Search results for "Energy engineering"
showing 10 items of 1099 documents
Reactivity of cellulose during hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass
2020
Abstract Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of pure cellulose (CE) and birchwood (BW) samples was carried out at temperatures between 160 and 280 °C, 0.5 h residence time and biomass-to-water ratio 1:5, to investigate the reactivity of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the CE samples remained unaltered at temperatures up to 220 °C, but were significantly decomposed at 230 °C producing a thermal recalcitrant aromatic and high energy-dense material. FTIR showed that dehydration and aromatization reactions occurred at temperature equal or higher than 230 °C for the CE samples while a similar incre…
Modeling of the catalytic effects of potassium and calcium on spruce wood gasification in CO2
2016
Abstract Using previously reported thermogravimetric analysis measurements, the effects of calcium and potassium on the char gasification rate of spruce wood were modeled. Spruce wood was leached of inorganic ash elements and doped with measured amounts of potassium and calcium. The wood was gasified in an isothermal thermogravimetric analysis device in CO 2 where the devolatilization of the wood, char formation and char gasification all occurred inside the preheated reactor. A new method for separating the effects of devolatilization and char gasification is presented. Kinetic models were evaluated for their ability to describe the observed catalytic effects of potassium and calcium on the…
The effect of feedstock origin and temperature on the structure and reactivity of char from pyrolysis at 1300–2800 °C
2018
This study reports the effect of feedstock origin, residence time, and heat treatment temperature on CO2 and O2 reactivities, nanostructure and carbon chemistry of chars prepared at 1300, 1600, 2400, and 2800 °C in a slow pyrolysis reactor. The structure of char was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The CO2 and O2 reactivity of char was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. Results showed that the ash composition and residence time influence the char reactivity less than the heat treatment temperature. The heat treatment temperature and co-pyrolysis of pinewood char with biooil decreased the CO2 reactivity, approaching that of metallurgical coke…
An experimental investigation on the long-term compatibility of preheated crude palm oil in a large compression ignition diesel engine
2018
An experimental study was carried out on a large stationary compression ignition engine to evaluate the long-term compatibility and durability issues associated with the use of crude palm oil as fuel. Two different preheating temperatures (60 and 80 °C) were adopted to assess the potential improvements related to lower fuel viscosity. The results obtained, in terms of in-cylinder carbon deposits and engine wear, were compared with the results obtained using ordinary diesel fuel. For each fuel and preheating temperature, the engine was operated for 300 consecutive h, during which several engine lubricant samples were collected and analysed to determine soot and fuel contaminations, viscosity…
A salt-induced mechanism for the swelling of black liquor droplet during devolatilization
2017
Abstract Black liquor (BL) from the pulp and paper industry is a significant bioenergy source. Swelling of BL droplet during the pyrolysis stage of combustion and gasification is a profound phenomenon affecting various boiler processes. However, the mechanism for droplet swelling has remains a puzzle due to an insufficient understanding of the formation of the plastic droplet at the pyrolysis stage of the thermal conversion. Thermogravimetric studies with model aliphatic carboxylates unraveled the melting and decomposition behavior of the complex mixture of BL salts during pyrolysis, indicating that the melting of salts forming a liquid state may be the primary cause for the development of …
Characterization and reactivity of charcoal from high temperature pyrolysis (800-1600°C)
2019
This study presents the effect of wood origin and heat treatment temperature on the CO2 reactivity, nanostructure and carbon chemistry of chars prepared at 800, 1200, and 1600 °C in slow pyrolysis reactors. The structure of charcoal was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry and N2 adsorption. The CO2 reactivity of char was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. Results showed that spruce and oak chars have similar reactivity at all heat treatment temperatures. The oak char prepared at 1600 °C contained long and flat graphene layers and interplanar distance that is similar to graphite and thus, was more ordered t…
On the self-heating behavior of upgraded biochar pellets blended with pyrolysis oil: Effects of process parameters
2020
Abstract Biochar obtained from biomass pyrolysis is a promising carbon neutral material which can be used in substitution of fossil coal and coke in metallurgical applications. Biochar’s mechanical properties improve significantly without compromising reactivity, when upgraded by densification with pyrolysis oil and reheated. However, upgraded biochar pellets use in the industry is limited due to the risks associated with self-heating. This issue must be seriously considered for further industrial production of upgraded biochar pellets. Self-heating oven tests are generally time-consuming and limit the possibility of testing various potential solutions. The aim of this work was both to inve…
Efficient H2 production by photocatalytic water splitting under UV or solar light over variously modified TiO2-based catalysts
2019
Abstract This paper focused for the first time on the comparison between three different approach to modify the chemico-physical properties of TiO2-based photocatalysts and their effect in the H2 production by photocatalytic water splitting both under UV and solar light irradiation, under the same experimental conditions. The application of pulsed laser irradiation to aqueous TiO2 suspensions (first approach) induced structural transformations both on the bulk and on the surface of TiO2, boosting the H2 production, under UV light irradiation, of almost three times (20.9 mmol/gcat·h) compared to bare TiO2 (7.7 mmol/gcat·h). The second strategy was based on a templating method to obtain TiO2 …
The Measurement of Reactive Energy in Polluted Distribution Power Systems: An Analysis of the Performance of Commercial Static Meters
2008
This paper presents a comparative analysis of the performances of both a traditional induction meter and various types of commercial static meters for reactive energy in the presence of harmonic distortion. This is a topical issue, since there are several types of static meters on the market, based on different principles of construction. In accordance with current standards, these meters are designed to operate in sinusoidal conditions and their performance is not tested in the presence of harmonic distortion. However, with the increase of pollution levels in power systems, the meters may be used even in the presence of distorted voltages and/or currents; in such cases, their accuracy may …
A novel approach based on nonactive powers for the identification of disturbing loads in power systems
2007
In this paper, a new approach is proposed for the detection of harmonic sources in polluted power systems. It is a single- point strategy, based on a comparison among different "nonactive" power quantities proposed in literature that, in the same working conditions, assume different values at the same metering section. Some simulations tests were carried out on a standard IEEE test system proposed by other authors as a benchmark system for the analysis of multipoint measurement techniques for harmonic pollution monitoring. The obtained results show that the proposed single-point approach is in agreement with other strategies already proposed in the literature and can provide useful indicati…