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Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies
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Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 10206

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Clara Mendoza Martinez

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Energy Technology, School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland
Interests: thermochemical conversion processes, i.e., gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization; physicochemical conversion processes, i.e., briquetting and pelleting; characterization of biomasses; kinetic analysis; transport phenomena analysis; bioenergy technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Esa Kari Vakkilainen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy Systems, LUT University, Yliopistonkatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland
Interests: biotechnology; energy engineering and power technology; environmental engineering; renewable energy, sustainability and the environment; modeling and simulation; chemical engineering; materials science
Prof. Dr. Elem Patricia Alves Rocha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Janaúba 39440-000, MG, Brazil
Interests: thermal conversion of biomass; energy from biomass; characterization of biomass; modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The generation of energy from alternative and renewable sources is of enormous importance for the sustainable development of the world bioeconomy, as its use mitigates environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions. One of the primary challenges of achieving carbon neutrality is the efficient use of natural resources for energy applications. For different sectors to prosper, long-term structural reforms are necessary, which will result in more sustainable and balanced patterns of energy supply and demand. Of the energy sources available, biomass has shown great potential for expansion due to existing reserves worldwide and its versatile characteristics that can help to meet energy demands and reduce the accumulation of waste. Several countries aim to promote and support the bioenergy expansion; however, to increase the share of renewables, policy goals, new technologies, and sustainable biomass evaluation need to be explored.

Despite widespread awareness of and ongoing research into the potential use of biomass for energy applications, the cost of producing energy from biomass remains high due to both technological and logistical limitations. The bulky and inconvenient form of biomass together with negative energetic parameters such as low calorific value are a major barrier to a rapid shift from fossil to biomass fuels. A variety of available treatment and conversion technologies, each associated with different parameters and product yields, can create suitable energy carriers between biomass feedstock and the final energy use. From this, stronger policy support and innovation are essential to reduce the costs that are required to scale up and expand biomass utilization.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to compile research from the fields of science, engineering, economics, and society on the possibilities, problems, and prospective solutions for biomass resources as sustainable energy sources for energy generation via various conversion technologies.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

  • The existing challenges of biomass use for energy, e.g., operational, economic, social and policy, and regulatory issues.
  • Different conversion technologies’ approach to overcome the biggest technical barriers of efficient biomass utilization, including biochemical, physicochemical and thermochemical processes.
  • Biomass energy potential and technologies.
  • Technological solutions suitable for an effective and cost-attractive use of biomass resources.
  • International-scale case studies of the successful integration of biomass-based energy solutions.
  • The environmental impact of biomass residues management and conversion treatments.
  • The characterization of biomass for energy application.
  • Energy transition.

Dr. Clara Mendoza Martinez
Prof. Dr. Esa Kari Vakkilainen
Prof. Dr. Elem Patricia Alves Rocha
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. 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
  • waste and by-products
  • biofuels
  • torrefaction
  • gasification
  • pyrolysis
  • hydrothermal treatments
  • anaerobic digestion
  • pelletizing
  • biorefineries
  • combustion
  • combined heat and power
  • biomass characterization
  • biomass pretreatment
  • energy and environmental policies
  • life cycle assessment
  • sustainable resources

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3695 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Study of the Laminar Burning Velocity of Biogas–Ammonia–Air Premixed Flames
by Pierre Brequigny, Adnane Soulé, Christine Mounaïm-Rousselle, Guillaume Dayma and Fabien Halter
Energies 2024, 17(2), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020319 - 9 Jan 2024
Viewed by 774
Abstract
Biogas is a gas resulting from the digestion of biomass, which means transforming organic waste into energy. It is composed essentially of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and can also contain ammonia (NH3) as an impurity. [...] Read more.
Biogas is a gas resulting from the digestion of biomass, which means transforming organic waste into energy. It is composed essentially of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and can also contain ammonia (NH3) as an impurity. Biogas is generally used to generate electricity or produce heat in a cogeneration system. With the renewed interest in ammonia and the increasing development of biogas caused by the urge for an energetic transition, those two carbon-neutral fuels are being investigated as a mixture in this study through the laminar burning velocity (LBV). In this paper, the LBV of biogas ammonia air mixtures are investigated experimentally for the first time over a wide range of equivalence ratios and ammonia concentrations. The biogas studied was 60% CH4 and 40% CO2 in volume. The NH3 concentration in the fuel varied from 0 to 50% vol. while the equivalence ratio varied from 0.8 to 1.2. The experiments were conducted at constant pressure in a constant volume vessel at 300 K and 1 bar. Adding ammonia to biogas decreases the LBV while the Markstein length is not very sensitive to ammonia addition. The CEU-NH3-Mech-1.1 and Okafor mechanisms show good agreement with the experimental laminar burning velocity. The effect of radiative heat losses on the measurement is also investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies)
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29 pages, 4275 KiB  
Article
Economic and Ecological Impacts on the Integration of Biomass-Based SNG and FT Diesel in the Austrian Energy System
by Martin Hammerschmid, Alexander Bartik, Florian Benedikt, Marton Veress, Simon Pratschner, Stefan Müller and Hermann Hofbauer
Energies 2023, 16(16), 6097; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166097 - 21 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1309
Abstract
The production of sustainable, biomass-based synthetic natural gas (SNG) and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) diesel can contribute significantly to climate neutrality. This work aims to determine the commercial-scale production costs and CO2 footprint of biomass-based SNG and FT diesel to find suitable integration scenarios [...] Read more.
The production of sustainable, biomass-based synthetic natural gas (SNG) and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) diesel can contribute significantly to climate neutrality. This work aims to determine the commercial-scale production costs and CO2 footprint of biomass-based SNG and FT diesel to find suitable integration scenarios for both products in the Austrian energy system. Based on the simulation results, either 65 MW SNG and 14.2 MW district heat, or 36.6 MW FT diesel, 17.6 MW FT naphtha, and 22.8 MW district heat can be produced from 100 MW biomass. The production costs with taxes for wood-based SNG are 70–91 EUR /MWh and for FT diesel they are 1.31–1.89 EUR /L, depending on whether pre-crisis or crisis times are considered, which are in the range of fossil market prices. The CO2 footprint of both products is 90% lower than that of their fossil counterparts. Finally, suitable integration scenarios for SNG and FT diesel in the Austrian energy system were determined. For SNG, use within the energy sector for covering electricity peak loads or use in the industry sector for providing high-temperature heat were identified as the most promising scenarios. In the case of FT diesel, its use in the heavy-duty traffic sector seems most suitable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies)
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18 pages, 1422 KiB  
Article
Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions
by Satu Lipiäinen, Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti and Esa Vakkilainen
Energies 2023, 16(2), 746; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16020746 - 9 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3162
Abstract
The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce [...] Read more.
The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO2 emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies)
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19 pages, 4961 KiB  
Article
Two-Phase Experimentation to Determine the Optimal Composition for the Production of Biogas and Biol Substrate Mixing Waste from the Camal de Guayaquil
by Sandra Arla, Reinaldo Delgado, Leonardo Goyos and Leandro Robaina
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9624; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249624 - 19 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1162
Abstract
In this two-phase study, it was shown that a mixture with equal parts of manure and resulting animal blood was the optimal combination for obtaining biogas and biol. A quadratic growth trend in variable gas pressure over time—as well as its behavior—was confirmed [...] Read more.
In this two-phase study, it was shown that a mixture with equal parts of manure and resulting animal blood was the optimal combination for obtaining biogas and biol. A quadratic growth trend in variable gas pressure over time—as well as its behavior—was confirmed for pHs around the neutral value for the substrate used in both the pilot phase and in the microplant, which had a mechanical implementation and mechatronic system for the control of variables that intervene in the anaerobic digestion process; this allowed for the confirmation of the results found in the first phase of research—without concerns that a lack of control over the process variables would cause—in such a way that it constituted a path for the industrialization of the waste treatment process in slaughterhouses that could be optimized by the use of the optimal combination that produces the greatest cm3 amount of gas. Anaerobic digestion in biodigesters is carried out at different constant temperature values within the mesophilic range, with a hydraulic retention time of 25 days. A direct relationship was found between temperature, biogas production and pH behavior in the buffer(s). The pH remained close to neutral and the gas pressure increased from 15 to 20. The findings indicated that the value for the C/N ratio of the blood of four was compensated for by its buffer system, composed of bicarbonate, hemoglobin, proteins and phosphates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies)
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Review

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32 pages, 3093 KiB  
Review
Review of Porous Ceramics for Hot Gas Cleanup of Biomass Syngas Using Catalytic Ceramic Filters to Produce Green Hydrogen/Fuels/Chemicals
by Devin Peck, Mark Zappi, Daniel Gang, John Guillory, Rafael Hernandez and Prashanth Buchireddy
Energies 2023, 16(5), 2334; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052334 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3196
Abstract
Biomass gasification is one of the most promising routes to produce green hydrogen, power, fuels, and chemicals, which has drawn much attention as the world moves away from fossil fuels. Syngas produced from gasification needs to go through an essential gas cleanup step [...] Read more.
Biomass gasification is one of the most promising routes to produce green hydrogen, power, fuels, and chemicals, which has drawn much attention as the world moves away from fossil fuels. Syngas produced from gasification needs to go through an essential gas cleanup step for the removal of tars and particulates for further processing, which is one of the cost-inducing steps. Existing hot gas cleanup strategies involve the particulate removal step followed by catalytic tar reforming, which could be integrated into a single unit operation using porous ceramics owing to their advantages including high-temperature resistance, high corrosion resistance, flexibility, and robust mechanical integrity. Ceramic filters have proven to be effective at filtering particulates from hot gas streams in various applications including combustion, incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis. These materials have also been evaluated and used to an extent as catalyst support to remove contaminants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and in particular, tars, however, the use of these ceramic materials to remove both tars and particulates in one unit has not received much attention, although it has a promising potential to be a cost-effective hot gas cleanup strategy. Thus, this review presents the ability of catalytic ceramic filters to boost energy efficiency by converting unwanted byproducts while simultaneously eliminating PM in a single unit and is shown to be valuable in industrial processes across the board. This article presents a comprehensive and systematic overview and current state of knowledge of the use of porous ceramics for catalytic hot gas filtration applications with an emphasis on biomass syngas cleanup. In addition, a similar strategy for other applications such as combustion exhaust streams is presented. Prospects and challenges of taking this approach, and the necessary research and development to advance the novel use of reactive ceramic filters within biomass-fed thermal systems are presented. Major challenges include the low surface area of the ceramic filter media and high-pressure drop across the filter media, which can be overcome by wash coating or dip coating mechanisms and porosity tailored to meet the requirements. Owing to limited R&D efforts in this area, a systematic approach toward developing these integrated hot gas filtration systems is much needed, which will ultimately contribute to cost-effective green hydrogen production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Conversion Technologies)
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