Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Debora Cristina Bianchini, Flavio Jose Simioni
Summary: The study shows that drying wood chips using a rotary dryer is economically viable, with a short payback period and high Internal Rate Return. Even with an increase in purchase price and a decrease in sale price, the economic indicators remain viable.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Meiyun Chai, Li Xie, Xi Yu, Xingguang Zhang, Yang Yang, Md. Maksudur Rahman, Paula H. Blanco, Ronghou Liu, Anthony V. Bridgwater, Junmeng Cai
Summary: The results indicate that high temperature accelerates the evolution rate of torrefaction products and promotes the formation of torrefaction volatiles; the heating rate has minimal impact on the torrefaction process evolution; both torrefaction temperature and residence time significantly influence the mass and energy yields of torrefaction products; the majority of the heat from torrefaction reactions is endothermic, with only a small portion being exothermic.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
R. Garcia, M. Gil, A. Fanjul, A. Gonzalez, J. Majada, F. Rubiera, C. Pevida
Summary: This study proposes using solid biochar obtained from pyrolysis of eucalyptus as an additive to produce enhanced pine sawdust pellets. Adding small amounts of biochar can improve the pellets' water resistance and grindability, while providing durability, net calorific value, energy density, and particle density values. The proposed pellets meet the quality standards for domestic and industrial wood pellets. The production of these mixed pellets is expected to result in cost savings compared to raw pellets.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francisco X. Aguilar, Houston Sudekum, Ronald McGarvey, Benjamin Knapp, Grant Domke, Consuelo Brandeis
Summary: This study assessed the net impacts of a globally important wood-dependent pellet industry on local forest carbon pools and found that it met the overall condition of forest carbon neutrality in this particular context and period. Although there were trade-offs between carbon pools, there was a net increase in live trees, while no net effects were observed in standing-dead trees and soils.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jaime Jaramillo-Gutierrez, J. L. Lopez-Picon, Jose Torres-Arenas
Summary: The Thermodynamic Geometry (TG) of Mie fluids in the subcritical and supercritical region is studied using a third order thermodynamic perturbation theory equation of state (EOS). The R-crossing method of TG is applied to reproduce the coexistence curves related to Mie fluids. The behavior of the R-Widom line is analyzed and found to be dependent on the stiffness and range potential for the Mie fluids. A correspondence states principle is found for the R-Widom line, and a Clausius-Clapeyron-type relation near the critical point in the supercritical region is fulfilled.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michelle E. Benedum, Dennis R. Becker
Summary: The article discusses the need to reassess forest management practices in the western USA, particularly in the wake of destructive wildfires. It also examines various policies and practices aimed at enhancing the utilization of woody biomass, as well as the impact of network governance attributes on the broader forest biomass industry.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alok Dhaundiyal, Divine Atsu
Summary: A pilot size reactor was tested to examine its design suitability for effective gas generation. The thermal efficiency and chemical exergy of the reactor were calculated for different temperature ranges, showing higher efficiency for higher temperatures and dried biomass. The study aims to provide a clean energy generation method by improving the exergetic content of the reactor.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Clara Mendoza-Martinez, Ekaterina Sermyagina, Jussi Saari, Vinicius Faria Ramos, Esa Vakkilainen, Marcelo Cardoso, Elem Patricia Alves Rocha
Summary: This study evaluates the potential of oxidative fast pyrolysis (OFP) of eucalyptus wood residues (EWR) for replacing fossil fuels in the lime kilns of the pulp industry. The OFP experiments were done in a pilot-scale autothermal fluidized reactor, producing gases, bio-char, and bio-oil. The integration of OFP with the pulp mill recovery boiler and steam cycle allows for the recovery of waste heat and combustion of residues.
Article
Thermodynamics
Mateusz Samoraj, Agnieszka Dmytryk, Lukasz Tuhy, Anna Zdunek, Piotr Rusek, Konstantinos Moustakas, Katarzyna Chojnacka
Summary: The residues of alfalfa and goldenrod, after supercritical CO2 extraction, show a high capacity for carrying micronutrients and producing energy. They meet the EU regulation requirements for fertilizers and can be used as solid biofuel or combustion promoters.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Anna Trubetskaya, Andrew J. Hunt, Vitaliy L. Budarin, Thomas M. Attard, Jens Kling, Gerrit R. Surup, Mehrdad Arshadi, Kentaro Umeki
Summary: Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is effective in generating soot particles with fullerene-like structure and increasing syngas yield. The high yields of extractives can lead to sustainable production of high-value chemicals and have significant potential in integrating extraction process into biorefinery.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Allan Motta Couto, Thiago Campos Monteiro, Paulo Fernando Trugilho, Jose Tarcisio Lima, Jose Reinaldo Moreira da Silva, Alfredo Napoli, Diego Pierre de Almeida
Summary: This research assessed the relationship between wood physical-anatomical variables and charcoal physical-mechanical properties. The study found that wood density, fiber length, wall thickness, and wall fraction were positively correlated with charcoal bulk density, hardness, and strength. In contrast, fiber lumen diameter and vessel frequency had a negative correlation with charcoal properties.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Josiel Martins Costa, Ambrosio Florencio de Almeida Neto
Summary: The impregnation of substances using supercritical CO2 technology has shown promise in developing high-tech products, particularly in producing novel catalysts. This approach allows the production of unique nanoparticles with varied morphologies, beneficial for use in energy storage systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yilin Yao, Masatsugu Takada, Eiji Minami, Haruo Kawamoto
Summary: The effect of adding protein on the decomposition behavior of lignin in Japanese cedar under supercritical methanol conditions was studied. It was found that adding protein enhanced delignification but decreased the yield of major monomers. The addition of proteins has a substantial impact on the decomposition behavior of cell wall components.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pawan Kumar, Azadeh Kermanshahi-pour, Satinder Kaur Brar, Chunbao Charles Xu, Quan Sophia He, Sara Evans, Jan K. Rainey
Summary: This study investigated the impact of different pretreatment methods on the enzymatic digestibility of wood and found that acetosolv pulping-alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching was the most effective pretreatment. In addition, the optimized enzyme cocktail showed higher yield than individual enzymes and the scCO(2) pretreatment had negligible effect on the structure and activity of the enzyme cocktail.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pawan Kumar, Azadeh Kermanshahi-pour, Satinder Kaur Brar, Marianne Su-Ling Brooks
Summary: Supercritical fluids, such as carbon dioxide and water, show great potential in the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass in biorefinery processes, providing greener alternatives compared to traditional reagents. Significant research has focused on understanding the impact of process parameters on sugar yield in biorefining processes using supercritical fluids, aiming to enhance efficiency at commercial scale and reduce environmental impact. Additionally, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in supercritical carbon dioxide offers a promising approach for mild reaction conditions and could facilitate one-pot pretreatment and hydrolysis for deriving biofuel and value-added chemicals from renewable resources.
ADVANCED SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
E. Laurila, S. Koivisto, A. Kankkunen, K. Saari, V Maakala, M. Jarvinen, V. Vuorinen
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIPHASE FLOW
(2020)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Karhan Ozdenkci, Mauro Prestipino, Margareta Bjorklund-Sankiaho, Antonio Galvagno, Cataldo De Blasio
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Muhammad Owais, Maryam R. Yazdani, Mika Jarvinen
Summary: The study investigates the wet extractive grinding method for efficient calcium recovery from steelmaking slags, with a focus on circular solutions and reducing energy consumption. Results demonstrate a significant increase in calcium yield and process rate compared to traditional mechanical mixing.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shouzhuang Li, Isabel Canete Vela, Mika Jarvinen, Martin Seemann
Summary: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is commonly used in textile fiber, film, and bottles. PET waste gasification can produce high concentrations of CO2 and biphenyl, and adjusting gasifying agents, temperature, residence time, and steam/fuel ratio can affect the product composition.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lauri Poyry, Petri Ukkonen, Michela Mulas, Anna Mikola
Summary: Energy costs in the wastewater industry are rising, and optimizing the aeration process can offer significant savings. Dynamic models can improve energy efficiency and process performance, with promising results showing the strong influence of control valve positioning on the system.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Niloufar Ghavami, Karhan Ozdenkci, Gabriel Salierno, Margareta Bjorklund-Sankiaho, Cataldo De Blasio
Summary: Biomass is considered a carbon-neutral energy source and can be efficiently converted into various biofuels, but operational issues during conversion processes, such as safety concerns and high production costs, hinder the industrialization of technologies like SCWG and HTL.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Otacilio B. L. Neto, Michela Mulas, Francesco Corona
Summary: In this study, the stability, controllability, and observability properties of a class of activated sludge plants were analyzed. Specifically, the researchers focused on the five biological reactors and the secondary settler in the Benchmark Simulation Model no. 1 (BSM1). The study revealed that this class of systems is controllable but not observable in a structural sense, and the commonly used linearization method is neither fully controllable nor fully observable in the classical sense.
JOURNAL OF PROCESS CONTROL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Ari Kankkunen, Santeri Koivisto, Kari Saari, Mika Jarvinen, James Biggs, Andrew Jones
Summary: This article studied industrial-scale swirl-type black liquor nozzles using water as the test fluid. The study found that simple water spraying experiments were beneficial for comparing nozzle designs and understanding functional differences. The research showed that nozzle geometry greatly affected spray characteristics, and knowledge of spray properties could be used for better char bed, fouling, and emissions control.
Article
Thermodynamics
Niloufar Ghavami, Karhan Ozdenkci, Simeone Chianese, Dino Musmarra, Cataldo De Blasio
Summary: This study proposes the use of energetic yield as a performance indicator for selecting optimum conditions in hydrothermal carbonization. The study also investigates the required experimental data and simulation aspects for producing hydrochar. The findings provide insights into the energy and mass balances of the process.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shouzhuang Li, Muddasser Inayat, Mika Jarvinen
Summary: This study investigated the individual and combined effects of temperature, steam/PET ratio, and CaO/PET ratio on gas products, tar, and char in PET steam gasification with CaO. The results showed that temperature, CaO, and their interaction had a significant effect on H2 yield, and adding CaO reduced the benzene content in tar. However, at temperatures of 700℃-800℃, adding CaO increased CO2, suggesting that CaO mainly acted as a catalyst rather than an absorbent.
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Eduardo Fernandes Montesuma, Michela Mulas, Francesco Corona, Fred-Maurice Ngole Mboula
Summary: Fault diagnosis is crucial for developing safer control systems in chemical plants. However, obtaining labeled fault data from dangerous system conditions can be challenging. Using simulation data for training data-driven fault diagnosis systems is a possible solution, but the distribution of simulation data may differ from real-world data. This study explores the use of optimal transport for cross-domain fault diagnosis, achieving better results compared to other methods.
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Otacilio B. L. Neto, Michela Mulas, Francesco Corona
Summary: In this work, we present the design and behavior of an output predictive controller for a common class of activated sludge plants, which can achieve alternative objectives by stabilizing the system around optimal steady-state points.
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Polycarpo Souza Neto, Jose Marques Soares, Michela Mulas, George Andre Pereira The
Summary: The article proposes a method based on the characterization of the eigentropy and omnivariance properties of point clouds to indicate the best variant of ICP for each context. It also suggests a partitioning step prior to alignment to reduce computational cost. Overall, the proposal serves as a multipurpose registration technique for pose correction of data from different contexts in computer vision and robotics applications.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS, COMPUTER VISION AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (ROBOVIS)
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Gabriel Salierno, Anton Gradisek, Mauricio Maestri, Julia Picabea, Miryan Cassanello, Cataldo De Blasio, Maria Angelica Cardona, Daniel Hojman, Hector Somacal
Summary: This study assessed the mixing behavior of fluidized calcium alginate spheres in liquid-solid and gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed modes. The liquid-solid fluidized bed exhibited a smooth mixing time profile along the column, while the gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed showed high sensitivity of entropy production with height. By using the Glansdorff-Prigogine stability measure, flow regime transitions were accurately captured for the gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed, allowing for the construction of reliable operative windows for fluidization equipment.
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Otacilio B. L. Neto, Antoine Haddon, Farouk Aichouche, Jerome Harmand, Michela Mulas, Francesco Corona
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of operating activated sludge plants to produce effluent wastewater for crop irrigation, by using predictive control strategy to supply nitrogen according to optimal planning for crop growth. Results show that zero-offset can be achieved under constant influent conditions, but there are challenges under typical municipal wastewater influent conditions.
