Energy production from biomass and waste derived intermediate pyrolysis oils

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.

Synthetic strategies to nanostructured photocatalysts for CO2 reduction to solar fuels and chemicals

Artificial photosynthesis represents one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century, offering the possibility of clean energy through water photolysis and renewable chemicals through CO2 utilisation as a sustainable feedstock. Catalysis will undoubtedly play a key role in delivering technologies able to meet these goals, mediating solar energy via excited generate charge carriers to selectively activate molecular bonds under ambient conditions. This review describes recent synthetic approaches adopted to engineer nanostructured photocatalytic materials for efficient light harnessing, charge separation and the photoreduction of CO2 to higher hydrocarbons such as methane, methanol and even olefins.

Melissa Romigh carrying wood to construct boardwalk in mangrove forest, Shark River Slough

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. This image is made available for non-commercial or educational use only.

The White Ibis and Wood Stork as indicators for restoration of the everglades ecosystem

Large numbers of colonially nesting herons, egrets, ibises, storks and spoonbills were one of the defining natural phenomena of the historical Everglades. Reproduction of these species has been tracked over at least a century, and some clear responses to dramatic anthropogenic hydrological alterations have been established. These include a marked decline in nesting populations of several species, and a movement of colonies away from the over-drained estuarine region. Ponding in a large portion of the freshwater marsh has favored species that hunt by sight in deep water (egrets, cf. 25–45 cm), while tactile feeders (ibises and storks) that depend on concentrated prey in shallow water (5–25 cm) have become proportionately much less common. There has been a marked increase in the interval between exceptionally large breeding aggregations of White Ibises (Eudocimus albus). Loss of short hydroperiod wetlands on the margins of the Everglades have delayed nest initiations 1–2 months by Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) resulting in poor nesting success. These responses are consistent with mechanisms that involve foraging, and the availability and production of prey animals, and each of the relationships is highly dependent on hydrology. Here, we define a group of characteristics about wading bird dynamics (= indicators) that collectively track the specific ecological relationships that supported ibises and storks in the past. We suggest four metrics as indicators of restoration success: timing of nesting by storks, the ratio of nesting ibises + storks to Great Egrets, the proportion of all nests located in the estuarine/freshwater ecotone, and the interval between years with exceptionally large ibis nestings. Each of these metrics has historical (e.g., predrainage) data upon which to base expectations for restoration, and the metrics have little measurement error relative to the large annual variation in numbers of nests. In addition to the strong scientific basis for the use of these indicators, wading birds are also a powerful tool for public communication because they have strong aesthetic appeal, and their ecological relationships with water are intuitively understandable. In the interests of communicating with the public and decision-makers, we integrate these metrics into a single-page annual “traffic-light” report card for wading bird responses. Collectively, we believe these metrics offer an excellent chance of detecting restoration of the ecosystem functions that supported historical wading bird nesting patterns.

Changes in mass and nutrient content of wood during decomposition in a south Florida mangrove forest

1. Large pools of dead wood in mangrove forests following disturbances such as hurricanes may influence nutrient fluxes. We hypothesized that decomposition of wood of mangroves from Florida, USA (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle), and the consequent nutrient dynamics, would depend on species, location in the forest relative to freshwater and marine influences and whether the wood was standing, lying on the sediment surface or buried. 2. Wood disks (8–10 cm diameter, 1 cm thick) from each species were set to decompose at sites along the Shark River, either buried in the sediment, on the soil surface or in the air (above both the soil surface and high tide elevation). 3. A simple exponential model described the decay of wood in the air, and neither species nor site had any effect on the decay coefficient during the first 13 months of decomposition. 4. Over 28 months of decomposition, buried and surface disks decomposed following a two-component model, with labile and refractory components. Avicennia germinans had the largest labile component (18 ± 2% of dry weight), while Laguncularia racemosa had the lowest (10 ± 2%). Labile components decayed at rates of 0.37–23.71% month−1, while refractory components decayed at rates of 0.001–0.033% month−1. Disks decomposing on the soil surface had higher decay rates than buried disks, but both were higher than disks in the air. All species had similar decay rates of the labile and refractory components, but A. germinans exhibited faster overall decay because of a higher proportion of labile components. 5. Nitrogen content generally increased in buried and surface disks, but there was little change in N content of disks in the air over the 2-year study. Between 17% and 68% of total phosphorus in wood leached out during the first 2 months of decomposition, with buried disks having the greater losses, P remaining constant or increasing slightly thereafter. 6. Newly deposited wood from living trees was a short-term source of N for the ecosystem but, by the end of 2 years, had become a net sink. Wood, however, remained a source of P for the ecosystem. 7. As in other forested ecosystems, coarse woody debris can have a significant impact on carbon and nutrient dynamics in mangrove forests. The prevalence of disturbances, such as hurricanes, that can deposit large amounts of wood on the forest floor accentuates the importance of downed wood in these forests.

Estudo da incorporação de cinza e chamote gerado pela cerâmica vermelha ao próprio processo industrial

The ceramics industry generates waste at various stages of that process, defective products, waste from burning solid fuels, among others. This waste is dumped in landfills, garbage dumps or directly on roads, which has a negative environmental impact. This paper presents a study to incorporate the waste of algaroba wood and chamote (scrap pieces of ceramic already sintered), in to the ceramic material for making sealing blocks. The methodological procedures consist in the characterization of chemical and mineralogical residues, raw materials, and physical-mechanical of the formulations of mixes with clay, silt and waste. By pressing test pieces were produced using a pressure of 200 kgf/cm², varying compositions in the range of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by weight of residue. The sintering was performed in a muffle furnace, with the temperature levels of 850 ° C, 900 ° C, 950 ° C, 1000 ° C and 1050 ° C. The evaluated physical and mechanical properties were: Water Absorption, Linear Shrinkage Burning, Apparent Porosity, Apparent Density and Mechanical Resistance to Flexion. Analysis was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy on fracture surfaces of the specimens. Evaluation of linear shrinkage property drying and firing , water absorption and mechanical resistance to compression of the sealing blocks 5% wood ash residue, sintered at 900 °C hold temperature in the laboratory the products manufactured on an industrial scale. The main results, it was found on the viability of using the residues of algaroba wood and to confer refractory properties of the ceramic product. The main results, it was concluded feasibility of using the ash residues algaroba wood to impart refractory properties to the ceramic product and the residue of chamote, being derived from the own ceramic product not interfere with the properties, when used in a percentage of up to 5%.Since the residue of chamote being derived from the ceramic product itself had no effect on the properties. Studies in the laboratory have shown that the incorporation of up to 5% of these residues may be adopted as an alternative technology to reduce the environmental impact caused by the industrial sector, without compromising the final properties of the material, since the results on an industrial scale showed absorption values 11.66 and 11.74 of water and waste products respectively, within the parameters of NBR - 15,270, since the mechanical strength was 1.25 MPa and 0.94 MPa respectively for products with and without residue, lower than the minimum required by the technical standard that is 1.5 MPa.

Estudo da incorporação de cinza e chamote gerado pela cerâmica vermelha ao próprio processo industrial

The ceramics industry generates waste at various stages of that process, defective products, waste from burning solid fuels, among others. This waste is dumped in landfills, garbage dumps or directly on roads, which has a negative environmental impact. This paper presents a study to incorporate the waste of algaroba wood and chamote (scrap pieces of ceramic already sintered), in to the ceramic material for making sealing blocks. The methodological procedures consist in the characterization of chemical and mineralogical residues, raw materials, and physical-mechanical of the formulations of mixes with clay, silt and waste. By pressing test pieces were produced using a pressure of 200 kgf/cm², varying compositions in the range of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by weight of residue. The sintering was performed in a muffle furnace, with the temperature levels of 850 ° C, 900 ° C, 950 ° C, 1000 ° C and 1050 ° C. The evaluated physical and mechanical properties were: Water Absorption, Linear Shrinkage Burning, Apparent Porosity, Apparent Density and Mechanical Resistance to Flexion. Analysis was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy on fracture surfaces of the specimens. Evaluation of linear shrinkage property drying and firing , water absorption and mechanical resistance to compression of the sealing blocks 5% wood ash residue, sintered at 900 °C hold temperature in the laboratory the products manufactured on an industrial scale. The main results, it was found on the viability of using the residues of algaroba wood and to confer refractory properties of the ceramic product. The main results, it was concluded feasibility of using the ash residues algaroba wood to impart refractory properties to the ceramic product and the residue of chamote, being derived from the own ceramic product not interfere with the properties, when used in a percentage of up to 5%.Since the residue of chamote being derived from the ceramic product itself had no effect on the properties. Studies in the laboratory have shown that the incorporation of up to 5% of these residues may be adopted as an alternative technology to reduce the environmental impact caused by the industrial sector, without compromising the final properties of the material, since the results on an industrial scale showed absorption values 11.66 and 11.74 of water and waste products respectively, within the parameters of NBR - 15,270, since the mechanical strength was 1.25 MPa and 0.94 MPa respectively for products with and without residue, lower than the minimum required by the technical standard that is 1.5 MPa.

Characterization of wood biochar and evaluation of its adsorption potential for removal of sulphate from produced water in offshore oil and gas industry

This thesis analyses the potential of wood biochar as an adsorbent in removal of sulphate from produced water. In worldwide offshore oil and gas industry, a large volume of waste water is generated as produced water. Sulphur compounds present in these produced water streams can cause environmental problems, regulatory problems and operational issues. Among the various sulphur removal technologies, the adsorption technique is considered as a suitable method since the design is simple, compact, economical and robust. Biochar has been studied as an adsorbent for removal of contaminants from water in a number of studies due to its low cost, potential availability, and adsorptive characteristics. In this study, biochar produced through fast pyrolysis of bark, hardwood sawdust, and softwood sawdust were characterized through a series of tests and were analysed for adsorbent properties. Treating produced water using biochar sourced from wood waste is a two-fold solution to environmental problems as it reduces the volume of these wastes. Batch adsorption tests were carried out to obtain adsorption capacities of each biochar sample using sodium sulphate solutions. The highest sulphur adsorption capacities obtained for hardwood char, softwood char and bark char were 11.81 mg/g, 9.44 mg/g, and 7.94 mg/g respectively at 10 °C and pH=4. The adsorption process followed the second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption reaction was thermodynamically favourable and exothermic. The overall analysis concludes that the wood biochar is a feasible, economical, and environmental adsorbent for removal of sulphate from produced water.

Mobility and toxicity of heavy metal(loid)s arising from contaminated wood ash application to a pasture grassland soil

The authors acknowledge the financial support the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS) in order to complete some of the soil and pore water sample analysis as well as the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (COST CZ LD13068), the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR 14-02183P) and EU COST actionFP1407 (‘ModWoodLife’) short term scientific mission grant in order to complete the column leaching test.

Effect of early release from intense competition within high density natural regeneration on the properties of the juvenile and mature wood of 40-year-old Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.)

Peer reviewed

Fast pyrolysis of biomass for energy and fuels

Bioenergy is now accepted as having the potential to provide the major part of the projected renewable energy provisions of the future as biofuels in the form of gas, liquid or solid fuels or electricity and heat. There are three main routes to providing these biofuels — thermal conversion, biological conversion and physical conversion — all of which employ a range of chemical reactor configurations and process designs. This paper focuses on fast pyrolysis from which the liquid, often referred to as bio-oil, can be used on-site or stored or transported to centralised and/or remote user facilities for utilisation for example as a fuel, or further processing to biofuels and/or chemicals. This offers the potential for system optimisation, much greater economies of scale and exploitation of the concepts of biorefineries. The technology of fast pyrolysis is described, particularly the reactors that have been developed to provide the necessary conditions to optimise performance. The primary liquid product is characterised, as well as the secondary products of electricity and/or heat, liquid fuels and a considerable number of chemicals. The main technical and non-technical barriers to the market deployment of the various technologies are identified and briefly discussed.

Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment Modeling Approaches for Transboundary Energy Feedstocks

The rise of the twenty-first century has seen the further increase in the industrialization of Earth’s resources, as society aims to meet the needs of a growing population while still protecting our environmental and natural resources. The advent of the industrial bioeconomy – which encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, and bio-based products – is seen as an important step in transition towards sustainable development and away from fossil fuels. One sector of the industrial bioeconomy which is rapidly being expanded is the use of biobased feedstocks in electricity production as an alternative to coal, especially in the European Union.

As bioeconomy policies and objectives increasingly appear on political agendas, there is a growing need to quantify the impacts of transitioning from fossil fuel-based feedstocks to renewable biological feedstocks. Specifically, there is a growing need to conduct a systems analysis and potential risks of increasing the industrial bioeconomy, given that the flows within it are inextricably linked. Furthermore, greater analysis is needed into the consequences of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable feedstocks, in part through the use of life cycle assessment modeling to analyze impacts along the entire value chain.

To assess the emerging nature of the industrial bioeconomy, three objectives are addressed: (1) quantify the global industrial bioeconomy, linking the use of primary resources with the ultimate end product; (2) quantify the impacts of the expaning wood pellet energy export market of the Southeastern United States; (3) conduct a comparative life cycle assessment, incorporating the use of dynamic life cycle assessment, of replacing coal-fired electricity generation in the United Kingdom with wood pellets that are produced in the Southeastern United States.

To quantify the emergent industrial bioeconomy, an empirical analysis was undertaken. Existing databases from multiple domestic and international agencies was aggregated and analyzed in Microsoft Excel to produce a harmonized dataset of the bioeconomy. First-person interviews, existing academic literature, and industry reports were then utilized to delineate the various intermediate and end use flows within the bioeconomy. The results indicate that within a decade, the industrial use of agriculture has risen ten percent, given increases in the production of bioenergy and bioproducts. The underlying resources supporting the emergent bioeconomy (i.e., land, water, and fertilizer use) were also quantified and included in the database.

Following the quantification of the existing bioeconomy, an in-depth analysis of the bioenergy sector was conducted. Specifically, the focus was on quantifying the impacts of the emergent wood pellet export sector that has rapidly developed in recent years in the Southeastern United States. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment was conducted in order to quantify supply chain impacts from two wood pellet production scenarios: roundwood and sawmill residues. For reach of the nine impact categories assessed, wood pellet production from sawmill residues resulted in higher values, ranging from 10-31% higher.

The analysis of the wood pellet sector was then expanded to include the full life cycle (i.e., cradle-to-grave). In doing to, the combustion of biogenic carbon and the subsequent timing of emissions were assessed by incorporating dynamic life cycle assessment modeling. Assuming immediate carbon neutrality of the biomass, the results indicated an 86% reduction in global warming potential when utilizing wood pellets as compared to coal for electricity production in the United Kingdom. When incorporating the timing of emissions, wood pellets equated to a 75% or 96% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, depending upon whether the forestry feedstock was considered to be harvested or planted in year one, respectively.

Finally, a policy analysis of renewable energy in the United States was conducted. Existing coal-fired power plants in the Southeastern United States were assessed in terms of incorporating the co-firing of wood pellets. Co-firing wood pellets with coal in existing Southeastern United States power stations would result in a nine percent reduction in global warming potential.

A Hard Bargain? A cost-benefit analysis of an improved cookstove program in India

In developing countries, access to modern energy for cooking and heating still remains a challenge to raising households out of poverty. About 2.5 billion people depend on solid fuels such as biomass, wood, charcoal and animal dung. The use of solid fuels has negative outcomes for health, the environment and economic development (Universal Energy Access, UNDP). In low income countries, 1.3 million deaths occur due to indoor smoke or air pollution from burning solid fuels in small, confined and unventilated kitchens or homes. In addition, pollutants such as black carbon, methane and ozone, emitted when burning inefficient fuels, are responsible for a fraction of the climate change and air pollution. There are international efforts to promote the use of clean cookstoves in developing countries but limited evidence on the economic benefits of such distribution programs. This study undertook a systematic economic evaluation of a program that distributed subsidized improved cookstoves to rural households in India. The evaluation examined the effect of different levels of subsidies on the net benefits to the household and to society. This paper answers the question, “Ex post, what are the economic benefits to various stakeholders of a program that distributed subsidized improved cookstoves?” In addressing this question, the evaluation used empirical data from India applied to a cost-benefit model to examine how subsidies affect the costs and the benefits of the biomass improved cookstove and the electric improved cookstove to different stakeholders.

Carlos Coronado-Molina sampling dead wood in dwarf mangroves, Taylor Slough

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. This image is made available for non-commercial or educational use only.

Ellen Meiksins Wood (1942-2016)

Fil: García Mac Gaw, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNLP-CONICET); Argentina.