Submit to Energies Review for Energies Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 11320

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Abrar Inayat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Biomass & Bioenergy Research Group, Center for Sustainable Energy and Power Systems Research, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
2. Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
Interests: renewable and sustainable energy systems; biomass and bioenergy; waste to energy; process system engineering; heat integration; modelling, simulation and optimization; biofuels and hydrogen production; environmental science and engineering; solar thermal energy; energy management; hybrid energy systems; CO₂ capture and utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Lisandra Rocha Meneses

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Waste and Biomass Valorization Group (WBVG), Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego St. 37a, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: lignocellulosic biomass; anaerobic digestion; biofuel; bioethanol; biomethanol; biomethane; biogas; biomass pretreatment; zero-waste; second and third generation biofuel production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mohamed Abdallah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Biomass & Bioenergy Research Group, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Interests: solid waste management; waste-to-energy; advanced wastewater treatment; microbial fuel cells; life cycle assessment

Prof. Dr. Abdallah Shanbleh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Biomass & Bioenergy Research Group, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
Interests: sustainability; biomass and bioenergy; waste to energy; environmental engineering; engineering education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is time to take responsibility and action, as individuals and as a society, for the severe impacts caused by our rising demand for electricity, heat, cooling, and transportation fuels. The scientific community must come together and investigate the most efficient technologies, applications, and pathways that can be used to suppress our energetic needs. Such research can promote the development of cost-effective applications that will bring energy security, reduce fossil fuels depletion, and reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuels.

This Special Issue intends to address the gaps and challenges that affect the bioenergy production chain, all the way from the type and source of biomass resources to the production process, products, and final end-uses. All types of original submissions are welcome. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Different types and sources of feedstock;
Utilization and implementation of new technologies and techniques;
Use of different strategies for bioresource recovery;
Production of value-added products, bioenergy, and biofuels;
Application of different bioenergy and biomass products by end use;
Thermal applications;
Biochemical routes;
Chemical pathways;
Optimization techniques and modelling methods;
Sustainable circular economy and biomass valorization.

Dr. Abrar Inayat
Dr. Lisandra Meneses
Dr. Mohamed Abdallah
Prof. Dr. Abdallah Shanbleh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Energies 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 2600 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.

Keywords

unprocessed biomass
non-food crops
aquatic feedstocks
genetically modified organisms
heat and power
combustion
torrefaction
gasification
pyrolysis
carbonization
anaerobic digestion
fermentation
esterification
transesterification
valorization
zero-waste

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 5828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valorisation of Cranberry Residues through Pyrolysis and Membrane Filtration for the Production of Value-Added Agricultural Products

by Ghita Bennani, Adama Ndao, Delon Konan, Patrick Brassard, Étienne Le Roux, Stéphane Godbout and Kokou Adjallé

Energies 2023, 16(23), 7774; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16237774 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 748

Abstract

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process producing biochar, gas, and bio-oil at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. Specific pyrolysis conditions enable a significant production of the aqueous phase of bio-oil, commonly known as wood vinegar. Wood vinegar contains organic compounds such as acetic acid and phenols derived from bio-oil. These compounds have herbicidal properties against weeds and biostimulant properties for plant growth. This study reveals the potential for efficient management of cranberry residues consisting of stems and leaves by producing wood vinegar through pyrolysis at 475 °C with a humidity level of 20%. Membrane separation of wood vinegar, using nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, yielded phenols in the retentate and acetic acid in the permeate with respective yields of 44.7% with NF membrane and 45% with RO membrane. Biostimulation tests using 2% of the retentate showed significant germination rates for basil, sage, and parsley plants. Additionally, using 40 mL of the wood vinegar permeate (30 mL injected at the base and 10 mL sprayed on the leaves) resulted in leaf damage, measured by conductivity (leakage of electrolytes released by the leaves), of 62.3% and 20.5% respectively for quack grass and white clover, two weeds found in cranberry production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3366 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Diacetinmonoglycerides and Triacetin on Biodiesel Quality

by Abraham Casas, Ángel Pérez and María Jesús Ramos

Energies 2023, 16(17), 6146; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16176146 - 24 Aug 2023

Viewed by 821

Abstract

Triacetin offers a higher added value compared to glycerol and can be obtained during the interesterification reaction between methyl acetate and triglycerides. In the same reaction, diacetinmonoglyceride is produced as an intermediate compound. The objective of this study was to assess whether the biodiesel produced, with varying concentrations of these compounds, meets the requirements established by the EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standards. To achieve this, several properties were measured, including density, kinematic viscosity, cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, methyl ester content, mono-, di-, triglyceride and total glycerol content, as well as the vacuum distillation curve. These measurements were conducted on mixtures of triacetin, diacetinmonoglyceride, and biodiesel, using different types of biodiesel such as palm, soybean, sunflower and rapeseed. Additionally, the solubility of these ternary mixtures in conventional diesel was evaluated. The results indicated that the EN 14214 standard imposes limits on the density and viscosity of biodiesel, restricting the content of triacetin (up to 5–10% by weight) and diacetinmonoglyceride (up to 3–4% by weight). However, the content of monoglycerides presents the most restrictive condition, as the chromatographic technique used cannot differentiate between monoglycerides and diacetinmonoglycerides. Consequently, their content is limited to a range of 0.15% to 0.70% by weight, depending on the prevailing climate conditions. Similarly, the ASTM D6751 standard sets a limitation of 0.40% by weight for monoglycerides to three out of six grades of biodiesel. Based on the findings of this study, which demonstrate that diacetinmonoglycerides do not have adverse effects on the cold performance of biodiesel, the inclusion of diacetinmonoglycerides in biodiesel production would still necessitate the development of standard test methods capable of differentiating between monoglycerides and diacetinmonoglycerides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 3946 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using a Green Catalyst Prepared from Glass Waste and Animal Bones

by Sara Maen Asaad, Abrar Inayat, Farrukh Jamil, Chaouki Ghenai and Abdallah Shanableh

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2322; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16052322 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

Biodiesel as a fuel has been shown to positively impact the environment; replacing or reducing the dependence on fossil fuels while providing a viable alternative. The use of waste oils, such as non-edible or used oils, can reduce competition with food, loss of resources, and the resulting higher prices. In this study, biodiesel was obtained by a transesterification reaction using used cooking oil from fast-food restaurants as the feedstock and catalysts from waste glass and animal bones as the silica and calcium oxide sources, respectively. Utilizing waste or non-edible oils for the production of biodiesel can lessen the competition with food sources while achieving environmental and ethical biofuel standards. Additionally, employing readily available waste oils and catalysts prepared from waste material is an economical and low-cost process compared to the use of conventional expensive feedstock and catalyst. The catalyst characterization for the prepared CaO–SiO₂ catalyst was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The reaction was optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) by varying three parameters: methanol-to-oil ratio, catalyst weight fraction (wt%), and reaction time. The highest biodiesel yield obtained using Design Expert software was 92.3419% at the optimum conditions of a 14.83:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 3.11 wt% catalyst, and 143 min reaction time. This proved that waste cooking oil with CaO–SiO₂ catalyst could be used in the transesterification process to produce a high yield of biodiesel, which was shown in the results obtained from the experimental runs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response Surface Methodology Analysis of Pyrolysis Reaction Rate Constants for Predicting Efficient Conversion of Bulk Plastic Waste into Oil and Gaseous Fuels

by Muhammad Irfan, Rao Adeel Un Nabi, Hammad Hussain, Muhammad Yasin Naz, Shazia Shukrullah, Hassan Abbas Khawaja, Saifur Rahman, Abdulnoor A. J. Ghanim, Izabela Kruszelnicka, Dobrochna Ginter-Kramarczyk and Stanisław Legutko

Energies 2022, 15(24), 9594; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15249594 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1653

Abstract

The growing production of plastic waste and improper dumping after use has become a worldwide challenge. This waste is a substantial source of petroleum and can be effectively converted into pyrolytic oil and other useful products. A statistical prediction of the rate constants is essential for optimizing pyrolysis process parameters, such as activation energy (Ea), frequency factor (Ao), temperature (T), and kinetic rate constants (k). In this research, we utilized Box–Behnken using RSM with Design Expert software to predict statistical rate constants at 500 °C and 550 °C. The efficiency of the predicted rate constants was investigated and compared to the findings of experimental rate constants extracted from the literature. At 500 °C, the estimated rate constants did not reveal a significant rise in the oil output since these constants promoted high gas yield. Compared to the experimental rate constants, statistically predicted rate constants at 550 °C demonstrated substantially high-oil output with only 1% byproducts. The experimental rate constants yielded 32% oil at 550 °C, whereas the predicted rate constants yielded 85% oil. The statistically predicted rate constants at 550 °C could be used to estimate commercial-scale extraction of liquid fuels from the pyrolysis of high-density plastics. It was also concluded that Ea, Ao, and T must be analyzed and optimized according to the reactor type to increase the efficiency of the expected rate constants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility of Thermal Utilization of Primary and Secondary Sludge from a Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kaliningrad City

by Yuliya Kulikova, Olga Babich, Anna Tsybina, Stanislav Sukhikh, Ivan Mokrushin, Svetlana Noskova and Nikolaj Orlov

Energies 2022, 15(15), 5639; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15155639 - 03 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1556

Abstract

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sewage sludge is considered in the article as an analogue of the natural processes of oil formation (catagenesis). A comparison of the physicochemical composition of primary and secondary sludge with type II kerogen (natural precursor of oil) showed their similarity. Both types of sludge have a slightly higher level of oxygen and nitrogen. The study tested the hypothesis that the elements included in the inorganic part of the oil source rocks can have a catalytic effect on the oil formation processes. For the conducted studies of sludge HTL, the catalysts containing cations and substances found in oil source rocks were chosen: as homogeneous catalysts (KOH, NaOH, NH₄Fe(SO₄)₂, CoCl₆, NiSO₄, CuSO₄, ZnSO₄, MoO₃) and as heterogeneous catalysts (MgO, Zeolite, Al₂O₃). The effectiveness of catalysts containing metal ions, zeolite and aluminum oxide has been proven. The highest biocrude yield was achieved in a process with NiSO₄ as the catalyst in a dose 2 g per 10 g of sludge: oil yield increased by 34.9% and 63.4% in the processing of primary and secondary sludge, respectively. The use of catalysts provided an increase in fuel HHV by 10.8–12.5%, which is associated with a decrease in oxygen content (by 10.8–43.2%) with a simultaneous increase in carbon (by 7.9–10.9%) and hydrogen (by 6.5–18.7%) content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 2028 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Consumption Depending on the Durability of Pellets Formed from Sawdust with an Admixture of FFP2 Masks

by Nikola Čajová Kantová, Pavol Belány, Michal Holubčík and Alexander Čaja

Energies 2022, 15(13), 4813; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15134813 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1294

Abstract

At present, we are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in connection with the huge amount of waste generated. However, the reuse of the produced waste in other processes requires energy consumption. This article deals with the reuse of face masks FFP2, which were added as an admixture to spruce or beech sawdust and then processed into pellets. During the production process of the pellets, energy consumption was measured and further converted to one ton of pellets, and also the consumption was reflected in the price of electricity. After storage, the mechanical durability and dimensions of the individual pellets were measured, and their density was calculated. Based on the results, it can be concluded that spruce pellets with 10% face masks FFP2 (consumption 747.41 kWh; durability 97.53%) and beech pellets with 5% face masks FFP2 (consumption 721.27 kWh; durability 97.38%) achieved higher values of mechanical durability and also consumed more energy than the remaining samples with lower values of durability without considering the sample with spruce sawdust and 5% FFP2 face masks (consumption 872.63 kWh; durability 91.68%). The production of spruce pellets with 5% FFP2 face masks was affected mainly by cold outside weather. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 730 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Industrial CO₂ Capture through Microalgae Regulated by Phytohormones and Cultivation Processes

by Hao Chen, Yuye Jiang, Kai Zhu, Jingwen Yang, Yanxia Fu and Shuang Wang

Energies 2023, 16(2), 897; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16020897 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1505

Abstract

Microalgae is a promising metabolism microorganism for the fixation of CO₂ from industrial gas while accumulating microalgae biomass. The process of CO₂ fixation by microalgae is able to be significantly improved by the regulation of phytohormones. However, the complex metabolic mechanism of microalgae regulated by phytohormones and abiotic stress on CO₂ fixation deserves to be explored. To systematically understand the existing status and establish a foundation for promoting the technology, this paper reviews investigations on the metabolic mechanism of microalgae regulated by phytohormones. The influences of nitrogen stress, light intensity stress, heavy metal stress, and salinity stress on CO₂ fixation and lipid production are summarized. In addition, a comprehensive overview of the multistage regulation of phytohormones and abiotic stress on CO₂ fixation and lipid production through microalgae is presented. The recent advances in CO₂ transfer reinforcement and light transmission reinforcement in photobioreactors are discussed. This review provides an insight into the enhancement of CO₂ fixation by microalgae regulated by phytohormones, abiotic stress, and mass transfer in multistage photobioreactors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Bioenergy and Biomass)

► Show Figures