The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs
Production of green fuels and chemicals from non-edible corn cob residues presents an excellent opportunity to produce sustainable low carbon energy vectors as an alternative to fossil fuels. The objective of this study was to optimize the fuel physical and chemical properties of torrefied corn cobs...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Results in Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123020300712 |
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| author | Matt Klaas Charles Greenhalf Miloud Ouadi Hessam Jahangiri Andreas Hornung Cedric Briens Franco Berruti |
| author_facet | Matt Klaas Charles Greenhalf Miloud Ouadi Hessam Jahangiri Andreas Hornung Cedric Briens Franco Berruti |
| author_sort | Matt Klaas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Production of green fuels and chemicals from non-edible corn cob residues presents an excellent opportunity to produce sustainable low carbon energy vectors as an alternative to fossil fuels. The objective of this study was to optimize the fuel physical and chemical properties of torrefied corn cobs bio-oil by investigating the relationship between feedstock pre-treatment (torrefaction) temperatures (240, 260, 280 and 300 °C), and subsequent pyrolysis temperatures (400, 450, 500 and 550 °C). This experimental methodology aimed to improve both yields and properties of bio-oils from corn cobs. Torrefaction was first carried out as a pre-treatment step using a custom-built torrefaction reactor followed by pyrolysis using a continuous fluidized bed reactor. Torrefaction was found to be a promising pre-treatment step because it had the effect of reducing the water content and viscosity within the bio-oil. Corn cobs grinding energy requirements could be reduced by 69% when torrefaction was applied from 240 °C to 260 °C. A maximum bio-oil yield of 51.7% was achieved when the optimal temperatures (torrefaction 260 °C and pyrolysis 450 °C) was applied. Overall, using torrefaction as a pre-treatment step before pyrolysis was shown to be a promising approach for improving some physiochemical properties of bio-oil for its application as a fuel. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:15:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b31f240b92ee44bfa1c0fcf177c266c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:15:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-b31f240b92ee44bfa1c0fcf177c266c02022-12-22T01:31:28ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302020-09-017100165The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobsMatt Klaas0Charles Greenhalf1Miloud Ouadi2Hessam Jahangiri3Andreas Hornung4Cedric Briens5Franco Berruti6Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 4B9, CanadaDepartment of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 4B9, Canada; School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UKSchool of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UKSchool of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; Corresponding author.School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, An der Maxhütte 1, 92237, Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schlossplatz 4, 91054, Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 4B9, CanadaDepartment of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 4B9, CanadaProduction of green fuels and chemicals from non-edible corn cob residues presents an excellent opportunity to produce sustainable low carbon energy vectors as an alternative to fossil fuels. The objective of this study was to optimize the fuel physical and chemical properties of torrefied corn cobs bio-oil by investigating the relationship between feedstock pre-treatment (torrefaction) temperatures (240, 260, 280 and 300 °C), and subsequent pyrolysis temperatures (400, 450, 500 and 550 °C). This experimental methodology aimed to improve both yields and properties of bio-oils from corn cobs. Torrefaction was first carried out as a pre-treatment step using a custom-built torrefaction reactor followed by pyrolysis using a continuous fluidized bed reactor. Torrefaction was found to be a promising pre-treatment step because it had the effect of reducing the water content and viscosity within the bio-oil. Corn cobs grinding energy requirements could be reduced by 69% when torrefaction was applied from 240 °C to 260 °C. A maximum bio-oil yield of 51.7% was achieved when the optimal temperatures (torrefaction 260 °C and pyrolysis 450 °C) was applied. Overall, using torrefaction as a pre-treatment step before pyrolysis was shown to be a promising approach for improving some physiochemical properties of bio-oil for its application as a fuel.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123020300712Corn cobsPyrolysisTorrefactionGrinding energyBio-oil |
| spellingShingle | Matt Klaas Charles Greenhalf Miloud Ouadi Hessam Jahangiri Andreas Hornung Cedric Briens Franco Berruti The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs Results in Engineering Corn cobs Pyrolysis Torrefaction Grinding energy Bio-oil |
| title | The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| title_full | The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| title_fullStr | The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| title_short | The effect of torrefaction pre-treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| title_sort | effect of torrefaction pre treatment on the pyrolysis of corn cobs |
| topic | Corn cobs Pyrolysis Torrefaction Grinding energy Bio-oil |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123020300712 |
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