor: A Study on CO2, SO2 and NOx Emissions and Ash
by Nokuthula Ethel Magida, Gary Dugmore and Adeniyi Sunday Ogunlaja
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2183; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10112183 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1334
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of coal–Scenedesmus microalgae (with blending ratios of 100:0 (coal), 95:5 (Coalgae® 5%), 90:10 (Coalgae® 10%), 85:15 (Coalgae® 15%) and 80:20 (Coalgae® 20%)) on combustion temperature, mass loss, the formation of CO2, [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of coal–Scenedesmus microalgae (with blending ratios of 100:0 (coal), 95:5 (Coalgae® 5%), 90:10 (Coalgae® 10%), 85:15 (Coalgae® 15%) and 80:20 (Coalgae® 20%)) on combustion temperature, mass loss, the formation of CO2, SO2 and NOx gases, and ash content under constant atmospheric air flow. Coalgae® refers to a material formed after blending coal and microalgae. The results showed that NOx came mainly from Coalgae® 10% and 15%, and this observation could be attributed to a variable air concentration level (O2 level) in the environment that could influence NOx during the combustion process, irrespective of the blending ratios. CO2 emission reductions (12%, 17%, 21% and 29%) and SO2 emission reductions (3%, 12%, 16% and 19%) increased with the increasing coal-microalgae blending ratio (Coalgae® 5–20%), respectively. Bubble-like morphology was observed in the ash particles of coal–microalgae blends through SEM, while the TEM confirmed the formation of carbon-based sheets and graphitic-based nanocomposites influenced by the microalgae amounts. Ash residues of the coal–microalgae blends contained high amounts of fluxing compounds (Fe2O3, K2O, CaO and MgO), which resulted in an increased base/acid ratio from 0.189 (coal) to 0.568 (Coalgae® 20%). Based on the above findings, the co-firing of coal–Scenedesmus microalgae led to a reduction in CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions. As such, lower Coalgae® blends can be considered as an alternative fuel in any coal-driven process for energy generation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Co-combustion with Alternative Fuels)
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