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Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2020) | Viewed by 38262

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Falah Alobaid

*
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Guest Editor

Darmstadt of Technical University, Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: thermal power generation (e.g., combined-cycle power plant, concentrated solar power plant, municipal waste incinerator, fluidized bed system); energy storage system and flexibility of thermal power plants; gasification and combustion of solid fuels (e.g., biomass, waste, SRF and RDF); CO2 capture and reuse (chemical-looping combustion, calcium carbonate-looping); production of methane and methanol; dynamic process simulation of energy systems and process engineering applications; CFD numerical methods of energy systems and process engineering applications (including multi-phase flow using two-fluid and euler-lagrange models)
* Priv.-Doz. Dr.-Ing. habil.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr.-Ing. Jochen Ströhle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Energy Systems and Technology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: carbon utilization & storage; conversion of low‐rank solid fuels through combustion or gasification; 3D CFD numerical methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite submissions to a Special Issue of Applied Sciences on the subject of "Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies".

It is widely believed that a great share of greenhouse gas emissions is anthropogenic and originated from utilizing fossil fuels, with contributions coming from manufactured materials (e.g., concrete), deforestation, and agriculture (including livestock). Societies around the world actively support measures towards a flexible and low-carbon energy economy in order to attenuate climate change and its devastating environmental consequences. These measures include new conversion technologies such as gasification or combustion of alternative energy sources, implementation of carbon capture and storage/utilization technologies, and promotion of renewable energy sources for power generation and district heating or cooling.

This Research Topic intends to present an overview of the latest research progresses in terms of development and optimization of conversion processes and concepts, especially for intermittent renewable energy sources, with thermodynamic analysis, CFD, and process simulation of these systems. The topics of interest of this Special Issue include but are not limited to:

Gasification and combustion of alternative fuels (e.g., biomass, refuse-derived fuel, solid recovered fuel, and low-rank coal);
Technological combinations of conversion processes based on renewable sources (power-to-fuel);
Carbon capture and storage/utilization CCS/U technologies (carbon capture-to-fuel);
Renewable energy for heating and cooling purposes to reduce peak demand, including energy storage systems to mitigate grid imbalances;
Thermodynamic study, CFD and process simulation of above-mentioned issues.

Priv.-Doz. Dr.-Ing. habil. Falah Alobaid
Dr.-Ing. Jochen Ströhle
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Related Special Issue

Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies: Volume II in Applied Sciences (27 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

8 pages, 808 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue “Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies”

by Falah Alobaid and Jochen Ströhle

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1907; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11041907 - 22 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1636

Abstract

The world society ratifies international measures to reach a flexible and low-carbon energy economy, attenuating climate change and its devastating environmental consequences. The main contribution of this Special Issue is related to thermochemical conversion technologies of solid fuels (e.g., biomass, refuse-derived fuel, and sewage sludge), in particular via combustion and gasification. Here, the recent activities on operational flexibility of co-combustion of biomass and lignite, carbon capture methods, solar-driven air-conditioning systems, integrated solar combined cycle power plants, and advanced gasification systems, such as the sorption-enhanced gasification and the chemical looping gasification, are shown. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial

25 pages, 4405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Detailed One-Dimensional Hydrodynamic and Kinetic Model for Sorption Enhanced Gasification

by Marcel Beirow, Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Max Schmid and Günter Scheffknecht

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(17), 6136; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10176136 - 03 Sep 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2473

Abstract

Increased installation of renewable electricity generators requires different technologies to compensate for the associated fast and high load gradients. In this work, sorption enhanced gasification (SEG) in a dual fluidized bed gasification system is considered as a promising and flexible technology for the tailored syngas production for use in chemical manufacturing or electricity generation. To study different operational strategies, as defined by gasification temperature or fuel input, a simulation model is developed. This model considers the hydrodynamics in a bubbling fluidized bed gasifier and the kinetics of gasification reactions and CO₂ capture. The CO₂ capture rate is defined by the number of carbonation/calcination cycles and the make-up of fresh limestone. A parametric study of the make-up flow rate (0.2, 6.6, and 15 kg/h) reveals its strong influence on the syngas composition, especially at low gasification temperatures (600–650 °C). Our results show good agreement with the experimental data of a 200 kW pilot plant, as demonstrated by deviations of syngas composition (5–34%), lower heating value (LHV) (5–7%), and M module (23–32%). Studying the fuel feeding rate (22–40 kg/h), an operational range with a good mixing of solids in the fluidized bed is identified. The achieved results are summarized in a reactor performance diagram, which gives the syngas power depending on the gasification temperature and the fuel feeding rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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26 pages, 7667 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Operational Flexibility of a CFB Furnace during Fast Load Change—Experimental Measurements and Dynamic Model

by Jens Peters, Falah Alobaid and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(17), 5972; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10175972 - 28 Aug 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2848

Abstract

The share of power from fluctuating renewable energies such as wind and solar is increasing due to the ongoing climate change. It is therefore essential to use technologies that can compensate for these fluctuations. Experiments at 1 MW_th scale were carried out to evaluate the operational flexibility of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustor during transient operation from 60% to 100% load. A typical load following sequence for fluctuating electricity generation/demand was reproduced experimentally by performing 4 load changes. The hydrodynamic condition after a load change depends on if the load change was in positive or negative direction due to the heat stored in the refractory/bed material at high loads and released when the load decreases. A 1.5D-process simulation model was created in the software APROS (Advanced Process Simulation) with the target of showing the specific characteristics of a CFB furnace during load following operation. The model was tuned with experimental data of a steady-state test point and validated with the load cycling tests. The simulation results show the key characteristics of CFB combustion with reasonable accuracy. Detailed experimental data is presented and a core-annulus approach for the modeling of the CFB furnace is used. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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16 pages, 3586 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy and Exergy Analyses of an Existing Solar-Assisted Combined Cycle Power Plant

by Ayman Temraz, Ahmed Rashad, Ahmed Elweteedy, Falah Alobaid and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(14), 4980; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10144980 - 20 Jul 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3085

Abstract

Solar-assisted combined cycle power plants (CCPPs) feature the advantages of renewable clean energy with efficient CCPPs. These power plants integrate a solar field with a CCPP. This integration increases the efficiency of solar power plants while decreasing the CO₂ emissions of the CCPPs. In this paper, energy and exergy analyses were performed for an existing solar-assisted CCPP. The overall thermal efficiency and the exergetic efficiency of each component in the power plant were calculated for different solar field capacities. Also, a parametric study of the power plant was performed. The analysis indicated that the exergetic efficiency of the power plant components has its lowest value in the solar field while the condenser has the lowest exergetic efficiency in the combined cycle regime of operation. Further, a parametric study revealed that the thermal efficiency and the exergetic efficiency of the power plant as a whole decrease with increasing ambient temperature and have their highest values in the combined cycle regime of operation. Owing to these results, an investigation into the sources of exergy destruction in the solar field was conducted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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17 pages, 2830 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Pressure on Gas/Liquid Interfacial Area in a Tray Column

by Adel Almoslh, Falah Alobaid, Christian Heinze and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(13), 4617; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10134617 - 03 Jul 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4557

Abstract

The influence of pressure on the gas/liquid interfacial area is investigated in the pressure range of 0.2–0.3 MPa by using a tray column test rig. A simulated waste gas, which consisted of 30% CO₂ and 70% air, was used in this study. Distilled water was employed as an absorbent. The temperature of the inlet water was 19 °C. The inlet volumetric flow rate of water was 0.17 m³/h. Two series of experiments were performed; the first series was performed at inlet gas flow rate 15 Nm³/h, whereas the second series was at 20 Nm³/h of inlet gas flow rate. The results showed that the gas/liquid interfacial area decreases when the total pressure is increased. The effect of pressure on the gas/liquid interfacial area at high inlet volumetric gas flow rates is more significant than at low inlet volumetric gas flow rates. The authors studied the effect of decreasing the interfacial area on the performance of a tray column for CO₂ capture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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26 pages, 7119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Process Control Strategies in Chemical Looping Gasification—A Novel Process for the Production of Biofuels Allowing for Net Negative CO₂ Emissions

by Paul Dieringer, Falko Marx, Falah Alobaid, Jochen Ströhle and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(12), 4271; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10124271 - 22 Jun 2020

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3723

Abstract

Chemical looping gasification (CLG) is a novel gasification technique, allowing for the production of a nitrogen-free high calorific synthesis gas from solid hydrocarbon feedstocks, without requiring a costly air separation unit. Initial advances to better understand the CLG technology were made during first studies in lab and bench scale units and through basic process simulations. Yet, tailored process control strategies are required for larger CLG units, which are not equipped with auxiliary heating. Here, it becomes a demanding task to achieve autothermal CLG operation, for which stable reactor temperatures are obtained. This study presents two avenues to attain autothermal CLG behavior, established through equilibrium based process simulations. As a first approach, the dilution of active oxygen carrier materials with inert heat carriers to limit oxygen transport to the fuel reactor has been investigated. Secondly, the suitability of restricting the air flow to the air reactor in order to control the oxygen availability in the fuel reactor was examined. Process simulations show that both process control approaches facilitate controlled and de-coupled heat and oxygen transport between the two reactors of the chemical looping gasifier, thus allowing for efficient autothermal CLG operation. With the aim of inferring general guidelines on how CLG units have to be operated in order to achieve decent synthesis gas yields, different advantages and disadvantages associated to the two suggested process control strategies are discussed in detail and optimization avenues are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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23 pages, 3627 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Design of an Integrated Solar Absorption Cooling System Driven by an Evacuated Tube Collector: A Case Study for Baghdad, Iraq

by Adil Al-Falahi, Falah Alobaid and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(10), 3622; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10103622 - 23 May 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3687

Abstract

The electrical power consumption of refrigeration equipment leads to a significant influence on the supply network, especially on the hottest days during the cooling season (and this is besides the conventional electricity problem in Iraq). The aim of this work is to investigate the energy performance of a solar-driven air-conditioning system utilizing absorption technology under climate in Baghdad, Iraq. The solar fraction and the thermal performance of the solar air-conditioning system were analyzed for various months in the cooling season. It was found that the system operating in August shows the best monthly average solar fraction (of 59.4%) and coefficient of performance (COP) (of 0.52) due to the high solar potential in this month. Moreover, the seasonal integrated collector efficiency was 54%, providing a seasonal solar fraction of 58%, and the COP of the absorption chiller was 0.44, which was in limit, as reported in the literature for similar systems. A detailed parametric analysis was carried out to evaluate the thermal performance of the system and analyses, and the effect of design variables on the solar fraction of the system during the cooling season. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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18 pages, 4025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Steam Gasification of Lignite in a Bench-Scale Fluidized-Bed Gasifier Using Olivine as Bed Material

by Elisa Savuto, Jan May, Andrea Di Carlo, Katia Gallucci, Andrea Di Giuliano and Sergio Rapagnà

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(8), 2931; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10082931 - 23 Apr 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2892

Abstract

The gasification of lignite could be a promising sustainable alternative to combustion, because it causes reduced emissions and allows the production of syngas, which is a versatile gaseous fuel that can be used for cogeneration, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or the synthesis of other bio-fuels, such as methanol. For the safe and smooth exploitation of syngas, it is fundamental to have a high quality gas, with a high content of H₂ and CO and minimum content of pollutants, such as particulate and tars. In this work, experimental tests on lignite gasification are carried out in a bench-scale fluidized-bed reactor with olivine as bed material, chosen for its catalytic properties that can enhance tar reduction. Some operating parameters were changed throughout the tests, in order to study their influence on the quality of the syngas produced, and pressure fluctuation signals were acquired to evaluate the fluidization quality and diagnose correlated sintering or the agglomeration of bed particles. The effect of temperature and small air injections in the freeboard were investigated and evaluated in terms of the conversion efficiencies, gas composition, and tar produced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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23 pages, 5447 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Comparison of Equilibrium-Stage and Rate-Based Models of a Packed Column for Tar Absorption Using Vegetable Oil

by Adel Almoslh, Falah Alobaid, Christian Heinze and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(7), 2362; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10072362 - 30 Mar 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6601

Abstract

In this study two mathematical models, rate-based and equilibrium-stage models in Aspen Plus process simulator, were used to simulate the tar absorption processes using soybean oil as a solvent in a research lab-scale experiment. The matching between simulation results and experimental data shows a good agreement. The simulation results predicted by the rate-based model show a higher level of agreement than the equilibrium model compared with the experimental data. Analysis study of tar absorption process was carried out which revealed the effect of temperature and flow rate on the soybean oil, and height-packed bed on tar removal efficiency. The methodology of selecting the optimum (most economical) operation conditions has also been performed in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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11 pages, 2927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of a Complete Conversion Model for Gasification of Lignite Char

by Christian Heinze, Eric Langner, Jan May and Bernd Epple

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 1916; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10061916 - 11 Mar 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2449

Abstract

The conversion of solid fuels via gasification is a viable method to produce valuable fuels and chemicals or electricity while also offering the option of carbon capture. Fluidized bed gasifiers are most suitable for abundantly available low-rank coal. The design of these gasifiers requires well-developed kinetic models of gasification. Numerous studies deal with single aspects of char gasification, like influence of gas compositions or pre-treatment. Nevertheless, no unified theory for the gasification mechanisms exists that is able to explain the reaction rate over the full range of possible temperatures, gas compositions, carbon conversion, etc. This study aims to demonstrate a rigorous methodology to provide a complete char gasification model for all conditions in a fluidized bed gasifier for one specific fuel. The non-isothermal thermogravimetric method was applied to steam and CO₂ gasification from 500 °C to 1100 °C. The inhibiting effect of product gases H₂ and CO was taken into account. All measurements were evaluated for their accuracy with the Allan variance. Two reaction models (i.e., Arrhenius and Langmuir–Hinshelwood) and four conversion models (i.e., volumetric model, grain model, random pore model and Johnson model) were fitted to the measurement results and assessed depending on their coefficient of determination. The results for the chosen char show that the Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction model together with the Johnson conversion model is most suitable to describe the char conversion for both steam and CO₂ gasification of the tested lignite. The coefficient of determination is 98% and 95%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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14 pages, 3389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Energy Valorization of Residual Biomasses via HTC: CO₂ Capture onto Activated Hydrochars

by Katia Gallucci, Luca Taglieri, Alessandro Antonio Papa, Francesco Di Lauro, Zaheer Ahmad and Alberto Gallifuoco

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(5), 1879; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10051879 - 10 Mar 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3255

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the CO₂ sorption capacity of hydrochar, obtained via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). Silver fir sawdust was used as a model material. The batch runs went at 200 °C and up to 120 min. The hydrochar was activated with potassium hydroxide impregnation and subsequent thermal treatment (600 °C, 1 h). CO₂ capture was assayed using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process. The morphology and porosity of hydrochar, characterized through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BET-BJH) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses, were reported and the sorbent capacity was compared with traditional sorbents. The hydrochar recovered immediately after the warm-up of the HTC reactor had better performances. The Langmuir equilibrium isotherm fits the experimental data satisfactorily. Selectivity tests performed with a model biogas mixture indicated a possible use of hydrochar for sustainable upgrading of biogas to bio-methane. It is conceivably a new, feasible, and promising option for CO₂ capture with low cost, environmentally friendly materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochemical Conversion Processes for Solid Fuels and Renewable Energies)

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