• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.381-391
• /
• 2023

Densification is a technique used to improve biomass quality in wood pellet manufacturing and torrefaction treatment. In this study, the effects of torrefaction on the quality of Calliandra wood pellets were investigated, and pellets of Calliandra wood (Calliandra calothyrsus) and bark were evaluated. The study was conducted using a completely randomized design with two treatment factors, namely torrefaction temperature (250℃ and 300℃) and torrefaction duration (30, 45, and 60 min). The results showed that the interaction between temperature and torrefaction duration significantly affected the compressive strength, proximate value, and calorific value of the torrefied Calliandra wood pellets. An increase in the temperature and torrefaction duration decreased the compressive strength, moisture content, volatile matter content, and ash content of the torrefied Calliandra wood pellets. Conversely, the calorific value of Calliandra wood pellets increased with increasing temperature and torrefaction duration. The best-quality Calliandra wood pellets were produced at a torrefaction temperature and duration of 300℃ and 60 min, respectively. In terms of important quality parameters, ash content of 0.90% and calorific value of 6,303.80 cal/g were observed, which complied with the quality standards of Indonesian National Standard 8675:2018 and Deutsche Industrie Norm 51731.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.45-52
• /
• 2014

Torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) are productive methods to reclaim energy from lignocellulosic biomass. The hydrophobic, homogenized, energy dense and carbon rich solid fuel can be obtain from torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonization. Dead leaves were carbonized in a stainless steel reactor of volume 200 ml with torrefaction ($250-270^{\circ}C$) for 120 minutes and hydrothermal carbonization ($200-250^{\circ}C$) for 30 minutes, with mass yield solid fuel ranging from 57-70% and energy content from 16.81MJ/kg to 22.01 MJ/kg compare to the biomass. The char produced from torrefaction process possess high energy content than hydrothermal carbonization. The highest energy yield of 89.96% was obtained by torrefaction at $250^{\circ}C$. The energy densification ratio fluctuated in between 1.15 to 1.30. On the basis of pore size distribution of the chars, the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) was used as a classification standard. The pore diameter was ranging within 11.09-19 nm which play important role in water holding capacity in soil. Larger pores can hold water and provide passage for small pores. Therefore, it can be concluded that high pore size char can be obtained my HTC process and high energy content char of 22.01 MJ/Kg with 34.04% increase in energy can be obtain by torrefaction process.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.180-184
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study explored the factors influencing heating value in the process of torrefaction of water hyacinth. Methods: Torrefaction was applied with three temperature settings (200, 300, $400^{\circ}C$) and three time settings (1, 2, 3 h) using small electric heaters (11.3L of holding volume). This study investigated the heating values with the washing process and process factors influenced the torrefaction. In addition, this study compared the heating values in washed and unwashed samples and suggested the optimal conditions for increasing heating value. Results: Torrefaction increased the heating value by 8.18 ~ 30.04%. Comparing heating values of each condition, the optimal temperature for torrefaction was $300^{\circ}C$ and holding time was 1 hour. The washing process increased the heating value by 19 ~ 27%. The heating value of the sample treated at $300^{\circ}C$ for three hours was 4310.80 kcal/kg, which was greater than the first class wood pellet of 4300 kcal/kg. Conclusions: This study proved that the torrefaction and washing process increased the heating value of water hyacinth. Therefore, water hyacinth is expected to be an eco-friendly biomass which substitutes for wood pellet.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2012.11a
• /
• pp.205-206
• /
• 2012

A novel torrefaction process is suggested to improve energy efficiency and to produce high quality biomass fuel. Major developments for novel torrefaction process are as follows. To maximize the energy efficiency in heat transfer, flue gas is directly used for heat source in the torrefier. To accomplish the oxygen free environment in the torrefaction reactor, a burner is developed and it can be runned with fuel rich state. To use the calorific gases produced from torrefier, another burner is developed to combust them. In the test, the novel torrefaction process leads low energy consumption and the quality of torrefied fuel becomes better.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.672-677
• /
• 2014

Torrefaction is a thermal treatment process to pre-treat biomass at temperature of $200{\sim}300^{\circ}C$ under an inert atmosphere. It was known that torrefaction process strongly depended on the decomposition temperature of the lignocellulosic constituents in biomass. In this work, the torrefaction characteristics of baggase has been studied. This study focuses on the relation between the energy yields, heating values, gas emission, volatile and ash constituents with torrefaction temperatures and times. The activation energies of baggase torrefaction has been studied by using TGA (Thermogravimetric Analyzer). From this work, it was seen that ash constituents and heating values were increased with torrefaction temperature, while volatile constituents and energy yields decreased. It was also found that carbon monoxide containing oxygen were decomposed at a lower temperature than those of hydrocarbon compounds, $C_xH_y$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.547-554
• /
• 2018

Torrefaction is the promising process of pretreating biomass materials to increase the quality of their energy, especially to upgrade the materials' grindability so that it is suitable for a commercial pulverizer machine. In this study, torrefaction of oak, bamboo, oil palm trunk, and rice husk was carried out under different torrefaction temperatures ($300^{\circ}C$, $330^{\circ}C$, and $350^{\circ}C$) and different torrefaction residence times (30, 45, and 60 minutes). Complete characterization of the torrefied biomass, including proximate analysis, calorific value, thermogravimetric analysis, mass yield, energy yield, and grindability properties (Hardgrove Grindability Index) was carried out. Increasing the torrefaction temperature and residence time significantly improved the calorific value, energy density (by reducing the product mass), and grindability of the product. Furthermore, for commercial purposes, the torrefaction conditions that produced the desired grindability properties of the torrefied product were $330^{\circ}C-30minutes$ and $300^{\circ}-45minutes$, and the latter condition produced a higher energy yield for bamboo, oil palm trunk, and rice husk; however, torrefaction of oak did not achieve the targeted grindability property values.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.465-469
• /
• 2013

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of torrefied OPF (oil palm fronds) as the fuel. The torrefaction was performed at 200, 250, 300 and $350^{\circ}C$ during 1 and 2 hours, respectively. As raising the torrefaction temperature and increasing the processing time, the GHV (gross heating value) of torrefied OPFs was increased. Moreover, we found that the torrefaction temperature is more important factor than the processing time. However, the proper torrefaction temperature was asked because the higher torrefaction temperature leaded to the lower torrefied OPF yield. TGA (thermo-gravimetric analysis) data released that the torrefaction at $250^{\circ}C$ could significantly decompose the hemicellulose and the almost cellulose was decomposed at $300^{\circ}C$. In addition, the grindability of biomass was improved after torrefaction, so that it can reduce energy consumption in comminution.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.372-377
• /
• 2019

Leaching ($60^{\circ}C$, 5 min) and wet torrefaction ($200^{\circ}C$, 5 min) of empty fruit bunch (EFB) were carried out to improve the fuel properties; each liquid fraction was reused for leaching and wet torrefaction, respectively. In the leaching process, potassium was effectively removed because the leaching solution contained 707.5 ppm potassium. Inorganic compounds were accumulated in the leaching solution by increasing the reuse cycle of leaching solution. The major component of the leached biomass did not differ significantly from the raw material (p-value < 0.05). Inorganic compounds in the biomass were more effectively removed by sequential leaching and wet torrefaction (61.1%) than by only the leaching process (50.1%) at the beginning of the liquid fraction reuse. In the sequential leaching and wet torrefaction, the main hydrolysate component was xylose (2.36~4.17 g/L). This implied that hemicellulose was degraded during wet torrefaction. As in the leaching process, potassium was effectively removed and the concentration was accumulated by increasing the reuse cycle of wet torrefaction hydrolysates. There was no significant change in the chemical composition of wet torrefied biomass, which implied that fuel properties of biomass were constantly maintained by the reuse (four times) of the liquid fraction generated from leaching and wet torrefaction.

• Advances in Energy Research
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.127-146
• /
• 2013

Torrefaction technologies convert assorted biomass feedstocks into energy-concentrated, carbon neutral fuel that is economically transported and easily ground for blending with fossil coals at numerous power plants around the world without needs to retrofit. Utilization of torrefied biomass in conventional electric generating units may be an increasingly attractive alternative for electricity generation as aging power plants in the world need to be upgraded or improved. This paper examines the economic feasibility of torrefaction in different scenarios by modeling torrefaction plants producing 136,078 t/year (150,000 ton/year) biocoal from wood and corn stover. The utilization of biocoal blends in existing coal-fired power plants is modeled to determine the demand for this fuel in the context of emerging policies regulating emissions from coal in the U.S. setting. Opportunities to co-locate torrefaction facilities adjacent to corn ethanol plants and coal-fired power plants are explored as means to improve economics for collaborating businesses. Life cycle analysis was conducted in parallel to this economic study and was used to determine environmental impacts of converting biomass to biocoal for blending in coal-fired power plants as well as the use of substantial flows of off-gasses produced in the torrefaction process. Sensitivity analysis of the financial rates of return of the different businesses has been performed to measure impacts of different factors, whether input prices, output prices, or policy measures that render costs or rewards for the businesses.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.73-79
• /
• 2018

In this study, a torrefaction unit with a capacity of 50 kg/hr was developed and experimented to produce of solid fuel by reuse of the food and agricultural wastes. Dried food wastes and agricultural wastes were used for the experiments and the heated-air torrefaction characteristics were investigated by the raw materials, torrefaction air temperature, and torrefaction time. For the dried agricultural wastes, measured torrefaction capacity and lower heating values were 55.35 kg/hr and 3,333 kcal/kg, respectively. As the lower heating values of the treated samples were greater, by around 7.8%, than those of the non-treated samples, torrefaction process was a very effective method to increase the heating value of the agricultural waste. In case of the dried food waste, torrefaction capacity and lower heating value was measured 88.27 kg/hr and 4,016 kcal/kg, respectively. As the lower heating value of treated ones showed around 9.0% higher than that of non treated ones, torrefaction process is very effective method to increase the heating value of the agricultural waste also. It will be assumed that the heating value shows more higher as increase the air temperature and decrease the moisture content of torrified matter.