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
- The biomass boom is coming
Companies that turn wood into pellets for use as biomass energy are accused of causing a surge in deforestation in the South, all in the name of producing renewable energy for international markets.
- Steelmakers put de-carbonisation plans on fast track
All the leading producers recognise that de-carbonisation is an existential necessity and are working on improving their energy and resource efficiency by modifying their production process.
- Hydrothermal vents
A deeper view that unites instead of divides, connecting why the story matters to you. Behind the news are values that drive people and nations. Explore them here. Can trust bring connection and ...
- Willow/Woody Biomass
Shrub willow is a short-rotation woody crop that rapidly produces large amounts of renewable biomass. Lifecycle assessments show that willow is a climate-neutral fuel that does not increase greenhouse ...
- DEBUNKING THE BIOMASS MYTH
Forest biomass — fuel derived from the burning or heating of growing things, like trees and other plants — has long enjoyed a reputation as a clean, green 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
- Victory Clean Energy, Inc.: Hyliion and Victory Execute Letter of Intent to Deploy up to 10 KARNO Generators to H2 Energy Group
Under the terms of the agreement, Victory will purchase up to 10 KARNO generators, to be deployed in the Hydrogen production facilities of their subsidiary, H2 Energy Group (H2EG). Specializing in ...
- 20 Countries with the Highest Renewable Energy Consumption in the World
In this article, we will look into the 20 countries with the highest renewable energy consumption in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Countries with ...
- Reimagining energy: How former fossil fuel sites are driving the renewable revolution
They also align with the broader transition to renewable energy sources. Biofuel technology involves converting organic materials like crops, wood, and waste (called biomass) into energy sources like ...
- Hyliion and Victory Execute Letter of Intent to Deploy up to 10 KARNO(TM) Generators to H2 Energy Group
AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 30, 2024 / Victory Clean Energy Inc. (OTC PINK:VYEY) ("Victory"), a trailblazer in the green hydrogen energy sector and Hyliion Holdings Corp. (NYSE:HYLN) ("Hyliion"), ...
- Energy is crucial to winning economic development
Amazon project in Madison MS underscores importance of energy in luring economic development projects to state.
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”]