IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v145y2020icp2091-2100.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Upgrading almond-tree pruning as a biofuel via wet torrefaction

Author

Listed:
  • Aguado, Roque
  • Cuevas, Manuel
  • Pérez-Villarejo, Luis
  • Martínez-Cartas, Ma Lourdes
  • Sánchez, Sebastián

Abstract

Two series of six wet torrefaction tests were performed using a pressurized batch reactor in order to upgrade almond-tree pruning (a largely available agricultural waste in Mediterranean areas) as a fuel. The assayed maximum temperatures were in the range of 175–300 °C, held for either 10 or 60 min. Raw almond-tree pruning and wet-torrefied solid products were systematically characterized through a wide range of analytical procedures, such as bulk density, particle size, structural and elemental composition, ash content, heating values, moisture uptake, FTIR spectra and SEM micrographs. The effects of temperature and time on the wet torrefaction process of almond-tree pruning were simultaneously evaluated through the severity factor. Higher temperatures and longer holding times brought the fuel properties of wet-torrefied solid products closer to those of sub-bituminous coal. The most severe operating conditions (i.e., 300 °C held for 60 min, or a severity factor equal to 7.68) allowed achieving an energy densification ratio of 1.67. However, the optimal processing conditions in terms of energy yield, which were found at a severity factor of 5.78, led to 57.1 wt% solid yields, with a higher heating value of 24.0 MJ/kg and an energy densification ratio of 1.36.

Suggested Citation

  • Aguado, Roque & Cuevas, Manuel & Pérez-Villarejo, Luis & Martínez-Cartas, Ma Lourdes & Sánchez, Sebastián, 2020. "Upgrading almond-tree pruning as a biofuel via wet torrefaction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 2091-2100.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:145:y:2020:i:c:p:2091-2100
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.07.142
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148119311620
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2019.07.142?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kostyniuk, Andrii & Likozar, Blaž, 2024. "Wet torrefaction of biomass waste into value-added liquid product (5-HMF) and high quality solid fuel (hydrochar) in a nitrogen atmosphere," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    2. Dimitrios K. Sidiras & Antonios G. Nazos & Georgios E. Giakoumakis & Dorothea V. Politi, 2020. "Simulating the Effect of Torrefaction on the Heating Value of Barley Straw," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Kostyniuk, Andrii & Likozar, Blaž, 2024. "Wet torrefaction of biomass waste into high quality hydrochar and value-added liquid products using different zeolite catalysts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    4. Catarina Viegas & Catarina Nobre & Ricardo Correia & Luísa Gouveia & Margarida Gonçalves, 2021. "Optimization of Biochar Production by Co-Torrefaction of Microalgae and Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Response Surface Methodology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, November.
    5. Antonios Nazos & Dorothea Politi & Georgios Giakoumakis & Dimitrios Sidiras, 2022. "Simulation and Optimization of Lignocellulosic Biomass Wet- and Dry-Torrefaction Process for Energy, Fuels and Materials Production: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-35, November.
    6. Giulia D’Agostino & Rosalia Merra & Francesco Sottile & Giuseppe Lazzara & Maurizio Bruno, 2023. "Almonds By-Product Microcrystalline Cellulose as Stucco for Wooden Artifacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Weronika Kruszelnicka, 2020. "A New Model for Environmental Assessment of the Comminution Process in the Chain of Biomass Energy Processing †," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:145:y:2020:i:c:p:2091-2100. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.