via Charles III University of Madrid
Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy) have designed a new system that allows more to be got from biomass (such as forest and agricultural waste) thanks to a chemical reactor that works with a small solar power facility.
Biological waste contains a large amount of energy, if used properly. This is known as biomass, in other words, plant and other vegetable remains, as well as animal or household waste, for example. According to experts, these bio-residues could become a viable alternative source of energy. In this way, the sustainable processing of biomass allows high value-added products to be obtained and has become a good alternative in energy production, in the context of an increasing world population and the progressive depletion of natural resources.
These bio-residues are characterised by high humidity, which requires a drying pre-treatment process before they are processed using conventional thermal technologies (such as pyrolysis, gasification, or dry torrefaction). “This is not an economic option, as a significant amount of energy is used for the drying pre-treatment. In order to solve this, hydrothermal biomass carbonisation (HTC) could be an interesting technology that could be used to process this waste, as the drying pre-treatment is not needed,” explains Jesús Gómez Hernández, from the UC3M’s Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering’s Energy Systems Engineering research group.
He is one of the authors of an article that was recently published in the scientific journal Renewable Energy, which details how HTC can be used in conjunction with a solar power facility to make the process more sustainable and extract energy from pine residues, corn stover, or rice husks, for example. “The products obtained could be applied to energy production processes, the improvement of soil substrates, supercapacitors, and bio-refineries to create a fossil-fuel-free economy, opening a technological path toward a circular economy,” say the authors of this paper.
The HTC consists of a thermochemical treatment in order to process the biomass in a reactor with hot water (between 180 and 250 degrees) at a high pressure (from 10 to 40 bar) to obtain a high value-added product: hydrocarbon. “In other words, the natural process for the formation of coal from biomass is reproduced under laboratory conditions,” explains Jesús Gómez Hernández. The main drawback is that HTC requires a lot of energy. It is at this point that researchers have introduced an innovation by using another renewable energy source: solar energy.
“Our work analytically models an HTC process for twin-screw reactors coupled to a linear beam-down solar field (LBD) in order to be sustainable in terms of energy,” note the researchers. The system would operate roughly as follows: two sets of reflective mirrors redirect the solar rays to another secondary mirror that concentrates all the solar energy on the screw reactor, which is installed on the floor due to its weight. They have found that this could extract energy in a renewable and sustainable way from different lignocellulosic biomasses, the most abundant raw material for bio-fuel production available on Earth.
Original Article: A system that combines solar energy and a chemical reactor to get more from biomass has been designed
More from: Charles III University of Madrid | University of Rome Tor Vergata
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Hydrothermal biomass carbonisation
- Hydrothermal treatment: A green leap forward in solid fuel production from waste biomass and plastics
In a bid to address the growing concerns over waste management and environmental sustainability, researchers from Tohoku University have delved into the potential of hydrothermal ...
- Biochar Market Size Is Expected to Reach USD 1,843.3 Mn by 2032, at 13.2% CAGR: Dimension Market Research
Trends, Insights, and ProjectionsNew York, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Overview The Global Biochar Market size was valued at USD 604.9 million in 2023 and it is further anticipated to reach a ...
- News tagged with hydrothermal vents
This is the case at inactive hydrothermal vents on the sea floor. An international team that includes researchers ... Greg Rouse, a marine biologist at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of ...
- The Carbonisation of Coal
The Carbonisation of Coal. A Scientific Review of the Formation, Composition and Destructive Distillation of Coal for Gas, Coke and By-Products. By Prof. V. B. Lewes. Pp. xiv + 315. (London ...
- Biomass is a biomess
But it’s still trying to resolve some fundamental tensions around what to do with all that biomass — millions of tons of dead trees, brush and branches — on the landscape. Lawmakers and ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Hydrothermal biomass carbonisation
[google_news title=”” keyword=”hydrothermal biomass carbonisation” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Energy from biomass
- Biomass needs deeper look
I am writing in response to the two articles about the proposed biomass project to be constructed within the Mariposa Industrial Park, and I thank Greg Little for reporting on this controversial ...
- Biomass and solar to play vital role in Ireland's green energy goals
Chris O’Callaghan and Ger Crosse of Woodco Renewable Energy say renewable energy represents a cost-effective solution for the future. They talk to Colette Sheridan ...
- From barren to bountiful: India's plan for green hydrogen from biomass
The meeting gathered representatives from key government ministries, knowledge partners, and research institutes to discuss the utilization of barren lands for biomass cultivation.
- NYK and Tsuneishi working on world’s first biomass-fuelled vessel
Giant Japanese shipowner NYK has revealed it is working on the world’s first vessel to be fuelled by biomass. The “bioship” project also involves domestic shipbuilder Tsuneishi and UK renewable energy ...
- India holds meeting focused on using degraded land for biomass cultivation
Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, outlined the potential for seaweed cultivation in bioenergy production, aligning with India’s broader Deep Ocean Mission.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Energy from biomass
[google_news title=”” keyword=”energy from biomass” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]