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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Biomass energy production'
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Hahn, John J. "Hydrogen production from biomass." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4387.
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Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 1, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.
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Aleksic, Snezana. "Butanol Production from Biomass." Connect to resource online, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1242762960.
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Hemstock, Sarah Louise. "Multi-dimensional modelling of biomass energy flows." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.313680.
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Li, Difu. "Fermentative hydrogen production from wastewater by immobilized biomass." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2007. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/HKUTO/record/B39557728.
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Li, Difu, and 李迪夫. "Fermentative hydrogen production from wastewater by immobilized biomass." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2007. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B39557728.
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Gardner, Nick. "Assessment of methane production from refuse-infills." Thesis, Cranfield University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.334751.
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Yang, Yang. "Energy production from biomass and waste derived intermediate pyrolysis oils." Thesis, Aston University, 2015. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/25356/.
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This study investigates the use of Pyroformer intermediate pyrolysis system to produce alternative diesel engines fuels (pyrolysis oil) from various biomass and waste feedstocks and the application of these pyrolysis oils in a diesel engine generating system for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) production. The pyrolysis oils were produced in a pilot-scale (20 kg/h) intermediate pyrolysis system. Comprehensive characterisations, with a view to use as engine fuels, were carried out on the sewage sludge and de-inking sludge derived pyrolysis oils. They were both found to be able to provide sufficient heat for fuelling a diesel engine. The pyrolysis oils also presented poor combustibility and high carbon deposition, but these problems could be mitigated by means of blending the pyrolysis oils with biodiesel (derived from waste cooking oil). The blends of SSPO (sewage sludge pyrolysis oil) and biodiesel (30/70 and 50/50 in volumetric ratios) were tested in a 15 kWe Lister type stationary generating system for up to 10 hours. There was no apparent deterioration observed in engine operation. With 30% SSPO blended into biodiesel, the engine presents better overall performance (electric efficiency), fuel consumption, and overall exhaust emissions than with 50% SSPO blend. An overall system analysis was carried out on a proposed integrated Pyroformer-CHP system. Combined with real experimental results, this was used for evaluating the costs for producing heat and power and char from wood pellets and sewage sludge. It is concluded that the overall system efficiencies for both types of plant can be over 40%; however the integrated CHP system is not economically viable. This is due to extraordinary project capital investment required.
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Schiener, Peter. "Bioethanol production from macroalgae." Thesis, University of the Highlands and Islands, 2014. https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/portal/en/studentthesis/bioethanol-production-from-macroalgae(d1c0fd4d-3a91-4d17-be4f-0b7b2af86e11).html.
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Seaweed biomass has been identified as a potential fermentation substrate for third generation biofuel processes due to its high carbohydrate content and its potential for mass cultivation without competing for agricultural land, fresh water and fertilisers. This thesis aimed to develop and advance existing processes to convert brown seaweeds into bioethanol. The main kelp species chosen as biomass candidates were Laminaria digitata, Laminaria hyperborea, Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta due to their abundance in Scottish waters and their identified potential for mariculturing. These kelp species were chemically characterised to identify seasonal variations, to recommend suitable seaweed candidates for bioethanol production and predict best harvest times. This has only been demonstrated before on one species - L. digitata. The chemical composition analyses were carried out over a 14 months sampling period, which focused on the storage carbohydrates laminarin and mannitol and the structural carbohydrates alginate, cellulose, fucoidan and xylose. In addition to carbohydrates the protein, nitrogen, carbon, polyphenol, ash and metal content was also profiled. Chemical profiling identified all four kelps as potential fermentation candidates, where maximum carbohydrate contents coincided with lowest ash and polyphenol content, usually seen in autumn. Biomass pre-treatment and saccharification are up-stream processes aimed at enhancing extraction of carbohydrates and converting those into fermentable substrates. Conversion of seaweed biomass into fermentation substrate evaluated acids and enzymes for seaweed pre-treatment and saccharification. Methodologies focused on optimising saccharification yields were developed to identify process critical parameters and develop methods for routine analysis of seaweed biomass. Results demonstrated that dilute acid hydrolysis was were less effective in releasing fermentable sugars, and also resulted in higher salinities compared to enzymatic hydrolysis using hemicellulosic and cellulosic enzymes, which were the preferred method of saccharification. All seaweeds in this thesis were assessed as fermentation substrates using the yeasts S. cerevisiae and P. angophorae, that principally ferment glucose or mannitol, respectively. Small-scale fermentation assays were developed for both yeasts to maximise ethanol yields and achieve process robustness. Both yeasts achieved a maximum ethanol yield of 0.17 g g-1 using Laminaria spp. On the basis of results, S. cerevisiae is recommended as the most useful yeast at this present point for ethanol fermentation from seaweed hydrolysates because of its tolerance to high salinity and ethanol concentrations. As salinity can negatively affect non-halotolerant enzymes, isolation of marine microorganisms was therefore carried out with the aim to highlight their enzymatic potential in seaweed saccharification. This was achieved through the isolation of two members of the genus Pseudoalteromonas, where saccharification yields using crude intracellular enzyme preparations exceeded those of dilute acids. In addition, the fermentative potential of microbial isolates as future ethanologenic strains was also evaluated. Understanding of the metabolic pathways is needed to fully assess the potential of those strains for genetic alteration. In conclusion, this thesis has demonstrated that up to ca. 20 g l-1 of ethanol can be produced from kelp species that grow on the west coast of Scotland. The procedure developed and used to produce ethanol requires further development, specifically the need for ethanol-fermenting microorganisms that can utilize mannitol and alginate; use of marine-adapted enzymes for saccharifiction; and the development of processes to achieve substrate concentration with reduced salinities. Comparison of theoretical ethanol yields from seaweed biomass with ethanol yields from terrestrial crops showed that the complete utilisation of all three major seaweed carbohydrates (laminarin, mannitol and alginate) from kelp species is needed for the process to be able to compete with 1st generation biofuel processes.
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Dutta, Baishali. "Assessment of Pyrolysis techniques of lignocellulosic biomass for Biochar production." Thesis, McGill University, 2010. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=95255.
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Biomass pyrolysis at temperatures above 300°C, with the biochar being returned to the soil is a possible strategy for climate change mitigation and reducing fossil fuel consumption. In this study, an attempt has been made to develop a finite element model (FEM) in order to couple thermal heating and heat and mass transfer phenomena during pyrolysis. This numerical modelling and simulation approach helped the visualization of the process and optimized the production of biochar. In this work, cylindrical sections of birch wood biomass were pyrolysed in a laboratory-scale thermal desorption unit. The influences of final pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, and pyrolysis atmosphere on the product yields were investigated. Results showed that the yield of pyrolysis products was reduced with increasing time and temperature. On the other hand, the char content in the wood increased together with increasing pyrolysis temperature as well as time for both slow and fast pyrolysis. A technique to maximize the amount of char in the product was also identified through this study and optimized along with the yield. The resulting biochar was tested through proximate analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to determine its thermodynamic qualities, which were analysed and compared according to their physical characteristics like porosity and reflectance.La pyrolyse de biomasse à des températures excédant 300°C, suivi d'un retour au sol du produit de carbonisation de matériel biologique, s'avère une stratégie permettant de possiblement atténuer le changement climatique et réduire la consommation de combustibles fossiles. Dans la présente étude, nous tentâmes de créer un modèle d'éléments finis (MEF) permettant de coupler le réchauffement thermique et les phénomènes de transfert de chaleur et de masse opérant durant la pyrolyse. Cette démarche de modélisation et simulation numérique améliora notre habilité à visualiser le procédé et à optimiser la production de biochar. Des sections cylindriques de biomasse de bois de bouleau furent soumises à une pyrolyse dans un désorbeur thermique de laboratoire. L'influence de la température finale de pyrolyse, la vitesse d'élévation de température, et l'atmosphère de pyrolyse fut investiguée. Les résultants démontrèrent que tandis que le rendement en produits de pyrolyse diminua avec une augmentation de la température et du temps de la pyrolyse, le contenu en charbon du bois augmenta avec une augmentation ces paramètres, tout autant pour une pyrolyse lente qu'une pyrolyse rapide. A travers cette démarche, nous identifiâmes une technique permettant de maximiser la quantité de charbon dans les produits de pyrolyse ainsi que le rendement global du procédé. Le biochar ainsi généré fut testé par analyse immédiate et analyse calorimétrique à compensation de puissance afin de déterminer ses propriétés thermodynamiques, qui furent analysées et comparées selon les caractéristiques physiques des différents biochars, soit leur porosité et leur réflectance. fr
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Hall, Stephen. "Optimisation of biogas production from percolating packed bed anaerobic digesters." Thesis, University of South Wales, 1986. https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/studentthesis/optimisation-of-biogas-production-from-percolating-packed-bed-anaerobic-digesters(6825c6bf-4ee7-439e-832a-28aa8b7cd4d3).html.
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Percolating packed bed digesters were operated successfully in a batch mode using a wheat straw - dairy manure substrate of between 21 and 27% total solids. The vessels used had a nominal 10 1 volume and were constructed of perspex. Temperatures of 25-35°C were used, recirculation rates of 0-15 litres.hr-1 (the digesters having a diameter of 0.18 metres thus corresponding to superficial flow rates of between O and 0.382 l/m2 /hr), solid : liquid ratios of 1:1 to 4:1 and bed heights of 0.26 to 2.05 metres. The optima found were a temperature of 35°C, recirculation rate of 3 litres.hr1-, a solid: liquid ratio of 2:1 and a bed height of 1.5 metres. Experiments were conducted for periods of up to 70 days, though operation beyond a 40 day period was found to produce little extra biogas. The performance compared favourably with other high solids waste digesters with gas yields of 0.305 m 3 /kg VS added and solids losses of 47% volatile solids and 64% cellulose being obtained over a 40 day period. No major problems of inhibition or blocking occurred. Linking of digesters in series via their recirculation systems was found to be advantageous. Gas yields were found to be increased by approximately 18% and solids losses increased by approximately 20% when the waste was treated in this semicontinuous manner. These increases were found to be a result of the rapid transfer of well-adapted bacteria to the fresh digester. Lag phase in the fresh digester was reduced by three days and potentially inhibitory levels of volatile fatty acids were not present. Concentrations of up to around 5000 ppm VFAs were found during the start-up of batch digesters causing some inhibition of gas production. During semi-continuous operation however concentrations of around 2000 ppm were developed when fresh digesters were linked in, no inhibition occurred and in fact this concentration proved stimulatory to gas production. Experimentation into the optimum retention time of a maximum of three digesters in series was conducted, with retention times of 90, 60 and 30 days being considered. A 30 day retention period was found to depress gas production due to unstable conditions when fresh digesters were added by up to 32% compared with Batch Operation. Gas production was increased at both 60 and 90 day retention times by amounts similar to those previously stated. A retention time of 60 days was found to be optimum as little extra gas was produced after this time, with volatile solids losses being increased by only 9.3% by operating for a further 30 days. Colonisation of the solid substrate was shown to be rapid, by the use of adenosine 51 triphosphate analysis, gas production rate and electron microscope analysis. In addition a dynamic bacterial population appeared to be present in the solid phase with the rates of growth and attachment being approximately equal to the rates of decay and detachment. When digesters were operating in their steady phase, methanogens were present in the liquor at concentrations of between 10 6 - 10 7 /ml and non-methanogens at between 10 7 - 108 /ml showing a large population of bacteria to be present for the inoculation of fresh digesters.
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Brüll, Anja [Verfasser]. "Biomass - a renewable energy source? : Sustainable complementary biomass (re)production through Landscape Quality Management / Anja Brüll." Aachen : Shaker, 2015. http://d-nb.info/1080762744/34.
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Misi, Shepherd Nimrod. "An aerobic co-digestion of agro-industrial wastes for optimum biogas production." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.369741.
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Bansal, Sunil. "Evaluation of different agricultural biomass for bioethanol production." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/4623.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Grain Science and Industry
Praveen V. Vadlani
In our study, five different bioenergy crops: wheat straw (Triticum aestivum), forage sorghum stover (sorghum bicolor), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus) and sweet sorghum baggase (Sorghum bicolor) were evaluated for bio-ethanol production at 20% (w/v) initial substrate concentration under separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) process. The substrates were ground to pass through 600µm mesh size and treated with 2% (w/v) NaOH at 121oC for 30 minutes. The washed and neutralized pretreated residues were subjected to saccharification using cellulase and β-glucosidase enzymes (ratio 1:1.25) at concentrations of 25 filter paper unit (fpu)/g and 31.25fpu/g, respectively, in pH 5.0 citrate buffer in an orbital incubator shaker at 150 rpm for 72 h. The hydrolysate obtained was centrifuged and supernatant was collected for fermentation. Fermentation was performed in shake flasks using Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 10% (w/v) inoculum concentration at 100 rpm for 24 h. Alkali treatment was effective in delignification of all the biomass feedstocks. The highest percent removal on raw biomass basis was attained for sorghum stover BMR-DP (81.3%, w/w) followed by miscanthus (79.9%, w/w), sorghum stover BMR-RL (69.2 %, w/w), wheat straw (68.0 %, w/w), switchgrass (66.0%, w/w), and sorghum baggase (65.4%, w/w). Glucan saccharification varied from 56.4-72.6 % (w/w) corresponding to a glucose levels of 0.45-0.34 g/g of dry substrate. Highest saccharification was observed for wheat straw while lowest was observed for miscanthus after 48 hours of hydrolysis. A maximum final ethanol concentration of 4.3% (w/v) was observed for wheat straw followed by sorghum baggase (4.2%), sorghum RL-BMR (3.6%), miscanthus (3.4%), sorghum DP-BMR (3.4%), and switchgrass (3.2%). From our studies, it is evident that high substrate concentration used for enzymatic hydrolysis was able to provide high final ethanol concentration. The lignin content and its arrangement in different biomass feedstocks may have affected saccharification and subsequent ethanol production. Bulk density and flowability are the two major key parameters that should be addressed to reduce processing cost of biomass for bioethanol production. Pelleting of biomass can increase the bulk density, thereby reducing the handling and transportation costs. In addition to above study, I analyzed the changes in chemical composition due to pelletization and pretreatment, and its effect on ethanol production by comparing unpelleted and pelleted biomass ethanol production efficiency. Wheat straw and big bluestem pelleted and unpelleted biomass were compared for their ethanol production efficiency. Pelleted and unpelleted wheat straw (Triticum aestivum) and bigblue stem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) at a substrate concentration of 10% (w/v) were subjected to 2% NaOH treatment at 1210C for 30 min and the resulting residues were analyzed for changes in chemical composition. Saccharification of residue was done at substrate concentration of 12% (w/v) for 48 h. The sugars obtained were fermented to ethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pelletization did not significantly affect the chemical composition of biomass in terms of glucan, xylan and lignin content. Delignification of pelleted biomass was greater than unpelleted biomass. Pelletization did not influence final ethanol production for both substrates.
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Vargas-Ramirez, Juan Manuel. "Evaluation of Storage Techniques to Preserve Fermentable Sugars from Sugar Beets for Ethanol Production." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/26618.
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New sugar beet varieties may qualify as an advanced biofuel feedstock in the U.S., but new alternatives to conventional pile storage are necessary to preserve fermentable sugars and allow yearlong beet ethanol production. Fermentable sugar preservation was assessed in sugar beets stored under aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres and in raw thick juice stored at acidic (2≤ pH≤ 5) and alkaline (8≤ pH≤11) conditions. Aerobic storage of sugar beets at 4°C for 14 wk resulted in higher fermentable sugar retention (99± 4%) than at 25°C or anaerobic storage at 4° C and 25° C. Raw thick juice retained ≥ 99% of fermentable sugars at pH 3.5 and 9.5 and refractometric dissolved solids content of 64.5° Bx. The changes in fermentable sugars in raw thick juice stored for 24 wk at acidic and alkaline pH were modeled by response surface methodology. Although raw thick juice was stored successfully at acidic and alkaline pH, conditions for high-efficiency fermentation must be developed.
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Söderberg, David. "Biocarbon production from biomass based energy plant forapplication in high-value materials." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för teknikvetenskap och matematik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-74739.
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Natural graphite, a type of carbon, is used in most battery driven electronic devices around the world as it serves as the anode in Li-ion batteries. Since 67\% of global production of graphite originates from a single country the EU has classified it as a critical raw material with a high supply risk. If graphite can be produced locally from biomass not only would it potentially make batteries cheaper it could be a huge boon to the Swedish bio industry. In this thesis carbonization of pure lignin is done through hydrothermal carbonization and slow pyrolysis with peak temperature of 900\degree C. The type of carbon needed for these applications involves a high degree of crystallization and large surface areas and pore volumes. Analysis of the samples was done through X-Ray Diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, CHNO- and specific surface analysis. Results show a D/G ratio of 0.85, full width half maximum (FWHM) values of 7.7, which points toward a hard carbon with nano crystalline graphite present in the samples. SSA results show a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of around 350 $m^2/g$ and CHNO show a carbon content of about 90\%. The results are promising for use as an anode in hard carbon sodium-ion batteries or for $CO_2$ separation. Techno-economical analysis show that integrated biocarbon production in a bio-ethanol plant is a much more profitable solution than selling the lignin as biofuel or burning it for electricity production.
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Zhang, Yusheng. "Development of a bench scale single batch biomass to liquid fuel facility." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/811.
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The research described in this dissertation was motivated by the global demand for energy that is not dependent on coal, oil, natural gas and other non-renewable fossil fuels. The technology used in this project is related to the use of biomass to produce a viable alternative to conventional sources of fuel. A bench scale biomass to liquid (BTL) facility was built and tested. This produced results confirming the feasibility of the BTL process. The findings of the pilot study outlined in this dissertation justified the conclusion that the next step will be to expand the capacity and productivity of the BTL pilot plant to an industrial scale. Biomass comes from a variety of renewable sources that are readily available. In this case, the material used in the fixed bed biomass gasification facility to generate wood gas was agricultural and forestry waste, such as straw and wood chips. The gasifier had the capacity to produce up to 10 cubic metres/hr of gas with a carbon monoxide and hydrogen content of between 20–40% by volume, when it was operated at ambient pressure and with air as the oxidizer. The gas, produced at a temperature above 700º C, was cooled in a quench/water scrubber in order to remove most of the mechanical impurities (tars and water-soluble inorganic particles), condensed and dried with corn cobs before being compressed in cylinders at over 100 bar (g) for use in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS). The syngas was subjected further to a series of refining processes which included removal of sulphur and oxygen. The sulphur removal technology chosen entailed applying modified activated carbon to adsorb H2S with the help of hydrolysis in order to convert organic sulphur impurities into H2S which reduced the sulphur content of the gas to less than 5 ppbv. Supported cobalt catalyst (100 grams), were loaded into a single-tube fixed bed FT reactor with an inner diameter of 50 mm. The reactor was fitted with a heating jacket through which, heated oil ran to cool the reactor during a normal reaction occurring at < 250 ºC, while nitrogen was used in the heating jacket during reduction, which occurred at temperatures up ~ 350 ºC. The FTS reaction was carried out at different pressures and temperatures. Liquid and wax products were produced from the facility. The properties of the liquid and solid hydrocarbons produced were found to be the same as FT products from other feed stocks, such as natural gas and coal.
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Liu, Xiaolin, and Kazeem Balogun. "BIOMASS PRODUCTION FOR ENERGY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRY : Case Study: CHINA and NIGERIA." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för bygg- energi- och miljöteknik, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-12329.
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Most developing countries of the world still uses biomass for domestic energy, this is mostly used in the rural areas and using our case study which is Nigeria and China. We have been able to establish the potential of biomass production energy use by looking at calorific values of some biomass such As-harvested wood, Dry wood, Straw Miscanthus Coal which was discussed on the introduction part of this thesis.
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Nwachukwu, Chinedu Maureen. "Utilising forest biomass in iron and steel production : investigating supply chain and competition aspects." Licentiate thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Energivetenskap, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-82997.
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Nguyen, Thi Hong Minh, and Van Hanh Vu. "Bioethanol production from marine algae biomass: prospect and troubles." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-99282.
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The increase of petroleum cost as well as global warming and climate change result in investigation to discover new renewable energy resources. Bioenergy is one of the most important sources that is concerning the scientists and industrial sector. Although bioethanol had to be known as one of the most important renewable energy sources in order to reduce greenhouse gases and global warming, there is a limited number of publications reporting on them. In this review, a brief overview is offered about bioethanol production from algae. It can be given a deeper insight in dificulties and promising potential of bioethanol from algaeSự gia tăng giá nhiên liệu hóa thạch cùng với cảnh báo toàn cầu về biến đổi khí hậu hướng đến việc nghiên cứu tìm ra những nguồn năng lượng có thể tái tạo. Năng lượng sinh học là một trong những nguồn quan trọng được các nhà khoa học và doanh nghiệp quan tâm. Mặc dù ethanol sinh học đã được biết đến như là một trong những dạng năng lượng tái tạo quan trọng nhất để giảm thiểu các khí nhà kính và cảnh báo toàn cầu, nhưng chỉ có một số ít bài báo về nó. Trong bài tổng quan này, chúng tôi giới thiệu vắn tắt việc sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo. Nó đưa ra cái nhìn sâu hơn về những khó khăn và tiềm năng hứa hẹn của sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo
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Bharathidasan, Ashok Kumar. "Production of Biobutanol from inulin-rich biomass and industrial food processing wastes." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1357318665.
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Williams, Anthony T. "The potential for the production of energy from biomass in South Africa." Thesis, University of Cape Town, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26094.
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Adebayo, Adebola B. "Pretreatments and energy potentials of Appalachian hardwood residues for biofuel production." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10450/10928.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2010.Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 98 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
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Adesanya, Victoria Oluwatosin. "Investigation into the sustainability and feasibility of potential algal-based biofuel production." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.708126.
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Inglesby, Alister Edward. "Biochemical and bioelectrochemical technology for third generation biofuel production." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648335.
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Johnson, Robert L. "Hot water pretreatment to improve the selectivity of cellulose thermo-chemical reactions towards the production of anhydrosugars." Pullman, Wash. : Washington State University, 2009. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Fall2009/r_johnson_081609.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in engineering)--Washington State University, December 2009.Title from PDF title page (viewed on Jan. 21, 2010). "Department of Biological Systems Engineering." Includes bibliographical references.
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Kazamia, Elena. "Synthetic ecology : a way forward for sustainable algal biofuel production." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.607904.
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Silva, Analice Ferreira da. "Tolerância de mudas clonais a diferentes condições hídricas." Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 2016. http://www.repositorio.ufal.br/handle/riufal/1541.
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The increase in energy demand boosted Brazil to seek new sources of energy to meet the growing demand of the country. And the use of planted forests for energy purposes has stood out as a promising alternative, for being a source of generating clean, renewable energy. Eucalyptus forests have been highlighted as the most planted in the world, for being the most productive. However, due to the need for increased productivity's survey was conducted in order to assess the effects of different water conditions on the growth and physiology of eucalyptus clonal seedlings, focusing on the production of biomass for energy generation. This research was developed in the greenhouse, in the laboratory of plant physiology and forest seedlings, in the center of Agrarian Sciences (ECSC) in the Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), between the months of July to November 2015, with 120-day trial period. Eucalyptus clonal seedlings were used. The seedlings have undergone a process of transplanting, which were cultivated for a period of 60 days for acclimatization. The experimental design was completely randomized design (DIC), the treatments were arranged in factorial 3 x 2 system consisting of three clonal seedlings (144, 1407 and u 865) and two water conditions 75% of field capacity and 100% of field capacity, with five repetitions. To accompany the growth were measured weekly variables (height, number of leaves and stem diameter of clonal seedlings). At the end of the experiment evaluated the production and dry matter allocation of parts areas and roots and root/shoot ratio. Also at the end of the experiment was evaluated the issue of chlorophyll a fluorescence, at noon (Fv/Fm and Yield) and the chlorophyll content in third leaf fully developed, using the portable light modulated Fluorômetro ... and SPAD and by biochemical method. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the software Assistat, averages were compared with each other by Tukey test at 5% probability. It can be observed that the water condition 100% of field capacity occurred significant differences for all variables, growth and production and rental of biomass, there was also a reduction of the quantum efficiency of photosystem II,green intensity of leaves(Spad) readings and chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid. Showed that the water condition 75% of field capacity clonal seedlings developed better. The data indicates that the clone was i144 which had less tolerance for water condition 100% of field capacity, the clones and 1407 865 were those who had a higher tolerance for water condition 100% of field capacity.O aumento da demanda energética impulsionou o Brasil a buscar novas fontes de energia, para suprir a crescente demanda do país. E a utilização de florestas plantadas para fins energéticos tem se destacado como uma alternativa promissora, por ser uma fonte geradora de energia limpa e renovável. As florestas de eucalipto têm sido evidenciadas como a mais plantada no mundo, por ser a mais produtiva. No entanto, em razão da necessidade do aumento da produtividade está pesquisa foi realizada objetivando avaliar os efeitos das diferentes condições hídricas no crescimento e na fisiologia das mudas clonais de eucalipto, tendo como foco a produção de biomassa para geração de energia. Esta pesquisa foi desenvolvida em casa de vegetação, no Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal e no setor de mudas florestais, no Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CECA), pertencente à Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), entre os meses de julho à novembro de 2015, com período experimental de 120 dias. Foram utilizadas mudas clonais de eucalipto. As mudas passaram por um processo de transplantio, as quais foram cultivadas por um período de 60 dias para aclimatização. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado (DIC), os tratamentos foram arranjados no sistema fatorial 3x2 constituído de três mudas clonais (144, 1407 e vc 865) e duas condições hídricas 75% da capacidade de campo e 100% da capacidade de campo, com cinco repetições. Para acompanhar o crescimento foram mensuradas semanalmente as variáveis (altura, número de folhas e diâmetro do caule da mudas clonais). Ao final do experimento avaliou a produção e alocação da matéria seca das partes áreas e raízes e a relação raiz/parte aérea. Também no final do experimento foi avaliado a emissão de fluorescência da clorofila a, ao meio-dia (Fv/Fm e Yield) e o teor de clorofila na terceira folha completamente desenvolvida, utilizando-se o. Fluorômetro portátil de luz modulada e SPAD e pelo método bioquímico. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância utilizando o software Assistat, as médias foram comparadas entre si pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Pode-se observar que na condição hídrica 100% da capacidade de campo ocorreram diferenças significativas para todas as variáveis de crescimento, e para produção e a locação de biomassa, houve também redução da eficiência quântica do fotossistema II, intensidade verde (Spad )e clorofila a, clorofila b, clorofila total e carotenoide. Evidenciou que a condição hídrica 75% da capacidade de campo as mudas clonais desenvolveram-se melhor. Os dados indicam que o clone i144 foi que teve menor tolerância à condição hídrica 100% da capacidade de campo, os clones 1407 e vc 865 foram os que tiveram maior tolerância à condição hídrica 100% da capacidade de campo.
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Crombie, Kyle. "Biochar – synergies between carbon storage, environmental functions and renewable energy production." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/9778.
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Growing concerns about climate change and the inevitable depletion of fossil fuel resources have led to an increased focus on renewable energy technologies and reducing GHG emissions. Limiting the atmospheric level of CO2 is essential to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. Among renewable energy resources, biomass combustion has the largest potential to contribute to global energy demands, however it is considered to be a carbon neutral solution and so only limits CO2 concentrations rather than reducing them. Through pyrolysis rather than combustion, biomass can lead to carbon negative liquid, gaseous and solid fuels while also offering a route for long term carbon storage in the form of biochar. Biochar is a carbonaceous material which has shown potential for improving soil fertility, reducing GHG emissions and most importantly long term C storage in the environment. However many questions still remain unanswered with regard to biochar, especially the influence that process conditions can have on its performance in soil as well as any potential trade-offs between soil amendment, C sequestration and heat/power generation. This thesis is therefore focused on assessing the influence that process conditions and feedstock selection have on biochar properties related to carbon stabilisation, improving soil fertility (functional properties) as well as the distribution of energy amongst the pyrolysis co-products. To achieve this, a systematic set of biochar samples was produced, using a wide range of pyrolysis parameters (highest treatment temperature (HTT), heating rate, residence time, carrier gas flow rate and feedstock type), and analysed for physicochemical and functional properties. Pyrolysis HTT consistently showed a dominant influence on determining the final yields and properties of biochar, while the effect of other production parameters was varied. In this thesis the candidate first studied the effect that process conditions had on the long term stability of biochar, as an important indicator of its ability to sequester carbon. While increasing the HTT resulted in a decrease in biochar yield, overall the yield of stable-C increased with temperature. This meant that by applying a higher HTT during pyrolysis a higher C sequestration potential for biochar was achieved. Next to be examined was the influence that process conditions had on other functional properties (labile-C yield, biochar pH, extractable nutrients and cation exchange capacity (CEC)) was then examined. The labile-C yield of biochar decreased with increasing HTT due to the release of volatile matter, while the CEC and concentration of extractable nutrients tended to be higher in biochar produced at 450oC rather than greater HTTs. Biochar pH was also highly alkaline at elevated HTT. This indicated that while high HTT favoured C sequestration and biochar pH, lower HTT may be more favourable for other functional properties. Furthermore by assessing the mass and energy distribution amongst the solid, liquid and gaseous fractions, it was possible to determine the energy balance of the process and through this evaluate the trade-off between the C sequestration potential of biochar and the energy output of the liquid and gas fractions. As the severity of pyrolysis was raised, the total energy stored within the liquid and gaseous co-products increased at the expense of the energy content of biochar, therefore increasing the available energy output of the system and reducing the energy lost when using biochar for carbon storage rather than for bioenergy. This also demonstrated that the pyrolysis process could be fine-tuned to increase the amount of stored C while also improving the heat/power generation of the system. The higher energy content of the gas stream at elevated HTT was also seen to contain sufficient energy to sustain the pyrolysis process, which would free up the solid and liquid fractions for higher value applications while reducing the necessity for external fuel sources. Finally, the data set was used to produce statistical models enabling the prediction of biochar stable-C yield as well as the heating value of biochar. The results of this thesis therefore demonstrate that through applying high HTT the potential energy output of the pyrolysis system can be increased while producing a biochar product with high C sequestration potential and positive functional properties for soil amendment. Due to potential trade-offs, the final choice of process conditions and feedstock would then be made based on the specific requirements of a selected site for biochar application. Understanding the influence that production conditions have on the functional properties of biochar as well as the energy balance of the system is critical to developing specifically engineered bespoke biochar, be it for agricultural use, carbon storage, energy generation or combinations of the three.
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Dodo, Charlie Marembu. "Ethanol production from lignocellulosic sugarcane leaves and tops." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019839.
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Various methods for the production of bioethanol using different feedstocks have been researched on. In most work on bioethanol synthesis from sugar cane, tops and leaves have been regarded as waste and generally removed and thrown away. In this work, lignocellulosic sugarcane leaves and tops were not discarded but instead used as biomass to evaluate their hydrolyzate content. The leaves and tops were hydrolysed using different methods, namely concentrated acid, dilute acid pre-treatment with subsequent enzyme hydrolysis and compared with a combination of oxidative alkali pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis. Subsequent fermentation of the hydrolyzates into bioethanol was done using the yeast saccharomyces cerevisae. Acid hydrolysis has the problem of producing inhibitors, which have to be removed and this was done using overliming with calcium hydroxide and compared to sodium hydroxide neutralization. Oxidative alkali pre-treatment with enzyme hydrolysis gave the highest yields of fermentable sugars of 38% (g/g) using 7% (v/v) peroxide pre-treated biomass than 36% (g/g) for 5% (v/v) with the least inhibitors. Concentrated and dilute acid hydrolysis each gave yields of25% (g/g) and 22% (g/g) yields respectively although for acid a neutralization step was necessary and resulted in dilution. Alkaline neutralization of acid hydrolyzates using sodium hydroxide resulted in less dilution and loss of fermentable sugars as compared to overliming. Higher yields of bioethanol, 13.7 (g/l) were obtained from enzyme hydrolyzates than 6.9 (g/l) bioethanol from dilute acid hydrolyzates. There was more bioethanol yield 13.7 (g/l) after 72h of fermentation with the yeast than 7.0 (g/l) bioethanol after 24h. However, the longer fermentation period diminishes the value of the increase in yield by lowering the efficiency of the process.
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Danje, Stephen. "Fast pyrolysis of corn residues for energy production." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17822.
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Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Increasing oil prices along with the climate change threat have forced governments, society and the energy sector to consider alternative fuels. Biofuel presents itself as a suitable replacement and has received much attention over recent years. Thermochemical conversion processes such as pyrolysis is a topic of interest for conversion of cheap agricultural wastes into clean energy and valuable products. Fast pyrolysis of biomass is one of the promising technologies for converting biomass into liquid fuels and regarded as a promising feedstock to replace petroleum fuels. Corn residues, corn cob and corn stover, are some of the largest agricultural waste types in South Africa amounting to 8 900 thousand metric tonnes annually (1.7% of world corn production) (Nation Master, 2005). This study looked at the pyrolysis kinetics, the characterisation and quality of by-products from fast pyrolysis of the corn residues and the upgrading of bio-oil. The first objective was to characterise the physical and chemical properties of corn residues in order to determine the suitability of these feedstocks for pyrolytic purposes. Secondly, a study was carried out to obtain the reaction kinetic information and to characterise the behaviour of corn residues during thermal decomposition. The knowledge of biomass pyrolysis kinetics is of importance in the design and optimisation of pyrolytic reactors. Fast pyrolysis experiments were carried out in 2 different reactors: a Lurgi twin screw reactor and a bubbling fluidised bed reactor. The product yields and quality were compared for different types of reactors and biomasses. Finally, a preliminary study on the upgrading of bio-oil to remove the excess water and organics inorder to improve the quality of this liquid fuel was performed. Corn residues biomass are potential thermochemical feedstocks, with the following properties (carbon 50.2 wt. %, hydrogen 5.9 wt. % and Higher heating value 19.14 MJ/kg) for corn cob and (carbon 48.9 wt. %, hydrogen 6.01 wt. % and Higher heating value 18.06 MJ/kg) for corn stover. Corn cobs and corn stover contained very low amounts of nitrogen (0.41-0.57 wt. %) and sulphur (0.03-0.05 wt. %) compared with coal (nitrogen 0.8-1.9 wt. % and sulphur 0.7-1.2 wt. %), making them emit less sulphur oxides than when burning fossil fuels. The corn residues showed three distinct stages in the thermal decomposition process, with peak temperature of pyrolysis shifting to a higher value as the heating rate increased. The activation energies (E) for corn residues, obtained by the application of an iso-conversional method from thermogravimetric tests were in the range of 220 to 270 kJ/mol. The products obtained from fast pyrolysis of corn residues were bio-oil, biochar, water and gas. Higher bio-oil yields were produced from fast pyrolysis of corn residues in a bubbling fluidised bed reactor (47.8 to 51.2 wt. %, dry ash-free) than in a Lurgi twin screw reactor (35.5 to 37 wt. %, dry ash-free). Corn cobs produced higher bio-oil yields than corn stover in both types of reactors. At the optimised operating temperature of 500-530 °C, higher biochar yields were obtained from corn stover than corn cobs in both types of reactors. There were no major differences in the chemical and physical properties of bio-oil produced from the two types of reactors. The biochar properties showed some variation in heating values, carbon content and ash content for the different biomasses. The fast pyrolysis of corn residues produced energy products, bio-oil (Higher heating value = 18.7-25.3 MJ/kg) and biochar (Higher heating value = 19.8-29.3 MJ/kg) comparable with coal (Higher heating value = 16.2-25.9 MJ/kg). The bio-oils produced had some undesirable properties for its application such as acidic (pH 3.8 to 4.3) and high water content (21.3 to 30.5 wt. %). The bio-oil upgrading method (evaporation) increased the heating value and viscosity by removal of light hydrocarbons and water. The corn residues biochar produced had a BET Brynauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area of 96.7 to 158.8 m2/g making it suitable for upgrading for the manufacture of adsorbents. The gas products from fast pyrolysis were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) as CO2, CO, H2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H8 and C5+ hydrocarbons. The gases had CO2 and CO of more than 80% (v/V) and low heating values (8.82-8.86 MJ/kg).
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die styging in olie pryse asook dreigende klimaatsveranderinge het daartoe gelei dat regerings, die samelewing asook die energie sektor alternatiewe energiebronne oorweeg. Biobrandstof as alternatiewe energiebron het in die afgope paar jaar redelik aftrek gekry. Termochemiese omskakelingsprosesse soos pirolise word oorweeg vir die omskakeling van goedkoop landbou afval na groen energie en waardevolle produkte. Snel piroliese van biomassa is een van die mees belowende tegnologië vir die omskakeling van biomassa na vloeibare brandstof en word tans gereken as ’n belowende kandidaat om petroleum brandstof te vervang. Mielieafval, stronke en strooi vorm ’n reuse deel van die Suid Afrikaanse landbou afval. Ongeveer 8900 duisend metrieke ton afval word jaarliks geproduseer wat optel na ongeveer 1.7% van die wêreld se mielie produksie uitmaak (Nation Master, 2005). Hierdie studie het gekk na die kinetika van piroliese, die karakterisering en kwaliteit van by-produkte van snel piroliese afkomstig van mielie-afval asook die opgradering van biobrandstof. Die eerste mikpunt was om die fisiese en chemiese karakteristieke van mielie-afval te bepaal om sodoende die geskiktheid van hierdie afval vir die gebruik tydens piroliese te bepaal. Tweendens is ’n kinetiese studie onderneem om reaksie parameters te bepaal asook die gedrag tydens termiese ontbinding waar te neem. Kennis van die piroliese kinetika van biomassa is van belang juis tydens die ontwerp en optimering van piroliese reaktore. Snel piroliese ekspermente is uitgevoer met behulp van twee verskillende reaktore: ’n Lurgi twee skroef reaktor en ’n borrelende gefluidiseerde-bed reaktor. Die produk opbrengs en kwaliteit is vergelyk. Eindelik is ’n voorlopige studie oor die opgradering van bio-olie uitgevoer deur te kyk na die verwydering van oortollige water en organiese materiaal om die kwaliteit van hierdie vloeibare brandstof te verbeter. Biomassa afkomstig van mielie-afval is ’n potensiële termochemiese voerbron met die volgende kenmerke: mielie stronke- (C - 50.21 massa %, H – 5.9 massa %, HHV – 19.14 MJ/kg); mielie strooi – (C – 48.9 massa %, H – 6.01 massa %, HHV – 18.06 MJ/kg). Beide van hierdie materiale bevat lae hoeveelhede N (0.41-0.57 massa %) and S (0.03-0.05 massa %) in vergelyking met steenkool N (0.8-1.9 massa %) and S (0.7-1.2 massa %). Dit beteken dat hieride bronne van biomassa laer konsentrasies van swael oksiedes vrystel in vergelyking met fossielbrandstowwe. Drie kenmerkende stadia is waargeneem tydens die termiese afbraak van mielie-afval, met die temperatuur piek van piroliese wat skuif na ’n hoër temperatuur soos die verhittingswaarde toeneem. Die waargenome aktiveringsenergie (E) van mielie-afval bereken met behulp van die iso-omskakelings metode van TGA toetse was in die bestek: 220 tot 270 kJ/mol. Die produkte verkry deur Snel Piroliese van mielie-afval was bio-olie, bio-kool en gas. ’n Hoër opbrengs van bio-olie is behaal tydens Snel Piroliese van mielie-afval in die borrelende gefluidiseerde-bed reakctor (47.8 na 51.2 massa %, droog as-vry) in vergelyking met die Lurgi twee skroef reakctor (35.5 na 37 massa %, droog as-vry). Mielie stronke sorg vir ’n hoër opbrengs van bio-olie as mielie strooi in beide reaktore. By die optimum bedryfskondisies is daar in beide reaktor ’n hoër bio-kool opbrengs verkry van mielie stingels teenoor mielie stronke. Geen aansienlike verskille is gevind in die chemise en fisiese kenmerke van van die bio-olie wat geproduseer is in die twee reaktore nie. Daar is wel variasie getoon in die bio-kool kenmerkte van die verskillende Snel Piroliese prosesse. Snel piroliese van mielie-afval lewer energie produkte, bio-olie (HVW = 18.7-25.3MJ/kg) en bio-kool (HVW = 19.8-29.3 MJ/kg) vergelykbaar met steenkool (HVW = 16.2-25.9 MJ/kg). Die bio-olies geproduseer het sommige ongewenste kenmerke getoon byvoorbeeld suurheid (pH 3.8-4.3) asook hoë water inhoud (21.3 – 30.5 massa %). Die metode (indamping) wat gebruik is vir die opgradering van bio-olie het gelei tot die verbetering van die verhittingswaarde asook die toename in viskositeit deur die verwydering van ligte koolwaterstowwe en water. Die mielie-afval bio-kool toon ’n BET (Brunauer-Emmet-Teller) oppervlakte area van 96.7-158.8 m2/g wat dit toepaslik maak as grondstof vir absorbante. The gas geproduseer tydens Snel Piroliese is geanaliseer met behulp van gas chromotografie (GC) as CO2, CO, H2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H8 and C5+ koolwaterstowwe. Die vlak van CO2 en CO het 80% (v/V) oorskry en met lae verhittingswaardes (8.82-8.86 MJ/kg).
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Rupar-Gadd, Katarina. "Biomass Pre-treatment for the Production of Sustainable Energy : Emissions and Self-ignition." Doctoral thesis, Växjö : Växjö University Press, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:vxu:diva-510.
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Redwood, Mark D. "Bio-hydrogen and biomass-supported palladium catalyst for energy production and waste-minimisation." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2008. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3135/.
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The project objective was to advance the development of the H2 economy by improving biological H2 production in a sustainable way. Pseudo-continuous H2 production was achieved with improved efficiency, via the bacterial fermentation of sugars in a dual-bioreactor (‘upstream system’) comprising a dark fermentation coupled to a photofermentation. Excess biomass from the upstream system was used to recover palladium from solution, producing ‘palladised biomass’ (Bio-Pd(0)), which was useful in the construction of bioinorganic catalytic anodes for the electricity generation from bio-H2 using a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (‘downstream system’). Furthermore, the catalytic usefulness of Bio-Pd(0) was confirmed in several reactions in comparison with other palladised biomasses and with Pd(0) made chemically. The upstream modules: Escherichia coli dark fermentation and Rhodobacter sphaeroides photofermentation, were investigated and developed separately, before coupling the two stages by the novel application of electrodialysis (accelerated membrane separation). The biorecovery and testing of palladium bionanocatalyst are described, before the production of fuel cell catalyst using waste biomass. The technical challenges and potential benefits of biohydrogen production are discussed and contrasted with those of competing biofuel technologies.
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Voigt, Paul George. "Bioethanol production from waste paper through fungal biotechnology." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013447.
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Bioethanol is likely to be a large contributor to the fuel sector of industry in the near future. Current research trends are geared towards utilizing food crops as substrate for bioethanol fermentation; however, this is the source of much controversy. Utilizing food crops for fuel purposes is anticipated to cause massive food shortages worldwide. Cellulose is the most abundant renewable resource on earth and is subject to a wide array of scientific study in order to utilize the glucose contained within it. Waste paper has a high degree of cellulose associated with it, which makes it an ideal target for cellulose biotechnology with the ultimate end goal of bioethanol production. This study focussed on producing the necessary enzymes to hydrolyse the cellulose found in waste paper and using the sugars produced to produce ethanol. The effects of various printing inks had on the production of sugars and the total envirorunental impact of the effluents produced during the production line were also examined. It was found that the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum DSM 769 grown in Mandel's medium with waste newspaper as the sole carbon source at 28 °C for 6 days produced extracellular cellulase enzymes with an activity of 0.203 ± 0.009 FPU.ml⁻¹, significantly higher activity as compared to other paper sources. This extracellular cellulase was used to hydrolyse waste newspaper and office paper, with office paper yielding the highest degree of sugar production with an end concentration of 5.80 ± 0.19 g/1 at 40 °C. Analysis by HPLC showed that although glucose was the major product at 4.35 ± 0.12 g/1, cellobiose was also produced in appreciable amounts (1.97 ± 0.71 g/1). The sugar solution was used as a substrate for Saccharomyces cerevisiae DSM 1333 and ethanol was produced at a level of 1.79 ± 0.26 g/1, the presence of which was confirmed by a 600 MHz NMR spectrum. It was found that cellobiose was not fermented by this strain of S. cerevisiae. Certain components of inks (the PAHs phenanthrene and naphthalene) were found to have a slight inhibitory effect (approximately 15% decrease) on the cellulase enzymes at very high concentrations (approximately 600 μg/1 in aqueous medium), while anthracene had no effect. Whole newsprint ink was shown not to sorb glucose. The environmental analysis of the effluents produced showed that in order for the effluents to be discharged into an aqueous ecosystem they would have to be diluted up to 200 times. They were also shown to have the potential to cause severe machinery damage if reused without proper treatment.
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Firmansyah, Husni. "Power and Methanol Production from Biomass Combined With Solar and Wind Energy : Analysis and Comparison." Thesis, KTH, Kraft- och värmeteknologi, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-226526.
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The purpose of this work is to investigate the feasibility of an integrated system consisting of biomass-based power generation built-in with carbon capture technology combined with a water electrolysis unit operated by solar cells and wind turbines to produce fuel through the methanol synthesis process. The configurations are examined both technically and economically to determine their feasibility, and subjected to sensitivity analysis to determine their economic viability and optimum performance. Each integrated system has the same subsystems configuration including electrical power generation, electrolysis unit and solar/wind renewable electricity input. Three main system configuration variations for carbon extraction from biomass feedstock have been evaluated, based on pre-CCS in the form of integrated biomass gasification combined cycle (IGCC), in-situ CCS represented by Oxy-fuel combustion concept, and post-CCS via exhaust gas treatment, assuming the same access to woodchip feedstock.Two important substances for methanol production are carbon dioxide coming from biomass and hydrogen supplied by water electrolysis based on intermittent renewable energy sources. Coil evaporation system to provide CO2 separation would perform differently in each system; oxy-fuel, pre-CCS and post-CCS alternatives. Meanwhile, H2 supply is provided by the electrolysis process using water supply and electricity produced from solar and wind power. In addition, the effect of location and uncertainty factors is discussed among the sensitivity studies. The technical analysis shows that with 5 ton/hour of biomass feed, each system configuration could produce up to 5.8 t/h of methanol. On the other hand, the economic analysis shows LCOE of Oxy-fuel and the IGCC approaches the lowest possible to 0.086 €/kWh and 0.1060 respectively; while for the gasification process 689 €/ton methanol is produced. The interest rate risk can deviate from the energy cost up to 16% higher when the interest rate is increased from 8% to 9%.Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka genomförbarheten av ett integrerat system bestående av den biomassbaserade kraftproduktionen inbyggd med kolfångteknik och vattenelektrolyssystemet drivs av solceller och vindkraftverk för att producera bränsle genom metanolsyntesprocess. Systemen undersöks både tekniskt och ekonomiskt för att bestämma genomförbarheten av denna studie. Varje system kommer att ha samma delsystemskonfigurationer som består av solenergi-metanol-vatten-elektrolysystem. Tre olika system, baserade på integrerad förgasningskombinerade cykel (IGCC), Syreförbränning och avgasrening utvärderades med samma tillgång till träflis inmatning. Två viktiga ämnen för metanolproduktion är koldioxid (CO2) som kommer från biomassa kraftverk och väte (H2) levereras av vattenelektrolysystem. Kolfångningssystem som ge CO2 till systemet verka olika i varje system; oxy-fuel-CCS, för-CCS och post-CCS koncept. Under tiden tillföras H2-krävande genom vattenselektrolysprocessen med användning av el som producerad från sol- och vindkraft.Dessutom diskuteras effekten av plats- och osäkerhetsfaktorer som känslighetsstudier. Den tekniska analysen visar att med 5 ton / timma utbud av biomassa kan varje system producera upp till 5,8 ton / timma metanol. Å andra sidan visar den ekonomiska analysen LCOE av Oxy-fuel och IGCC kan närma sig lägst möjligt till 0,086 €/kWh respektive 0,1060 €/kWh, medan syngasförgasningen levererar 689 €/ton tillverkat metanol. Osäkerhetsfaktorn av räntesatsen kan deviera energikostnaden upp till 16% högre när räntan ökas från 8% till 9%.
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Gerber, Audrey I. (Audrey Inga). "Effect of pruning on economic biomass production of Protea cv. Carnival." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/58407.
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Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 1994.Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the Microfiche
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many Proreaceae species indigenous to South Africa have potential as cutflower crops. Commercial production of proteas for expurt, mainly to Europe, must emphasise quality of flowers and time of production. Good export quality flowers have stems longer than 50cm and unblemished flowers. Cut-flower proteas are in greater demand and command better prices during the European winter (September to May, Southern hemisphere), when competition from flowers grown in Europe is less. Both quality and time of harvest can be manipulated by pruning techniques. Protea cv. Carnival (a natural hybrid, possibly between P. neriifolia and P. compacta) produces flowers in late summer, from February through to May. Picking flowers or pruning shoots of Proteo cv. Carnival entails removing the terminal portion of shoots with heading cuts to leave on the plant short stumps, known as bearers. Lateral shoots arising from axillary buds on bearers elongate by successive growth flushes until flowers are initiated terminally. The characteristics of the shoot determine whether or not flower initiation will take place, and will affect the quality of the resulting flower. Plants were pruned to produce bearers of different length and diameter. The characteristics of shoots arising from different bearers were recordea. Thick bearers of length 20-25cm produced the most shoots, and the longest shoots. Plants producing flowers biennially, rather than ann'Jally, produced thicker bearers, which, in turn, lead to production of better quality shoots arising from the bearers in the following season. Changing the time of pruning changed both the flowering cycle and the biomass allocation of Prorea cv. Carnival. Plants of Profea cv. Carnival were pruned on six different dates in 1991. Pruning in March, April or May, 1991, resulted in an annual flowering cycle. Less than 40% of the fresh mass produced in 1993 was reproductive, of which approximately 5% had stems long enough for export. The 1994 annual harvest was of s:milar size and quality as the 1993 annual harvest. Pruning in July, August or September, 1991, resulted in a biennial cycle of flowering. No flowers were produced in 1992, and a large crop was harvested in 1993. In 1993 lip to 70% of the fresh mass produced was reproductive, of which approximately 80% had stems long enough for export. Plants were pruned shortly after flowering in 1993, and the biennial cycle was replaced by an alternate flowering cycle, with a large crop being followed by a smaller crop. The large harvest in 1993 was significantly earlier than normal, but the small crop produced in 1994 was later. The harvest in 1994 from plants with an alternate flowering cycle was similar in size to the 1994 harvest from plants floweting annually, but flower stems were longer.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Heelwat inheemse Proteaceae spesies besit die vereiste eienskappe om as snyblomr.-le verhanctci te wod. Indien proteas kommersieel verbou sou word vir uitvoer moet die klem val op gehalte van blomme en die tyd van produksie. Goeie gehalte uitvoer blomme moet steellengte van langer as 50cm en perfek gevormde blomme besit. Daar is 'n groter aanvraag na kommersieel verboude proteas gedurende die Europese winter (September tot Mei, suidelike halfrond) en beter pryse word derhalwe ook dan verkry. Beide gehalte en die oes periode kan gemanipuleer word deur snoeitegnieke. Wanneer blomme gepluk word of lote gesnoei word van Profea cv. Carnival (waarskynlik 'n kruising tussen P. compacta x P. neriifolia) word die terminale gedeelte van die loot teruggesny. Die oorblywende gedeelte bestaan uit kort stompe wat bekend staan as draers. Laterale lote afkomstig van okselknoppe op draers verleng totdat 'n blom terminaal ontwikkel. Die eienskappe van die loot bepaal of 'n blom inisieer sal word of nie, en sal ook die gehalte van die gevormde blom beinvloed. Protea plante was gesnoei om draers van verkillende lengtes en deursnee te produseer. Die eienkappe van lote afkomstig van die verskillende tipe draers was gemeet. Dik ..draers van lengte 20-25cm het die meeste asook die langste lote geproduseer. Plante wat twee-jaarliks, in teenstelling met jaarliks, geblom het, het dikker draers geproduseer en ook gelei tot produksie van beter gehalte lote in die opeenvolgende seisoen. Die verandering in die tyd van snoei het beide die blom siklus en die biomassa verspreiding beinvloed. Plante van Protea cv. Carnival was up 6 verskillende datums in 1991 gesnoei. Snoei in Maart, April of Mei, 1991, het 'n jaarlikse blom siklus veroorsaak. Minder as 40% van die vars massa geproduseer in 1993 was reproduktief, waarvan 5% steellengte lank genoeg vir uitvoer gehad hel. Die 1994 jaarlikse oes was van dieselfde grootte en gehalte as die van 1993. Snoei in Julie, Augustus of September, 1991, het egter 'n twee-jaarlikse blom siklus veroorsaak. Geen blomme was in 1992 geproduseer nie, maar die oes in 1993 was heelwat groter as die jaarlikse oeste. In 1993 was to 70% van die vars massa geproduseer, reproduktief, waarvan 80% steellengte lank genoeg vir uitvoer gehad het. Die twee-jaarlikse blom siklus het 'n vroeer oes in 1993 veroorsaak, maar 'n later oes in 1994. Die twee-jaarlikse oes in 1994 was van dieseifde grootte as die jaarlikse oes in 1994, maar die blomstele was langer.
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Ndimande, Sandile. "Increasing cellulosic biomass in sugarcane." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86296.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Increased demand of petroleum, declining fossil fuel reserves, geopolitical instability and the environmentally detrimental effects of fossil fuels have stimulated research to search for alternative sources of energy such as plant derived biofuels. The main feedstocks for production of first generation biofuels (bioethanol) are currently sucrose and starch, produced by crops such as sugarcane, sugarbeet, maize, and cassava. The use of food crop carbohydrates to produce biofuels is viewed as competing for limited agronomic resources and jeopardizing food security. Plants are also capable of storing sugars in their cell walls in the form of polysaccharides such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin, however those are usually cross-linked with lignin, making their fermentation problematic, and are consequently referred to as lignocellulosics. Current technologies are not sufficient to degrade these cell wall sugars without large energy inputs, therefore making lignocellulosic biomass commercially unviable as a source of sugars for biofuel production. In the present study genes encoding for enzymes for cellulosic, hemicellulosic and starch-like polysaccharides biosynthesis were heterologously expressed to increase the amount of fermentable sugars in sugarcane. Transgenic lines heterologously expressing CsCesA, encoding a cellulose synthase from the marine invertebrate Ciona savignyi showed significant increases in their total cellulose synthase enzyme activity as well as the total cellulose content in internodal tissues. Elevation in cellulose contents was accompanied by a rise in hemicellulosic glucose content and uronic acid amounts, while total lignin was reduced in internodal tissues. Enzymatic saccharification of untreated lignocellulosic biomass of transgenic sugarcane lines had improved glucose release when exposed to cellulose hydrolyzing enzymes. Calli derived from transgenic sugarcane lines ectopically expressing galactomannan biosynthetic sequences ManS and GMGT from the cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) were observed to be capable of producing a galactomannan polysaccharide. However, after regeneration, transgenic sugarcane plants derived from those calli were unable to produce the polymer although the inserted genes were transcribed at the mRNA level. While the ectopic expression of Deinococcus radiodurans amylosucrase protein in the cytosol had a detrimental effect on the growth of transgenic lines (plants showed stunted growth through the 18 months growth period in greenhouse), contrastingly targeting the amylosucrase protein into the vacuole resulted in 3 months old transgenic lines which were having high maltooligosaccharide and soluble sugar (sucrose, glucose and fructose) levels in leaves. After 18 months growing in the greenhouse, the mature transgenic lines were morphologically similar to the untransformed lines and also contained comparable maltooligosaccharide and soluble sugar and starch amounts. The non-biosynthesis of galactomannan and amylose polysaccharides in the matured transgenic plants may be due to post-transcriptional protein processing and or protein instability, possibly explainable by other epigenetic mechanisms taking place to regulate gene expression in the at least allo-octaploid species of sugarcane under investigation in this study.
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Hansel, Philip A. "Efficient Flocculation of Microalgae for Biomass Production Using Cationic Starch." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1313779752.
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Banu, Lulu Bilquis. "An assessment of Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W.F. Wight for multipurpose biomass production in Bangladesh." Thesis, University of Reading, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.304635.
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Valenzuela, Mariefel Bayta. "Batch Aqueous-phase Reforming of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Hydrogen Production." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/11624.
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Aqueous-phase reforming (APR) is reported for the first time for the production of H2 from actual biomass. The experiments are carried out in batch using a 100mL Parr microreactor heated to 225C. In this one-pot, two-step process, acid hydrolysis is used to break down the polymeric constituents of biomass to smaller soluble molecules and these species are reformed using a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. The experiments show that increasing the acid concentration from 1% to 5% causes more than a twelve-fold increase in H2 concentration, with hydrogen a minor product accounting for 18% of the non-condensable gas phase and CO2 as the major product. In the presence of the Pt/Al2O3 reforming catalyst, both the selectivity and yield of hydrogen in the gas phase increase. This is accompanied by a noticeable decrease in carbon monoxide production. Comparison with other feeds such as glucose, wastepaper and ethylene glycol showed that the amount of hydrogen produced from biomass is of a comparable magnitude per gram of feed, although biomass yields more hydrogen per gram of carbohydrate than either glucose or wastepaper. Baseline experiments with only the catalysts in the absence of any biomass show no increase in the reactor system pressure when only water and helium are present, indicating that the observed hydrogen produced is sourced form the biomass.
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Barnett, John B. "Addressing Policy Challenges to Woody Biopower Production| Social Acceptance, Biomass Certification and Limited Policy Support." Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10982309.
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Forestlands have been identified as a valuable resource to mitigate climate change due to the biome’s capacity to both sequester greenhouse gases and substitute for fossil fuels. Woody biomass has been proposed as a substitutable input for coal-generated electricity as economies attempt to transition to renewable power while addressing economic development goals. However, increasing the intensity of forest management for energy production has the potential to result in significant ecological, economic and social consequences at local, regional and global scales. In this context, my dissertation explores the capacity of existing policy frameworks to stimulate and support sustainable power production from forest biomaterials. In Chapter Two, I explore the interactions between shifting goals, actors and institutions in influencing incentives that shape today’s policy mix for woody biopower production in Wisconsin. The study’s results reveal that the state’s shifting focus away from using renewable energy as a means to pursue climate change mitigation and energy security goals combined with an absence of supportive coalitions has resulted in the dismantling of support for the woody biopower policy framework. In Chapter Three, I use data from a household survey of Tomahawk, Wisconsin residents to evaluate support for woody biomass production for power generation. Results show that respondents in biomass producing communities are more supportive of biomass sources such as forestry residues and forestry thinnings than dedicated harvesting operations. In addition, the results indicate that using an ecosystem services approach can help explain differences in support between these respondents and provide insights into socially acceptable forms of biomass harvesting operations. Chapter Four evaluates the use of sustainable forest management certification programs as a policy instrument to source sustainable woody biomass. The study evaluated the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification programs using bioenergy sustainability criteria found in the academic literature. The analysis shows a deficiency in these programs to address key criteria pertaining to climate change mitigation and would be improved by coupling sustainable forest management programs with bioenergy sustainability schemes such as designed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.
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Maxwell, Kendra Elaine. "Cationic polymer enhanced hydrolysis of cornstarch for the production of biofuels." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/43661.
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The mechanism through which a charged polymer cationic polyacrylamide (C-PAM) operates to increase the rate of cornstarch hydrolysis was investigated. The main objective was to determine the major factors that affect the mechanism so that these parameters may be adjusted to achieve optimal hydrolysis rates. A combination of analytical methods including dynamic light scattering, optical imaging, and uv-vis spectroscopy were used to study polymer, starch, and enzyme interactions as a function of process conditions. It was found that
C-PAM binds strongly to starch granules, increasing solubilization and decreasing onset gelatinization temperature. Granule swelling was unaffected by C-PAM. Both binding of enzyme to cornstarch, and rate of cornstarch hydrolysis were found to increase in the presence of C-PAM. By analogy to previous work on cationic polymer promoted hydrolysis of cellulose, it was proposed that the polymer reduces the charge on the starch surface through a "charge-patch" mechanism. Because both enzyme and substrate are negatively charged, the positively charged polymer reduces the charge repulsion experienced by the approaching enzyme. This leads to stronger enzyme-substrate binding, and faster hydrolysis. There is a mirror image relationship between viscosity of the medium and hydrolysis rate, which allows optimization of these parameters with enzyme and C-PAM dosage. Overall, the polymer addition reduced enzyme dose by 62% depending on the conditions used, so this method could have significant economic impact on the industrial conversion of starch to ethanol.
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Luo, Dexin. "Design of highly distributed biofuel production systems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/45878.
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This thesis develops quantitative methods for evaluation and design of large-scale biofuel production systems with a particular focus on bioreactor-based fuel systems. In Chapter 2, a lifecycle assessment (LCA) method is integrated with chemical process modeling to select from different process designs the one that maximizes the energy efficiency and minimizes the environmental impact of a production system. An algae-based ethanol production technology, which is in the process of commercialization, is used as a case study. Motivated by this case study, Chapter 3 studies the selection of process designs and production capacity of highly distributed bioreactor-based fuel system from an economic perspective. Nonlinear optimization models based on net present value maximization are developed that aim at selecting the optimal capacities of production equipment for both integrated and distributed-centralized process designs on symmetric production layouts. Global sensitivity analysis based on Monte Carlo estimates is performed to show the impact of different parameters on the optimal capacity decision and the corresponding net present value. Conditional Value at Risk optimization is used to compare the optimal capacity for a risk-neutral planner versus a risk-averse decision maker. Chapter 4 studies mobile distributed processing in biofuel industry as vehicle routing problem and production equipment location with an underlying pipeline network as facility location problem with a focus on general production costs. Formulations and algorithms are developed to explore how fixed cost and concavity in the production cost increases the theoretical complexity of these problems.
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Halfhide, Trina Cassandra. "Algae: Opportunities for Biomass Feedstock Production, Wastewater Treatment and Educational Outreach." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5032.
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Algae are a diverse group of simple organisms that lack roots, stems or leaves and are able to use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and nutrients to produce complex compounds, such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. These compounds, especially lipids, are highly sought-after by agricultural, nutraceutical and energy interests. Although there is great potential for algae derived biofuels, there are technical and economic challenges associated with their cultivation. Relevant to this dissertation, the environmental impacts associated with algae cultivation can be reduced by using municipal and agricultural wastewaters as a water and nutrient source. This research was divided into three sections to address current challenges in the algal industry and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The sections were: 1) examination of the growth of indigenous algae on wastewater (centrate) produced from dewatering anaerobically digested municipal sludge, 2) examination of the effect of non-axenic conditions on the growth of three different algal cultures using wastewater from a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), and 3) using wastewater treatment and algae to increase scientific inquiry in authentic science research with high school students. In the first section, indigenous algae were cultivated on centrate under natural light conditions in a semi-continuous photobioreactor. A non- linear bio-optical model was developed considering Michaelis-Menten photosynthesis-irradiance response. The bio-optical model was applied to fit the cumulative biomass data and had an R-squared value of 0.96. The second section examined the growth and accumulation of storage product. Higher calorific values were observed for all algae cultures when grown under non-axenic conditions, most likely due to significantly higher lipid contents. Significantly higher algal lipid contents under non-axenic conditions may be attributed to the stress of the presence of RAS microorganisms. Finally, having a university-based algal project with involvement of University of South Florida (USF) researchers, teachers and high school (HS) students facilitated increased scientific understanding and skills among HS students. Outcomes included graduate students gaining greater in-depth practical understanding as these students had to learn skills, such as designing a photobioreactor and then immediately had to teach HS students how to construct photobioreactors, design and conduct experiments, and gather scientific data. HS students gained a greater understanding of biological and chemical processes, such as photosynthesis. In addition, they learned important skills, such as calculating means and standard deviations using Excel, orally communicating scientific concepts and preparation of a PowerPoint presentation.
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Ofoegbu, Chidiebere. "An evaluation of the socio-economic impact of timber production with and without the inclusion of biomass energy production." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4111.
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Thesis (MScFor (Forest and Wood Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The discussion on climate change is leading to a re-evaluation of tree plantations in South Africa; prompting the adoption of forest bioenergy system as one of the cost effective ‘carbon mitigation options’. In an analysis of this changing paradigm, emphasis was placed on the socio-economic aspects of integrated commercial tree plantations and forest bioenergy systems with special attention to harvest residues recovery for bioelectricity production and construction and operation of a bioelectricity plant. The study also explored the direct and indirect benefits that adjacent communities derive from tree plantations in South Africa in order to determine the potential impact of integrated timber and bioelectricity production on rural livelihood and conventional forestry operations. Structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used in randomly sampling twelve villages on Mondi tree plantations in the Piet Retief and Iswepe areas of South Africa. Six villages from each area were selected; and a systematic random sampling of ten households per village was carried out. The possibility of using harvest residues from final clear felling from these plantations for bioelectricity production was examined. The study developed and described a scenario for a five megawatt bioelectricity generation facility, requiring an annual volume of 19,569.85 dry tonnes of residues as feedstock for its operation. The study revealed that adjacent rural communities to Mondi plantations in Piet Retief and Iswepe areas enjoy direct benefits such as employment opportunities, utilization of harvest residues, utilization of non-timber resources, and free accommodation. Indirect benefits that these communities enjoy include: free farmland and graze-land and various social benefits. Issues of concern and dislike such as: lack of electricity; poor health and sanitation and transportation problems were also identified. Using NPV and IRR, the study estimated the economic impacts of integrated pulpwood and bioelectricity production, compared to conventional pulpwood production operation. The study concluded that integrated pulpwood and harvest residue recovery for bioelectricity production is a profitable means of producing renewable energy. The approach was found to increase the profitability of conventional forest operations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besprekings rondom klimaatsverandering lei tot ‘n her-evaluasie van boom plantasies in Suid Afrika wat aanleiding gee tot die aanvaarding van bio-energie stelsels as een van die koste effektiewe “koolstof versagtende opsies”. In ‘n ontleding van hierdie paradigma verandering, is klem geplaas op die sosio-ekonomiese aspekte van die integrasie van boom plantasies en bos bio-energie stelsels. Spesiale aandag is gegee aan onginningsafval herwinning vir bio-energie produksie en die konstruksie en werking van ‘n bio-elektriese kragsentrale. Die studie ondersoek ook die direkte en indirekte voordele wat gemeenskappe, aangrensend aan boom plantasies in Suid Afrika verkry, om sodoende die potensiële effek van geintegreerde hout en bio-elektriese produksie op landelike lewensbestaan en konvensionele bosbou operasies te bepaal. Gestruktureerde vraelyste en indiepte onderhoude is gebruik om ‘n lukraakte steekproef van twaalf dorpies op Mondi boom plantasies in die Piet Retief en Iswepe areas van Suid Afrika uit te voer. Ses dorpies in elke area is gekies en ‘n sistematiese lukraakte steekproef van tien huishoudings per dorpie is uitgevoer. Die moontlikheid om ontginningsafval van finale kaalkap van hierdie plantasies vir bio-elektrisiteit te gebruik is ook ondersoek. Die studie het ‘n senario ontwikkel en beskryf van ‘n vyf megawatt bio-elektriese kragsentrale wat ‘n jaarlikse volume van 11,708 droë ton ontginningsafval benodig as voermateriaal vir kragopwekking. Die studie het getoon dat aangrensende landelike gemeenskappe langs Mondi plantasies in die Piet Retief en Iswepe areas direkte voordele soos werksgeleenthede, gebruik van ontginningsafval, gebruik van nie-hout hulpbronne en gratis akkommodasie geniet. Indirekte voordele wat gemeenskappe geniet sluit in gratis toegang to landbou grond en weiding, sowel as sosiale voordele. Probleemfaktore waarmee hulle saamleef is ‘n gebrek aan elektrisiteit, swak gesondheids en sanitasie dienste en vervoerprobleme. Deur die gebruik van NPV en IRR analitiese metodes is die ekonomiese impak van geintegreerde pulphout en bio-elektrisiteits produksie bepaal en vergelyk met konfensionele pulphout produksie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat geintegreerde pulphout en ontginningsafval herwinning vir bio-elektrisiteit produksie ‘n winsgewende manier van hernubare energie produksie is. Die benadering kan die winsgewendheid van konfensionele bosbou operasies verbeter.
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Ndokwana, Ayanda Lawrence. "Techno-economic evaluation of using maize for bioethanol production compared to exporting it from South Africa." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2543.
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Thesis ( MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.Capital investment in bioethanol production requires sound economic feasibility studies. This study investigated the economic feasibility of using maize as a feedstock to produce bioethanol in South Africa. There is a huge opportunity to use dedicated underutilised arable land to grow maize which can be used for both consumption and bioethanol production. The study used 200 000 ton/year of maize that could have been exported to SADC countries to size a plant that produces 80 million litres per year of bioethanol. An advanced bioethanol processing technology that separates the fibre/bran which is burnt in a steam boiler to produce process steam was selected owing to advantages such as low energy consumption and capital expenditure on fermentation and distillation equipment. This study employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data. The findings from a qualitative instrument indicated that a majority of respondents were in favour of the decision of excluding maize made by the South African government. Putting security of food at risk and uncertainty in the profitability of a maize-fed bioethanol plant in the South African context, were two of the primary reasons the respondents opted for an explicit exclusion of maize as a feedstock. Findings from quantitative analysis revealed that the profitability of the bioethanol plant was largely influenced by the prices of feedstock and bioethanol. The 2016 fiscal year indicated the worst case scenario in terms of economic viability of the bioethanol. The astronomically high price of maize due to drought (R5000/ton) rendered the project unprofitable as all of the economic indicators were negative. In the same marketing year, however, the trade balance of maize was positive, indicating a surplus. The study recommended that all of the surplus maize should be exported because it is not economically viable to build a bioethanol plant. The 2011 fiscal year indicated the best case scenario in terms of the economics of the project. This was due to the decrease in price of maize (R1726/ton) and a slight increase in the price of bioethanol. All of the economic indicators were positive, suggesting the benefits of investing in bioethanol production. It was recommended that under normal conditions of maize production in South Africa, a bioethanol plant can be operated simultaneous to maize exportation to other countries without compromising food security, because a maize-fed bioethanol plant uses only a small proportion of maize (14.3%) from the total volume of maize that is exported. Furthermore, it generates more revenue (99.9%) compared to the maize export revenue. It was recommended that sensitivity analysis should be conducted in a holistic manner whereby all variables in the economic model must be adjusted to assess the impact of each on the overall project profitability.
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Sjöde, Anders. "Chemical characterization in the biorefinery of lignocellulose : formation and management of oxalic acid and analysis of feedstocks for bioethanol production /." Karlstad : Faculty of Technology and Science, Chemistry, Karlstad University, 2008. http://www.diva-portal.org/kau/abstract.xsql?dbid=1362.
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Brown, Carol A. "Biomass production, composition, and ethanol potential of switchgrass grown on reclaimed surface mines in West Virginia." Thesis, West Virginia University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1573301.
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Growing crops for biofuel production on agricultural land has caused a debate between whether we should grow corn grain on productive, agricultural lands to feed a growing human population or to fuel our vehicles. This has increased interest in growing cellulosic biofuel feedstocks on marginal lands. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warm-season perennial grass, has been shown to be a viable bioenergy crop because it produces high yields on marginal lands under low water and nutrient conditions. West Virginia contains immense acreages of reclaimed surface mine lands and could offer enough area for the production of switchgrass as a feedstock for a biofuel industry.
The first study was established in 2008 to determine switchgrass yields of three different cultivars on two mine sites in West Virginia. The first site, which was reclaimed in the early 1990s using top soil and treated municipal sludge, consistently had the highest yield of the two sites with a sixth-year yield of 8.4 Mg Dry Matter (DM) ha-1 averaged across varieties. Cave-in-Rock variety produced 13.0 Mg ha-1 of biomass which was more than the other two varieties. The other site, Hobet, was prepared using crushed, unweathered sandstone in 2008 and average yields were 1.0 Mg ha-1 for the sixth year of production.
The second study was conducted on two sites which were reclaimed with a layer of topsoil over gray overburden and seeded with Cave-in-Rock 2011. Fertilizer was applied at rates of 0, 33.6, and 67 kg N ha-1. No fertilizer treatment yielded 0.32 Mg ha-1 while the fertilizer treatments produced significantly higher yields.
The objective of the third study was to determine if cultivars and samples from fertilizer treatments differed in composition and theoretical ethanol yield. Compositional analysis was done using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. It was determined that cultivars did not differ in theoretical ethanol yield with averages ranging from 364 to 438 L Mg-1. Theoretical ethanol production from Cave-in-Rock was significantly higher ranging from 6,092 to 7,348 L ha-1 due to its high biomass production. Fertilizer treatments did not greatly effect composition of switchgrass, but since it did improve yield this was reflected in greater ethanol production for fertilized treatments. Based on the information presented here, high biomass should be the goal for switchgrass grown for biofuel production. With proper soil substrate and fertilizer regime, switchgrass grown on reclaimed surface mines may have high enough yield and quality to support ethanol production in the future.
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Wan, Caixia. "Microbial Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Ceriporiopsis Subvermispora for Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Ethanol Production." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1299689015.
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Linnig, William A. III. "IS DENSIFIED BIOMASS FUEL FROM AGRO-FORESTRY WASTE A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY OPTION?" UKnowledge, 2012. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/me_etds/7.
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Raw biomass material is bulky, high in void fraction, and very low in transportation efficiency. Furthermore, biomass dissipates quickly in harsh environments of high heat furnaces because of its relatively low calorific value (BTU/lb) and has grinding or size degradation properties highly dissimilar from commonly-used fossil fuels like coal. Therefore, the development of transformational technologies are necessary to convert raw biomass into high-value and useful products of high hardness and calorific value without requiring excessive process energy.
This thesis investigates the sustainability of densified biomass fuels. In addition, a procedure that converts raw biomass from agro/forest industry waste into a fuel source known as semi-carbonized densified biomass (SCDB) is shown to have the necessary performance qualities that are conducive to applications involving the harsh conditions of high heat furnaces. The SCDB is produced at temperatures between 115-230°C and pressures between 8-25 MPa. The raw biomass is transformed into a densified fuel source with maximum compressive strengths between 60-200 MPa and calorific values between 18-23 MJ/kg, which are essential to operating in high heat furnace environments. The procedural steps and equipment used to manufacture this densified fuel source are outlined in detail along with experimental results and discussions of initial testing.
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Fibi, Pumza Oscarine. "Development and validation of in-process control test kits for biodiesel production." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012645.
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The production of biodiesel from vegetable oils is not a new technology; it has been around since the 1950’s and both the research in terms of the different feedstock that can be used and the production of biodiesel has since been gaining momentum as there needs to be a new, sustainable and domestic alternative to petroleum fuels. These petroleum fuels pose enormous threats to the environment and therefore need to be replaced as they are mostly contributing to climate change and global warming not to mention the frequent price hikes which are crippling the South African economy. Biodiesel production using vegetable oils seems to be and is the future and a law has recently been passed which sanctions the production of biofuel locally.[1] South African fuel producers will instigate obligatory blending of fossil fuel with biofuel as the country moves to encourage investment in its biofuels sector. The production of biodiesel locally and the blending of biodiesel with other petroleum products will reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel. The already established petrochemical companies like BP, Sasol and Engine are therefore mandated to purchase these biofuels if and when the biofuels meet the required South African National Standard (SANS) 1935 requirements. This is then where the challenge comes as most of these growing biofuel companies cannot afford to purchase testing equipment.The growing companiesthen discover upon completion of the biofuel manufacturing process that their product does not meet the required standard specification. The failure translates to a financial loss as the final product can possibly not be reworked. The aim of the project is then to assist these companies who are manufacturing biofuel, by providing them with in-house biofuel process methods which will allow for early detection, should there be a need to redo a step in the process and not wait until the completion of the production process. These in-house process-testing methods will range from pH determination, titration tests which will determine the soap content and the percentage free fatty acid content, water determination, density and visual testing. It is not cost-effective for these biodiesel manufacturers to send their samples for outsource testing as evidently the results obtained would be out of specification hence the need to provide these biodiesel manufacturers with in-house analytical testing techniques that will aid in monitoring of the biodiesel production.