07

Alternative

Energy Sources (bioconversion

energy)

07

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES
Bioconversion Energy

ENERGY

00/00871 Co-gasification of coal and biomass in entrainedflow based IGCCs (integrated gasification combined cycle power generation). Technical, economic, environmental, and experimentally supported assessment of three concepts Van Ree, R. et al. ECN-C [Rep.], 1998, (ECN-C-98-060), l-54.
The aim for sustainable development strives for a power production system based on renewable energy sources despite the development of clean coal conversion technologies integrated with high-efficiency power production facilities, such as IGCC. Biomass is one of the most promising renewable energy sources that can be used in the Netherlands. To accelerate the introduction of these materials, in a technical and economically acceptable way, co-gasification with fossil fuels. in particular coal, in large scale IGCC processes is considered. In this report the technical feasibility, economic profitability and environmental acceptability of co-gasification of biomass in coal-fired oxygen-blown entrained-flow hased IGCCs is discussed. Both a base-case coal-fired oxygen-blown entrained-flow based IGCC process and three co-gasification concepts: (1) a concept with separate dry coal and biomass feeding systems, (2) a concept with a combined dry coal/hioma ;sderived pyrolysis char feeding system and (3) a concept with parallel biomass pretreatment gasification and combined fuel gas clean-up/power production, are defined for further consideration. The flowsheet simulation package, ASPEN p is used to model the base-case system and the cou*, gasification concepts. OOlQO872

Behavior of organic matter from Callovian shales 00/00867 during low-temperature air oxidation Faure, P. et ul. Fuel, 1999. 78. (13). 1515-1525. In order to study the effects of oxidation of sedimentary organic matter,
low-temperature air oxidation experiments were conducted on a shale and its kerogen concentrate at 60 and 100C for 2-2048 h. The first stage of organic matter alteration was marked by a decrease in the extract yield, mainly attributed to evaporation and adsorption processes. During the second stage, the saturated and unsaturated biomarkers disappeared from the free hydrocarbons phase and were probably incorporated into the polar phase through oxygen bonds. The third stage, characterized by the formation of short chain alkanes, was well correlated to the increase in the oxygen content of kerogen. The genesis of neoformed oxygen-bearing compounds including carboxylic acids was also observed.

Economic feasibility of producing ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks Kaylen. M. et al. Bioresotrrce Techndogy. 2000. 72. (I). 19-32. A mathematical programming model IS built to analyse the economic
feasibility of producing ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks. The optimal size of an ethanol plant is determined hy the trade-off between increasing transportation costs for feedstocks versus decreasing average plant costs as the plant size increaser. The ethanol plant is modelled under the assumption that it utilizes recent technological advancements in dilute acid hydrolysis. Potential feedstocks include energy crops. crop residues and woody biomass. It is found that the recent technological advancements appear to make ethanol competitive with gasoline, but only if higher valued chemicals are produced as co-products with the ethanol. The low cost and chemical composition of crop residues make them attractive a< a feedstock.

00/00868

Biodiesel

production:

a review

Ma, F. and Hanna, M. A. Bioresource Technology, 1999, 70, (I), l-15. Biodiesel has become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits and the fact that it is made from renewable resources. The cost of biodiesel, however, is the main hurdle to commercialization of the product. Used cooking oils are used as raw material, adaption of continuous transesterification process and recovery of high quality glycerol from biodiesel by-product (glycerol) are primary options to be considered to lower the cost of biodiesel. There are four primary ways to make biodiesel; direct use and blending, microemulsions, thermal cracking (pyrolysis) and transesterification. The most commonly used method is transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. The transesterification reaction is affected by molar ratio of glycerides to alcohol, catalysts, reaction temperature, reaction time and free fatty acids and water content of oils or fats. The mechanism and kinetics of the transesterification show how the reaction occurs and progresses. The processes of transesterification and its downstream operations are also addressed.

Economic feasibility QQl00873 farmer cooperatives for biodiesel

review for community-scale

Biogeochemical evidence for microbial community 00/00869 change in a jet fuel hydrocarbons-contaminated aquifer
Fang, J. and Barcelona, M. J. Organic Geochem., 1998, 29, (4), 899-907. In October 1988 a tanker aircraft crashed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, contaminating a glacio-fluvial aquifer with JP-4 fuel hydrocarbons released during the crash. Microbial biomass and community structure, associated with the aquifer sediments, were characterized based on the analysis of phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA). Fatty acids ranged in carbon chain length from Cl:-C_ ,,), including monounsaturated, saturated, branched, and cyclopropyl fatty acids. The aquifer sediments contained virtually no polyunsaturated fatty acids. These findings suggested that bacteria were dominant organisms within the aquifer microbial communities. The PLFA analysis demonstrated that the total microbial biomass and community composition in aquifer sediments, varied with depth, and between locations at similar depths, indicating considerable microbial heterogeneity in the subsurface. Comparisons made between the microbial communities in anaerobic and aerobic zones indicated that higher microbial biomass and metabolically more diverse microbial communities existed in the former.

Bender, M. BiorerotrrcP TcchnoicJgy, 1999, 70, (1 ), 81-87. A review of 12 economic feasibility studies shows that the projected costs for biodiesel from oilseed or animal fats have a range US$0.30-0.6911. including meal and glycerin credits and the assumption of reduced capital investment costs by having the crushing and/or esterification facility added onto an existing grain or tallow facility. Rough projections of the cost of biodiesel from vegetable oil and waste grease are. respectively, US$O.540.6211 and US$O.34-0.42/l. With pre-tax diesel priced at US$O.l8/1 in the US and US$O.20-0.2411 in some European countries, biodiesel is thus currently not economically feasible, and more research and technological development will be needed. Economic analysis of a farmers hiodiesel cooperative near Vienna, Austria, shows that government subsidies enable the farmers to produce the canola on set-aside land for biodiescl and by-product meal cake at almost no net cost to the farmers. OOlQ0874

Feasibility diesel engines

of using wood flash-pyrolysis

oil in

Cofiring of coal and biomass in advanced fluidized 00100870 bed gasifiers Hoppe, J. A. Proc. Ann. Irtt. Pittsburgh Coal Conf., 1998, IS, 997-1007.
The scientific community is beginning to consider the co-firing of coal and biomass. It is also a viable option to the sustained year round operation of biomass based plants, which are currently limited in duration owing to dependency on the biomass growing season. A number of industrial applications have the potential to accommodate the use of waste materials including biomass resources for the production of co-generated electricity, steam and synthetic gas based chemicals and fuels such as methanol and ethanol. In addition the use of bagasse types of biomass wastes help the environmental clean-up and disposal of these types and wood wastes from pulp and paper mills, and vegetation and floral wastes in tropical regions such as South Asia. Using co-firing of coal fines and biomass can be economically attractive in areas where high and low grade coal is mined and can add to the electrification and district heating of these remotely located villages and hamlets. There is a need for testing and proving these options in areas where there is no existing infrastructure for providing local facilities can be electricity and district heating, before large-scale implemented.

Frigo, S. et al. Sot. Automat. Gtg., [Spec. Pub/./ SP, I9YX. SP-I 3Y I. (Alternative Fuels 1998), 165-173. An experimental study concerning the feasibility of using bio-oil obtained from the flash pyrolysis of wood for fuelling diesel power plants is described in this paper. The spray analyses show that it is problematic to achieve a satisfactory level of atomization with flash-pyrolysis oil. The engine experimentation demonstrates that flash-pyrolysis oil needs to be modified or mixed, for example with alcohol to make self-ignition possible. Besides, unacceptable build-up of carbonaceous deposits, injection system clamping and engine seizure occur. The main finding of the test was a very large build-up of char in the TGA apparatus and in the single-drop atmospheric reactor (drop-tube). The corrosion tests demonstrate that steel undergoes fast erosion when it comes into contact with flash-pyrolysis oil. The main conclusion drawn from the results is that the characteristics of the currentproduction of flash-pyrolysis oil are not suited for its utilization in diesel engines. 00/00875

flocculating

Isolation of thermotolerant, Sacchciromyces cerevisiae

osmotolerant, for ethanol production

Kiran Sree, N et al. Bioresource Technology, 2000, 72, (I), 43-46. Four thermotolerant, osmotolerant, flocculating alcohol producing cultures of Sacchciromyces cerevisiae were isolated from soil samples collected from a thermal power plant in India. All the isolates grew at 44 hut VS, and ,C VS1 were better than the other two. Maximum ethanol yields obtained from 150 g/l glucose were 75 and 60 g/l using culture VS, at 3O and 40 C. C respectively. Growth and ethanol production were decreasing at 44 C so higher temperatures were not tested, but the isolates could tolerate temperatures above 44 C. All cultures belonged to class IV flocculating yeasts and were able to tolerate up to 350 g/l glucose. These cultures have economical importance for u$e in alcohol production during hot seasons in countries such as India.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts

March 2000

97