Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity have triggered serious environmental issues related to climate change. One important strategy to attenuate such effects is to reduce GHG emissions with renewable energy routes such as biomass fast pyrolysis. Biomass refers to non-fossilized and biod...
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AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Chemical Engineering Transactions |
| Online Access: | https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/15282 |
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| author | Guilherme Iureschi Ingrid L. Motta |
| author_facet | Guilherme Iureschi Ingrid L. Motta |
| author_sort | Guilherme Iureschi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity have triggered serious environmental issues related to climate change. One important strategy to attenuate such effects is to reduce GHG emissions with renewable energy routes such as biomass fast pyrolysis. Biomass refers to non-fossilized and biodegradable carbonaceous materials, which have several advantages, including renewability, high carbon content, and broad worldwide availability. Some of the most promising feedstocks are lignocellulosic biomass and algae, with the former yielding products with high energy density and the latter requiring lower energy input to be pyrolyzed. Therefore, the co-pyrolysis of both feedstocks offers a compelling pathway for future bioenergy value chains. In this context, this work developed, in Aspen PlusTM, a simulation of the co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass (eucalyptus, EU) and algae (Gelidium amansii, GE, and Ulva lactuca, UL), aiming to analyze synergistic effects of combining both feedstock sources and study process parameters. The simulation was run at different temperatures (450–550 °C) and GE-EU or UL-EU blending proportions (0–100 wt%). The results show that increasing pyrolysis temperatures had small effects on the pyrolytic yields and product compositions, while the feedstock type increased bio-oil yields, higher heating values (HHV), densities, and O/C ratios in the order of UL < EU < GE. Blending EU to either GE or UL produced significant differences, as UL has much higher ash content than GE. In the GE-EU mixtures, increasing the GE proportion resulted in higher bio-oil yields, densities, HHV, and oxygen contents. In the UL-EU counterparts, higher UL proportions led to increased char yields due to the high UL ash contents. This study shows how different mixtures of algae and lignocellulosic biomass can be explored, aiming at enhancing bio-oil yields and quality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-93b41987ba524a1ea20e4e59e2a372fe |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2283-9216 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chemical Engineering Transactions |
| spelling | doaj-art-93b41987ba524a1ea20e4e59e2a372fe2025-08-20T03:15:35ZengAIDIC Servizi S.r.l.Chemical Engineering Transactions2283-92162025-07-01117Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio EffectsGuilherme IureschiIngrid L. MottaGreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity have triggered serious environmental issues related to climate change. One important strategy to attenuate such effects is to reduce GHG emissions with renewable energy routes such as biomass fast pyrolysis. Biomass refers to non-fossilized and biodegradable carbonaceous materials, which have several advantages, including renewability, high carbon content, and broad worldwide availability. Some of the most promising feedstocks are lignocellulosic biomass and algae, with the former yielding products with high energy density and the latter requiring lower energy input to be pyrolyzed. Therefore, the co-pyrolysis of both feedstocks offers a compelling pathway for future bioenergy value chains. In this context, this work developed, in Aspen PlusTM, a simulation of the co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass (eucalyptus, EU) and algae (Gelidium amansii, GE, and Ulva lactuca, UL), aiming to analyze synergistic effects of combining both feedstock sources and study process parameters. The simulation was run at different temperatures (450–550 °C) and GE-EU or UL-EU blending proportions (0–100 wt%). The results show that increasing pyrolysis temperatures had small effects on the pyrolytic yields and product compositions, while the feedstock type increased bio-oil yields, higher heating values (HHV), densities, and O/C ratios in the order of UL < EU < GE. Blending EU to either GE or UL produced significant differences, as UL has much higher ash content than GE. In the GE-EU mixtures, increasing the GE proportion resulted in higher bio-oil yields, densities, HHV, and oxygen contents. In the UL-EU counterparts, higher UL proportions led to increased char yields due to the high UL ash contents. This study shows how different mixtures of algae and lignocellulosic biomass can be explored, aiming at enhancing bio-oil yields and quality.https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/15282 |
| spellingShingle | Guilherme Iureschi Ingrid L. Motta Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects Chemical Engineering Transactions |
| title | Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects |
| title_full | Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects |
| title_fullStr | Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects |
| title_short | Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Algae Mixtures: a Simulation Study on Co-pyrolysis Temperature and Biomass Ratio Effects |
| title_sort | thermochemical conversion of biomass and algae mixtures a simulation study on co pyrolysis temperature and biomass ratio effects |
| url | https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/15282 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT guilhermeiureschi thermochemicalconversionofbiomassandalgaemixturesasimulationstudyoncopyrolysistemperatureandbiomassratioeffects AT ingridlmotta thermochemicalconversionofbiomassandalgaemixturesasimulationstudyoncopyrolysistemperatureandbiomassratioeffects |