TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of environmental impacts and energy derivation potential of biomass pyrolysis via Piper diagram
AU - Pang, Yoong Xin
AU - Foo, Dominic C.Y.
AU - Yan, Yuxin
AU - Sharmin, Nusrat
AU - Lester, Edward
AU - Wu, Tao
AU - Pang, Cheng Heng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Biomass is an important renewable resource commonly used to derive energy for various applications. This study analyses the environmental impacts of biomass utilisation and conversion including pyrolysis and bio-oil hydrotreatment. The analysis was performed on 70 biomass samples using process simulation software and Waste Reduction (WAR) algorithm. Results showed that energy content, yield, product distribution and the environmental impacts are highly influenced by the lignocellulosic (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) and elemental (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) compositions of biomass. Lignin-dominant biomass is found to produce char-dominant products whilst severely affecting two of the environmental impact categories, and cellulose-dominant biomass contributes mostly to six other impact categories whilst producing oil-dominant products. Hemicellulose-dominant samples produce gas-rich products with mild environmental impacts. Moreover, carbon- and hydrogen-rich samples exhibit positive relationship with higher heating value whilst oxygen-rich biomass have lower heating values. Such correlations were systematically presented on a Piper diagram in order to distinguish the potential and impacts of each biomass sample in pyrolysis. Albeit green, not all biomass samples are environmentally friendly during pyrolysis. The developed Piper diagram provides a straightforward, yet comprehensive, understanding, characterisation and illustration of the potential of biomass in achieving specific engineering, economics and environmental objectives based on fundamental characteristics of biomass.
AB - Biomass is an important renewable resource commonly used to derive energy for various applications. This study analyses the environmental impacts of biomass utilisation and conversion including pyrolysis and bio-oil hydrotreatment. The analysis was performed on 70 biomass samples using process simulation software and Waste Reduction (WAR) algorithm. Results showed that energy content, yield, product distribution and the environmental impacts are highly influenced by the lignocellulosic (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) and elemental (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) compositions of biomass. Lignin-dominant biomass is found to produce char-dominant products whilst severely affecting two of the environmental impact categories, and cellulose-dominant biomass contributes mostly to six other impact categories whilst producing oil-dominant products. Hemicellulose-dominant samples produce gas-rich products with mild environmental impacts. Moreover, carbon- and hydrogen-rich samples exhibit positive relationship with higher heating value whilst oxygen-rich biomass have lower heating values. Such correlations were systematically presented on a Piper diagram in order to distinguish the potential and impacts of each biomass sample in pyrolysis. Albeit green, not all biomass samples are environmentally friendly during pyrolysis. The developed Piper diagram provides a straightforward, yet comprehensive, understanding, characterisation and illustration of the potential of biomass in achieving specific engineering, economics and environmental objectives based on fundamental characteristics of biomass.
KW - Elementary components
KW - Lignocellulose
KW - SuperPro designer
KW - Thermochemical processes
KW - Waste Reduction (WAR) algorithm
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099457951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaap.2020.104995
DO - 10.1016/j.jaap.2020.104995
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099457951
SN - 0165-2370
VL - 154
JO - Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis
JF - Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis
M1 - 104995
ER -