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Applicability of Mechanical Tests for Biomass Pellet Characterisation for Bioenergy Applications.

ABSTRACT: In this paper, the applicability of mechanical tests for biomass pellet characterisation was investigated. Pellet durability, quasi-static (low strain rate), and dynamic (high strain rate) mechanical tests were applied to mixed wood, eucalyptus, sunflower, miscanthus, and steam exploded and microwaved pellets, and compared to their Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI), and milling energies for knife and ring-roller mills. The dynamic mechanical response of biomass pellets was obtained using a novel application of the Split Hopkinson pressure bar. Similar mechanical properties were obtained for all pellets, apart from steam-exploded pellets, which were significantly higher. The quasi-static rigidity (Young's modulus) was highest in the axial orientation and lowest in flexure. The dynamic mechanical strength and rigidity were highest in the diametral orientation. Pellet strength was found to be greater at high strain rates. The diametral Young's Modulus was virtually identical at low and high strain rates for eucalyptus, mixed wood, sunflower, and microwave pellets, while the axial Young's Modulus was lower at high strain rates. Correlations were derived between the milling energy in knife and ring roller mills for pellet durability, and quasi-static and dynamic pellet strength. Pellet durability and diametral quasi-static strain was correlated with HGI. In summary, pellet durability and mechanical tests at low and high strain rates can provide an indication of how a pellet will break down in a mill.

SUBMITTER: Williams O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6119871 | biostudies-other | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Applicability of Mechanical Tests for Biomass Pellet Characterisation for Bioenergy Applications.

Williams Orla O Taylor Simon S Lester Edward E Kingman Sam S Giddings Donald D Eastwick Carol C

Materials (Basel, Switzerland) 20180731 8

In this paper, the applicability of mechanical tests for biomass pellet characterisation was investigated. Pellet durability, quasi-static (low strain rate), and dynamic (high strain rate) mechanical tests were applied to mixed wood, eucalyptus, sunflower, miscanthus, and steam exploded and microwaved pellets, and compared to their Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI), and milling energies for knife and ring-roller mills. The dynamic mechanical response of biomass pellets was obtained using a nove ...[more]

PMID: 30065239

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Project description:BackgroundMicroalgae have shown clear advantages for the production of biofuels compared with energy crops. Apart from their high growth rates and substantial lipid/triacylglycerol yields, microalgae can grow in wastewaters (animal, municipal and mining wastewaters) efficiently removing their primary nutrients (C, N, and P), heavy metals and micropollutants, and they do not compete with crops for arable lands. However, fundamental barriers to the industrial application of microalgae for biofuel production still include high costs of removing the algae from the water and the water from the algae which can account for up to 30-40% of the total cost of biodiesel production. Algal biofilms are becoming increasingly popular as a strategy for the concentration of microalgae, making harvesting/dewatering easier and cheaper.ResultsWe have isolated and characterized a number of natural microalgal biofilms from freshwater, saline lakes and marine habitats. Structurally, these biofilms represent complex consortia of unicellular and multicellular, photosynthetic and heterotrophic inhabitants, such as cyanobacteria, microalgae, diatoms, bacteria, and fungi. Biofilm #52 was used as feedstock for bioenergy production. Dark fermentation of its biomass by Enterobacter cloacae DT-1 led to the production of 2.4 mol of H2/mol of reduced sugar. The levels and compositions of saturated, monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in Biofilm #52 were target-wise modified through the promotion of the growth of selected individual photosynthetic inhabitants. Photosynthetic components isolated from different biofilms were used for tailoring of novel biofilms designed for (i) treatment of specific types of wastewaters, such as reverse osmosis concentrate, (ii) compositions of total fatty acids with a new degree of unsaturation and (iii) bio-flocculation and concentration of commercial microalgal cells. Treatment of different types of wastewaters with biofilms showed a reduction in the concentrations of key nutrients, such as phosphates, ammonia, nitrates, selenium and heavy metals.ConclusionsThis multidisciplinary study showed the new potential of natural biofilms, their individual photosynthetic inhabitants and assembled new algal/cyanobacterial biofilms as the next generation of bioenergy feedstocks which can grow using wastewaters as a cheap source of key nutrients.

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Applicability of Mechanical Tests for Biomass Pellet Characterisation for Bioenergy Applications.

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Applicability of Mechanical Tests for Biomass Pellet Characterisation for Bioenergy Applications.

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