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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Effect Of Biomass Inlet Concentration On Mixing In A Double Screw Pyrolyzer, Breanna L. Marmur, Theodore J. Heindel Apr 2019

Effect Of Biomass Inlet Concentration On Mixing In A Double Screw Pyrolyzer, Breanna L. Marmur, Theodore J. Heindel

Breanna L. Marmur

The renewable energy industry relies on double screw pyrolyzers to convert cellulosic biomass into bio-oil. Bio-oil can then be converted into synthetic gasoline, diesel, and other transportation fuels, or can be converted into biobased chemicals for a wide range of applications. One of the processes by which bio-oil is produced in industry today is through fast pyrolysis, the fast thermal decomposition of organic material in the absence of oxygen. One type of pyrolyzer, a double screw pyrolyzer, features two intermeshing screws encased in a reactor which mechanically conveys and mixes the biomass and heat carrier media. The mixing effectiveness of …


Engineering, Nutrient Removal, And Feedstock Conversion Evaluations Of Four Corn Stover Harvest Scenarios, Reed L. Hoskinson, Douglas L. Karlen, Stuart J. Birrell, Corey W. Radtke, W. W. Wilhelm Dec 2015

Engineering, Nutrient Removal, And Feedstock Conversion Evaluations Of Four Corn Stover Harvest Scenarios, Reed L. Hoskinson, Douglas L. Karlen, Stuart J. Birrell, Corey W. Radtke, W. W. Wilhelm

Douglas L Karlen

Crop residue has been identified as a near-term source of biomass for renewable fuel, heat, power, chemicals and other bio-materials. A prototype one-pass harvest system was used to collect residue samples from a corn (Zea mays L.) field near Ames, IA. Four harvest scenarios (low cut, high-cut top, high-cut bottom, and normal cut) were evaluated and are expressed as collected stover harvest indices (CSHI). High-cut top and high-cut bottom samples were obtained from the same plot in separate operations. Chemical composition, dilute acid pretreatment response, ethanol conversion yield and efficiency, and thermochemical conversion for each scenario were determined. Mean grain …


Competence Evaluation Of Mycodiesel Production By Oleaginous Fungal Strains: Mucor Circinelloides And Gliocladium Roseum, Sandip S. Magdum, Gauri P. Minde, Upendra S. Adhyapak, V. Kalyanraman Jul 2015

Competence Evaluation Of Mycodiesel Production By Oleaginous Fungal Strains: Mucor Circinelloides And Gliocladium Roseum, Sandip S. Magdum, Gauri P. Minde, Upendra S. Adhyapak, V. Kalyanraman

Sandip S. Magdum

Comparing with lesser algal growth rate for biofuel production along with many constraints, fungal route should be analyzed for its capability of biodiesel or mycodiesel production. The two fungal strains namely, Mucor circinelloides (MTCC1297) and Gliocladium roseum (MTCC6474) were analyzed for laboratory scale mycodiesel production. The M. circinelloides and G. roseum were able to produce biomass of 0.404 mg VSS/mg sucrose and 0.642 mg VSS/ mg sucrose with the mycodiesel content of 20.69% (w/w) and 11.37% (w/w) respectively. Furthermore, qualitative analysis of the oil contents by GC-MS were identified the presence of Tetradecanoic and Octadecanoic acids.


Estimates Of Biomass And Fixed Carbon At A Rainforest In Panama, Reinhardt Pinzón, José Fábrega, David Vega, Erick N. Vallester, Rafael Aizprúa, Francisco R. López-Serrano, Fred Ogden, Kleveer Espino Jun 2015

Estimates Of Biomass And Fixed Carbon At A Rainforest In Panama, Reinhardt Pinzón, José Fábrega, David Vega, Erick N. Vallester, Rafael Aizprúa, Francisco R. López-Serrano, Fred Ogden, Kleveer Espino

Fred L. Ogden

This paper presents an estimation of the quantity of carbon fixed in trees in a one hectare (ha) plot at the Cerro Pelado-Gamboa Hydrology Tropical Observatory, which is located in the province of Colon, Panama. The estimation of carbon fixed in trees may provide significant information on carbon flux due to water circulation, which may ultimately enable evaluation of the carbon cycle. All trees larger than 10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) in the plot were investigated. Carbon fixed within these trees was estimated using a parameterized formula. Tree biomass estimations for the plot were 97.21 Mg ha -1. …


In-Situ Catalytic Upgrading Of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapor: Co-Feeding With Methanol In A Multi-Zone Fixed Bed Reactor Mar 2015

In-Situ Catalytic Upgrading Of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapor: Co-Feeding With Methanol In A Multi-Zone Fixed Bed Reactor

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The in-situ catalytic upgrading of the biomass pyrolysis vapor and its mixture with methanol were conducted in a fixed bed multi-zone reactor. The steps were comprised; thermally converting the biomass in the pyrolysis reactor, passing its vapor in contact with the HZSM-5 zeolite catalyst in the presence of methanol vapor, and transformation of the resulting upgraded pyrolysis vapor into the liquid product. The biomass pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis vapor upgrading were performed at 500 degrees C. The highly valuable chemicals production was a function of the hydrogen to carbon effective ratio (H/C-eff) of the feed. This ratio was regulated by …


Effect Of Microwave Frequency On Dielectric Properties Of Oil Palm Shell (Ops) And Ops Char Synthesized By Microwave Pyrolysis Of Ops Mar 2015

Effect Of Microwave Frequency On Dielectric Properties Of Oil Palm Shell (Ops) And Ops Char Synthesized By Microwave Pyrolysis Of Ops

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Microwave heating is considered to be a potential, efficient and fast method for thermal treatment of biomass. Therefore, elemental understanding of dielectric properties of biomass is necessary before irradiating it with microwave radiations. Dielectric properties along with penetration depth, relaxation time and static permittivity of oil palm shell COPS) and OPS char were investigated in the frequency ranging between 0.5 and 20 GHz at room temperature. At low frequencies, dielectric constant of UPS was higher than that of UPS char while at higher frequencies, vice versa is observed. Penetration depth for UPS char was higher than that of UPS at …


Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen Jan 2014

Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen

David J. Muth

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while benefiting soil and water quality and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study for Hardin County, Iowa, to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. Estimates of variability in row crop production at a subfield level are used to model the economic performance of corn (Zea mays L.) …


Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen Dec 2013

Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen

Douglas L Karlen

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while benefiting soil and water quality and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study for Hardin County, Iowa, to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. Estimates of variability in row crop production at a subfield level are used to model the economic performance of corn (Zea mays L.) …


Determination Of Kinetic Parameters From The Thermogravimetric Data Set Of Biomass Samples, Karol Postawa, Wojciech M. Budzianowski Dec 2012

Determination Of Kinetic Parameters From The Thermogravimetric Data Set Of Biomass Samples, Karol Postawa, Wojciech M. Budzianowski

Wojciech Budzianowski

This article describes methods of the determination of kinetic parameters from the thermogravimetric data set of biomass samples. It presents the methodology of the research, description of the needed equipment, and the method of analysis of thermogravimetric data. It describes both methodology of obtaining quantitative data such as kinetic parameters as well as of obtaining qualitative data like the composition of biomass. The study is focused mainly on plant biomass because it is easy in harvesting and preparation. Methodology is shown on the sample containing corn stover which is subsequently pyrolysed. The investigated sample show the kinetic of first order …


Environmental Impacts Of Stover Removal In The Corn Belt, Alicia English, Wallace E. Tyner, Juan Sesmero, Phillip Owens, David J. Muth Jr. Aug 2012

Environmental Impacts Of Stover Removal In The Corn Belt, Alicia English, Wallace E. Tyner, Juan Sesmero, Phillip Owens, David J. Muth Jr.

David J. Muth

When considering the market for biomass from corn stover resources erosion and soil quality issues are important to consider. Removal of stover can be beneficial in some areas, especially when coordinated with other conservation practices, such as vegetative barrier strips and cover crops. However, benefits are highly dependent on several factors, namely if farmers see costs and benefits associated with erosion and the tradeoffs with the removal of biomass. This paper uses results from an integrated RUSLE2/WEPS model to incorporate six different regime choices, covering management, harvest and conservation, into a simple profit maximization model to show these tradeoffs.


A Comparative Study Of Oil Palm And Japanese Beech On Their Fractionation And Characterization As Treated By Supercritical Water, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M.Varman, S. Saka Jan 2011

A Comparative Study Of Oil Palm And Japanese Beech On Their Fractionation And Characterization As Treated By Supercritical Water, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M.Varman, S. Saka

Mahendra Varman Munusamy (M. Varman)

Supercritical water treatment (380°C/100 MPa/8 s) was applied to extractive-free oil palm trunk and sapwood portion of Japanese beech and their fractionated products were comparatively characterized, for water-soluble portion and water-insoluble portion composed of methanol-soluble portion and methanol-insoluble residue. As a result, the water-soluble portion was determined to be composed of carbohydrate-derived products such as organic acids, sugar decomposed products and lignin-derived products, etc. for both species. The oil palm, however, shows higher yield of organic acids (12.9%) and lignin-derived products (12.2%) compared to Japanese beech, in which organic acids were 4.7% in yield and lignin-derived products 9.8%. The methanol-soluble …


Fractionation And Characterization Of Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) As Treated By Supercritical Water, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M.Varman, H. Miyafuji, S. Saka Jan 2010

Fractionation And Characterization Of Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) As Treated By Supercritical Water, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M.Varman, H. Miyafuji, S. Saka

Mahendra Varman Munusamy (M. Varman)

In order to investigate the potential for efficient utilization of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), supercritical water treatment (at 380°C and 100 MPa for 8 s) was applied to fractionate extractives-free samples into water-soluble portion and water-insoluble portion. The water-insoluble portion was further fractionated into methanol-soluble portion and methanol-insoluble residue. Samples were prepared from various parts of oil palm, i.e., trunks, fronds, mesocarp fibers, shells, empty fruit bunches, and kernel cake. These fractionated products were then characterized analytically. The water-soluble and methanol-soluble portions were determined to be mainly composed of carbohydrate-derived products and lignin-derived products, respectively. The methanol-insoluble residue was mainly …


Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota—A Preliminary Assessment, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Dennis Todey, Russell Persyn Jan 2009

Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota—A Preliminary Assessment, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Dennis Todey, Russell Persyn

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Conversion of biomass is considered the next major advance in biorenewable fuels, energy, and products. Wholesale conversion to biomass utilization could result in removal of current crop residues from agricultural fields (on prime agricultural lands) or even implementation of different crops and cropping strategies (i.e., switchgrass on marginal lands). To date, the driver for biomass processing has been economics and limitations on the conversion of the lignocellulose. Over the last forty years significant investments and resultant changes in management practices in the agricultural sector have focused on soil and water conservation. One of the major efforts has focused on conservation-till …


Simulation Of Corn Stover And Distillers Grains Gasification With Aspen Plus, Yasar Demirel, A Kumar, H Noureddini, D.D. Jones, M.A. Hanna Dec 2008

Simulation Of Corn Stover And Distillers Grains Gasification With Aspen Plus, Yasar Demirel, A Kumar, H Noureddini, D.D. Jones, M.A. Hanna

YASAR DEMIREL

A model was developed to simulate the performance of a lab‐scale gasifier and predict the flowrate and composition of product from given biomass composition and gasifier operating conditions using Aspen Plus software. Mass balance, energy balance, and minimization of Gibbs free energy during the gasification were applied to determine the product gas composition. Carbon conversion efficiency and tar content were provided to the model as inputs as these could not be predicted by the model based on minimization of Gibbs free energy. Experiments for validation of the model were performed on a lab‐scale fluidized bed gasifier using corn stover and …


Chemical Constituents Of The Different Anatomical Parts Of The Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) For Their Sustainable Utilization, S Saka, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M. Varman, M. Shibata, Y. Tono, H. Miyafuji Nov 2008

Chemical Constituents Of The Different Anatomical Parts Of The Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) For Their Sustainable Utilization, S Saka, Mahendra Varman Munusamy M. Varman, M. Shibata, Y. Tono, H. Miyafuji

Mahendra Varman Munusamy (M. Varman)

As the worldwide production of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) is increasing, concomitant wastes of unutilized parts of the oil palm are also increasing. Thus, effective utilization of these wastes is expected. In this paper, therefore, the chemical composition of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and other minor cell wall components was studied for six different anatomical parts of the oil palm such as trunk, frond, mesocarp, endocarp (shell), kernel cake and empty fruit bunch (EFB). As a result, it was shown that cellulose is in a range between 20-40wt% with hemicellulose being 10-35wt%, whereas lignin in a range between 23-52wt%. More in …


Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Russell Persyn, Dennis Todey Jun 2007

Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Russell Persyn, Dennis Todey

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Conversion of biomass is considered the next major advance in biorenewable fuels, energy, and products. Wholesale conversion to biomass utilization could result in removal of current crop residues from agricultural fields or even implementation of different crops and cropping strategies (i.e., switchgrass). To date, the driver for biomass processing has been economics and limitations on the conversion of the lignocellulose. Over the last forty years significant investments and resultant changes in management practices in the agricultural sector have focused on soil and water conservation. One of the major efforts has focused on conservation-till or no-till, with the goal of retaining …


The Importance Of Emerging Biobased Industries To Engineering And Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma Oct 2006

The Importance Of Emerging Biobased Industries To Engineering And Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Our society has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. Historically, these needs have been met primarily by fossil fuels and other non-renewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines the emergence and importance that biobased industries are increasingly beginning to play. A biobased enterprise, similar in concept to a traditional refinery or factory, utilizes conversion technologies to produce various products. These operations are rapidly increasing both in number as well as in capacity throughout this country, and are poised to add significantly to the nation’s energy and material …


Characteristics Of North American Meat & Bone Meal Relevant To The Development Of Non-Feed Applications, Rafael A. Garcia, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Rolando A. Flores Jul 2006

Characteristics Of North American Meat & Bone Meal Relevant To The Development Of Non-Feed Applications, Rafael A. Garcia, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Rolando A. Flores

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Unmarketable animal tissues are typically processed by rendering plants, which transform them into meat & bone meal (MBM) or similar products. MBM’s traditional use as animal feed has become increasingly threatened, but MBM has potential for non-feed applications. Development of new products and processes is hindered by lack of reliable data on many of MBM’s chemical and physical properties. MBM samples as well as data on raw material and process were collected from 19 rendering facilities in the United States and Canada. A large majority of the raw material was tissue from cattle, swine and poultry. All facilities surveyed practiced …


The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma Jun 2006

The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The society in which we live has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. In particular, recent data reveals that the aggressive pursuit of improved standards of living in the highly populated countries of India and China has contributed to increased demand for fossil fuels, which has exacerbated the recent spike in energy costs. Historically, these needs have been met primarily by fossil fuels and other non-renewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines the emergence and importance that bio-based industries are increasingly beginning to play. A bio-based enterprise, …


Characteristics Of North American Meat And Bone Meal Relevant To The Development Of Non-Feed Applications, Rafael A. Garcia, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Rolando A. Flores Jan 2006

Characteristics Of North American Meat And Bone Meal Relevant To The Development Of Non-Feed Applications, Rafael A. Garcia, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Rolando A. Flores

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Unmarketable animal tissues are typically processed by rendering plants, which transform them into meat and bone meal (MBM) or similar products. MBM's traditional use as animal feed has become increasingly threatened, but MBM has potential for non-feed applications. Development of new products and processes is hindered by lack of reliable data on many of MBM's chemical and physical properties. MBM samples, as well as data on raw material and process, were collected from 19 rendering facilities in the United States and Canada. A large majority of the raw material was tissue from cattle, swine, and poultry. All facilities surveyed practiced …