Thermodynamic Analysis and Modeling in Biomass Thermal Conversion Processes

A special issue of Thermo (ISSN 2673-7264).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 1052

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637141, Singapore
Interests: co-firing biomass with coal; biomass combustion modeling; pyrolysis kinetics; heat transfer; artificial intelligence application

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomass thermal conversion processes—including pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion—offer promising routes toward renewable energy production and carbon neutrality. These processes are inherently complex, involving multi-phase, multi-scale phenomena influenced by the heterogeneous nature of biomass feedstocks. Understanding and optimizing these conversion pathways require robust thermodynamic analysis and advanced modeling approaches.

This Special Issue of Thermo aims to highlight recent advances in the thermodynamic study and modeling of biomass thermal conversion. We welcome innovative research covering theoretical developments, numerical simulations, experimental validation, and process integration. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Reaction kinetics in pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion;
  • Char oxidation and gas–solid interactions;
  • CFD modeling of biomass reactors;
  • Energy and exergy analyses;
  • Artificial intelligence in modeling and optimization;
  • Pollutant formation, transport, and mitigation;
  • Heat and mass transfer in thermochemical systems;
  • Integration with carbon capture and energy storage technologies.

We particularly encourage submissions that bridge fundamental thermodynamic insights with practical system design and operation. This Special Issue provides a platform for researchers and practitioners to exchange knowledge and accelerate innovation in sustainable biomass energy systems.

Dr. Jiaye Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pyrolysis kinetics
  • gasification
  • char oxidation
  • CFD modeling
  • biomass utilization
  • pollutant emissions
  • energy systems
  • thermal conversion

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1311 KB  
Article
Thermo-Energetic Analysis of Electrolytic Oxygen Valorization via Biomass Oxy-Fuel Combustion: A Case Study Applied to a Power-to-Liquid Route for Methanol Synthesis
by Flávio S. Pereira, Argimiro R. Secchi and Alexandre Szklo
Thermo 2025, 5(4), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/thermo5040041 - 7 Oct 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
The decarbonization of hard-to-defossilize sectors, such as international maritime transport, requires innovative, and at times disruptive, energy solutions that combine efficiency, scalability, and climate benefits. Therefore, power-to-liquid (PtL) routes have stood out for their potential to use low-emission electricity for the production of [...] Read more.
The decarbonization of hard-to-defossilize sectors, such as international maritime transport, requires innovative, and at times disruptive, energy solutions that combine efficiency, scalability, and climate benefits. Therefore, power-to-liquid (PtL) routes have stood out for their potential to use low-emission electricity for the production of synthetic fuels, via electrolytic hydrogen and CO2 capture. However, the high energy demand inherent to these routes poses significant challenges to large-scale implementation. Moreover, PtL routes are usually at most neutral in terms of CO2 emissions. This study evaluates, from a thermo-energetic perspective, the optimization potential of an e-methanol synthesis route through integration with a biomass oxy-fuel combustion process, making use of electrolytic oxygen as the oxidizing agent and the captured CO2 as the carbon source. From the standpoint of a first-law thermodynamic analysis, mass and energy balances were developed considering the full oxygen supply for oxy-fuel combustion to be met through alkaline electrolysis, thus eliminating the energy penalty associated with conventional oxygen production via air separation units. The balance closure was based on a small-scale plant with a capacity of around 100 kta of methanol. In this integrated configuration, additional CO2 surpluses beyond methanol synthesis demand can be directed to geological storage, which, when combined with bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) strategies, may lead to net negative CO2 emissions. The results demonstrate that electrolytic oxygen valorization is a promising pathway to enhance the efficiency and climate performance of PtL processes. Full article
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17 pages, 2175 KB  
Article
From Thermal Conversion to Cathode Performance: Acid-Activated Walnut Shell Biochar in Li–S Batteries and Its Impact on Air Quality
by Fabricio Aguirre, Guillermina Luque, Gabriel Imwinkelried, Fernando Cometto, Clara Saux, Mariano Teruel and María Belén Blanco
Thermo 2025, 5(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/thermo5030034 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 419
Abstract
The thermal processing of walnut shells was investigated through pyrolysis within the range of 100–650 °C, highlighting the influence of thermal engineering parameters on biomass conversion. The resulting biochar was subjected to chemical activation with phosphoric acid, and its physicochemical properties were evaluated [...] Read more.
The thermal processing of walnut shells was investigated through pyrolysis within the range of 100–650 °C, highlighting the influence of thermal engineering parameters on biomass conversion. The resulting biochar was subjected to chemical activation with phosphoric acid, and its physicochemical properties were evaluated to determine how thermal processing enhances its performance as a cathode material for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. This approach underscores the role of thermal engineering in bridging biomass valorization with energy storage technologies. In parallel, the gaseous fraction generated during walnut shell fast pyrolysis was collected, and for the first time, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under atmospheric conditions were identified using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The composition of the VOCs was characterized, quantifying aromatic compounds, hydrocarbons, furans, and oxygenated species. This study further linked the thermal decomposition pathways of these compounds to their atmospheric implications by estimating tropospheric lifetimes and evaluating their potential contributions to air quality degradation at the local, regional, and global scales. Full article
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