Article
Construction & Building Technology
Dimitri Feys, Mohammed Sonebi, Sofiane Amziane, Chafika Djelal, Khadija El-Cheikh, Shirin Fataei, Markus Greim, Irina Ivanova, Helena Keller, Kamal Khayat, Laurent Libessart, Viktor Mechtcherine, Ivan Navarrete, Arnaud Perrot, Egor Secrieru, Yannick Vanhove
Summary: The recent understanding of the rheology of mortar and concrete has led to the need for accurate assessment of their rheological properties in construction. A comparison campaign was conducted in 2018 using 14 different rheometers to evaluate the workability, flow curves, yield stress, interface properties, and tribological data of concrete and mortar mixtures. The results showed that while the devices differed in absolute values, they were able to qualitatively distinguish between mixtures.
MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mirdash Bakalli, Patrick Keil, Werner Strunz, Thomas Broeker, Rainer Herrmann, Joerg Vogelsang
Summary: Although electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a well-established technique, there is a lack of comparative studies on the reliability and reproducibility of results between different laboratories. To address this, international round robin tests (RRT) were conducted. This paper presents the results of the second RRT, involving 30 laboratories using various electrochemical systems. The study found high variance in the repeatability and reproducibility of results, and additional tests were conducted to understand the issue and identify sources of error.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Dimitri Feys, Helena Keller, Khadija El Cheikh, Egor Secrieru, Yannick Vanhove
Summary: A comprehensive testing program was conducted to compare the rheological properties of flowable concrete obtained from different rheometers. The results from seven rheometers were analyzed and compared. The study identified two potential causes of differences between results – torque/rotational velocity imposition/registration and discrepancies between measured material flow behavior and assumed ideal flow pattern. The research also highlighted the influence of mix design and rheological properties on the observed effects.
MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Acoustics
Valtteri Hongisto, Jukka Keranen, Laura Labia, Reijo Alakoivu
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the precision of ISO 3382-2 and ISO 3382-3 in open-plan offices, with results showing that the measurement uncertainty of ISO CD 3382-3:2020 is smaller than that of ISO 3382-3:2012. The experiments revealed reproducibility standard deviations for ISO 3382-3:2012 ranging from 0.5 dB to 18%, while for ISO CD 3382-3:2020, the standard deviations ranged from 0.3 dB to 16%.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Habu Iyodo Mohammed, Kabir Garba, Saeed Isa Ahmed, Lawan Garba Abubakar
Summary: Researchers have discovered biomass feedstocks and pyrolysis techniques to produce biofuels and chemicals from sources other than fossil fuels. The strategies used for biooils production from biomass pyrolysis including catalytic upgrading, co-pyrolysis, temperature-programmed pyrolysis, and biomass pre-treatment were extensively reviewed in this paper. The bio-oils produced using these strategies have higher calorific values and concentrations of hydrocarbons and aromatics compared to the biomass feedstocks and raw bio-oils. However, there are drawbacks, such as high costs, secondary waste production, and constituent loss in the pre-treatment technique. Co-pyrolysis can also be expensive and problematic due to the need for simultaneous supply of scarce feedstock. Microporous zeolites were found to enhance the potential of bio-oils for fuel and chemicals by increasing their calorific values and concentrations of aromatics and hydrocarbons. The drawback of these zeolites is their small, easily blocked pores and early deactivation. In the future, highly functionalized ZSM-5 derived from inexpensive materials will be required for high-grade bio-oils.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Rodrigo Martinez, Benoit Gaurier, Stephanie Ordonez-Sanchez, Jean-Valery Facq, Gregory Germain, Cameron Johnstone, Ivan Santic, Francesco Salvatore, Thomas Davey, Chris Old, Brian G. Sellar
Summary: The study examines the performance evaluation of a horizontal axis tidal turbine prototype under wave and current conditions at different facilities, identifying intrinsic differences in flow characteristics between them.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Taina Ohra-aho, Maryam Ghalibaf, Raimo Alen, Christian Lindfors, Anja Oasmaa
Summary: In this study, extraction of extractive-derived substances from fast pyrolysis bio-oils using n-heptane was found to be effective, with the extracted compounds mainly consisting of fatty acids, resin acids, esterified fatty acids, terpenoids, and steroids. The total content of these compounds was lower than that of lignin-derived compounds. Optimizing the extraction time and mixing method can help in estimating the content and composition of lipophilic extractives.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Maya Sheidaei, Anders Gudmarsson
Summary: Three interlaboratory tests conducted by European laboratories were analyzed to evaluate the impact of various factors on test outcomes. The study showed the importance of a detailed sample preparation protocol to ensure consistent results. The statistical analysis highlighted the need for improved attention to the sample mounting and manufacturing oven setup processes. Additionally, it was found that delta precision exceeded the EN14770:2012 criteria, while |G*| precision did not meet the standards for all testing combinations.
ROAD MATERIALS AND PAVEMENT DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sherif Ishola Mustapha, Usman Aliyu Mohammed, Ismail Rawat, Faizal Bux, Yusuf Makarfi Isa
Summary: This study investigates the effects of nutrient stressing on the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from microalgae thermal conversion. The results show that nutrient stressing can enhance the bio-oil yield and improve its quality. Additionally, a predictive model based on artificial neural network is developed for bio-oil yield prediction.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Javier A. Jimenez Forero, Tuyen H. T. Tran, Tana Tana, Adrian Baker, Jorge Beltramini, William O. S. Doherty, Lalehvash Moghaddam
Summary: This study investigated the effect of solvent on the stability of bio-oils produced from the hydrothermal liquefaction of sugarcane bagasse. It was found that the ethanol/water solvent mixture produced the most stable bio-oil compared to other solvents. The light oils fractionated by solvent extraction were also more stable than their corresponding bio-oils. The stabilities of the oils were related to alkylation, esterification, and acetalization reactions. This study demonstrated that the HTL of sugarcane bagasse in the presence of ethanol/water produces high-quality oils with long shelf-lives.
Article
Thermodynamics
M. Bampaou, K. D. Panopoulos, P. Seferlis, S. Voutetakis
Summary: Integrating biomass into refineries allows for the utilization of existing infrastructures and the substitution of fossil fuels with renewable carbon. An electrochemical compressor can recover and compress hydrogen, providing significant economic and energetic benefits. While the production cost of renewable hydrogen exceeds that of fossil-based hydrogen, advancements in hydrogen processing techniques can lower expenses, making renewable hydrogen a vital component for existing technologies.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Anastasiya Y. Yadykova, Sergey O. Ilyin
Summary: This article studies and analyzes the morphological features, thermophysical properties, and rheology of bio-oil in comparison with light and heavy crude oils. The study demonstrates that bio-oil is a water-in-oil emulsion, light crude oil is a suspension of paraffin waxes in oil medium, and heavy crude oil is a homogeneous liquid. The article also explores the blends of bio-oil with fossil oils and their miscibility, showing that macroscopically compatible blends are formed only when heavy crude oil is mixed with bio-oil at a low content of the latter.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anastasiya Y. Yadykova, Sergey O. Ilyin
Summary: Bio-oils are multicomponent heterogeneous systems with complex rheological and thermophysical behaviors. Hydrogenated bio-oils have lower yield stress and apparent viscosity compared to original bio-oils. The complex rheological behavior of bio-oils makes it incorrect to characterize them by a single viscosity value.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhi-Cong Wang, Jia Duo, Ya-Qi Shan, Lin-Xin Yin, Pei-Gao Duan
Summary: Pyrolysis oils with different H/Ceff ratios were mixed with tetralin and treated under certain conditions to examine the effect on upgraded oil yield and quality. Higher H/Ceff ratios resulted in higher yield and H/Ceff ratios of upgraded oil. The addition of Pt/C and Ru/C showed different effects on the reduction of S, O, and N in the feedstock. N and S contamination reduced the deoxygenation efficiency. Therefore, the H/Ceff ratio plays a vital role in improving the properties of the bio-oil.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jiawei Fu, Jingyong Liu, Weijie Xu, Zhibin Chen, Fatih Evrendilek, Shuiyu Sun
Summary: The study demonstrates that torrefaction pretreatment can improve the efficiency of coffee grounds pyrolysis, decrease activation energy, and promote the generation of C=C. The optimal conditions are pyrolysis temperature > 600 degrees C and torrefaction temperature <= 270 degrees C. Different torrefaction temperatures have an impact on the composition ratio of bio-oils, with 200 and 250 degrees C potentially being more suitable for the torrefaction of coffee grounds.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hongyu Zhu, Lin Lang, Gang Fang, Dingying Na, Xiuli Yin, Xi Yu, Chuangzhi Wu, Anthony V. Bridgwater
Summary: Thermal conversion technology of Chinese herb residues (CHR) is a promising method for clean utilization due to its efficiency and short process. In this study, the effect of K2CO3 catalyst on the thermal decomposition behavior of CHR samples was investigated, revealing a significant promotion of catalytic pyrolysis reaction. The pyrolysis temperature of CHR is higher than traditional lignocellulosic biomass.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hongyu Zhu, Zhujun Dong, Xi Yu, Grace Cunningham, Janaki Umashanker, Xingguang Zhang, Anthony V. Bridgwater, Junmeng Cai
Summary: The study developed a coupled model of Population balance model and distributed activation energy model for predicting biomass pyrolysis, comparing different kinetic models for predicting heating-up time during the process and finding noticeable differences between single and distributed particle size.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(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
Chemistry, Analytical
Filipe Rego, Huan Xiang, Yang Yang, Jorge Lopez Ordov, Katie Chong, Jiawei Wang, Anthony Bridgwater
Summary: Slow pyrolysis was conducted on wheat straw to investigate the influence of pyrolysis temperature and solid residence time on product yields and char properties. Results showed that char production decreased with increasing temperature, while gas production increased, and solid residence time did not significantly affect the product yields. Nitrogen porosimetry indicated low surface areas for all chars, suggesting blocked or narrowed pores during operation. FTIR data revealed significant reduction in surface chemical functionalities with pyrolysis temperature changes.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zakir Khan, Prashant Kamble, Gholam Reza Check, Trevor DiLallo, Willy O'Sullivan, Ellen D. Turner, Andrew Mackay, Paula Blanco-Sanchez, Xi Yu, Anthony Bridgwater, Jon Paul McCalmont, Iain Donnison, Ian Watson
Summary: This study compares two gasifier design approaches using different reaction kinetics and builds a novel laboratory-scale downdraft gasifier for converting UK hybrid Miscanthus into syngas. The performance of the new hybrid Miscanthus is comparable to that of conventional Miscanthus, but it offers greater productivity advantages in broader climatic regions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Taina Ohra-aho, Maryam Ghalibaf, Raimo Alen, Christian Lindfors, Anja Oasmaa
Summary: In this study, extraction of extractive-derived substances from fast pyrolysis bio-oils using n-heptane was found to be effective, with the extracted compounds mainly consisting of fatty acids, resin acids, esterified fatty acids, terpenoids, and steroids. The total content of these compounds was lower than that of lignin-derived compounds. Optimizing the extraction time and mixing method can help in estimating the content and composition of lipophilic extractives.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Elmeri Pienihakkinen, Christian Lindfors, Taina Ohra-aho, Anja Oasmaa
Summary: This study investigated the removal of alkali from forest residues, eucalyptus residues, and wheat straw through water and dilute nitric acid leaching. The results showed that nitric acid leaching increased the organic liquid yield and reduced the alkali content in eucalyptus residues and wheat straw. However, pyrolysis experiments with acid-leached forest residues were unsuccessful.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cristina del Pozo, Filipe Rego, Neus Puy, Jordi Bartroli, Esteve Fabregas, Yang Yang, Anthony V. Bridgwater
Summary: This study compares the results of different scale pyrolysis experiments and analyzes the characteristics of pyrolysis liquids and biochars from coffee silverskin, grape pomace, and olive mill waste. The results show that there are no significant differences in biochars when the temperature and solid residence time are fixed. However, compounds in the pyrolysis liquids were more degraded in the lab reactor compared to the pilot plant reactor.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Elmeri Pienihaekkinen, Evert J. Leijenhorst, William Wolters, Christian Lindfors, Joona Lahtinen, Taina Ohra-aho, Anja Oasmaa
Summary: Fast pyrolysis of giant reed, fiber sorghum, eucalyptus, and sugarcane bagasse was studied and the physicochemical characteristics of the produced bio-oils were analyzed. The combination of fast pyrolysis and subsequent gasification was found to be a technically feasible and feedstock flexible solution for the production of synthesis gas.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Amin Osatiashtiani, Jiajun Zhang, Stylianos D. Stefanidis, Xiaolei Zhang, Anthony V. Bridgwater
Summary: This study investigates the decomposition mechanism of the key cellulose pyrolysis intermediate, levoglucosan, in biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis. Experimental results show that furan and furfural are key intermediates in the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Theoretical modelling reveals a direct pathway from levoglucosan to furan without furfural as an intermediate.
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Christian Lindfors, Douglas C. Elliott, Wolter Prins, Anja Oasmaa, Juha Lehtonen
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Anja Oasmaa, Douglas C. Elliott, Wolter Prins
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ifeoluwa Akande, Tony Bridgwater, Petra J. van Koningsbruggen, Qingchun Yuan
Summary: A new parameter called Dispersion Factor (DF) is proposed to accurately model the relative viscosities of nanofluids based on nanoparticle volume fraction, resulting in a better agreement with experimental data.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ifeoluwa Akande, Tony Bridgwater, Petra J. van Koningsbruggen, Qingchun Yuan
Summary: Research on nanofluids for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has been ongoing for more than a decade. Metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed in water are typically used, and these nanofluids can recover 8-16% more oil compared to water flooding. Carbon tube nanofluids have even better oil recovery capacity. The higher viscosities of nanofluids contribute to their good performance in EOR. This study prepared nanofluids from charcoal samples and active carbon for potential application in EOR, and their viscosity behavior was studied under different shear conditions.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Elmeri Pienihaekkinen, Evert J. Leijenhorst, William Wolters, Christian Lindfors, Joona Lahtinen, Taina Ohra-aho, Anja Oasmaa
Summary: Fast pyrolysis of different biomass was studied, and the produced pyrolysis bio-oils were characterized. Gasification of the bio-oils produced synthesis gas with similar composition for all feedstocks. The combination of fast pyrolysis with subsequent gasification provides a feasible solution for synthesis gas production.