Investigation of Torrefaction Process Parameters and Characterization of Torrefied Biomass Dorde Medic Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2012 Investigation of torrefaction process parameters and characterization of torrefied biomass Dorde Medic Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, and the Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons Recommended Citation Medic, Dorde, "Investigation of torrefaction process parameters and characterization of torrefied biomass" (2012). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 12403. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/12403 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Investigation of torrefaction process parameters and characterization of torrefied biomass by Dorde Medic A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Co-majors: Agricultural Engineering; Biorenewable Resources and Technology Program of Study Committee: Matthew J. Darr, Major Professor Robert C. Brown D. Raj Raman Tae Hyun Kim Thomas J. Brumm Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2012 Copyright © Dorde Medic, 2012. All rights reserved ii Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... vii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1. General introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Problem identification ......................................................................................................... 1 Research objectives ............................................................................................................. 3 Dissertation organization .................................................................................................... 4 References ........................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2. Literature review ..................................................................................................... 6 Lignocellulosic biomass...................................................................................................... 6 Lignocellulosic biomass composition ................................................................................. 8 Thermochemical biomass conversion technologies .......................................................... 11 Torrefaction for biorenewables production ...................................................................... 13 Overview of biomass torrefaction process .................................................................. 13 Torrefaction mechanism ............................................................................................. 14 Torrefaction kinetics ................................................................................................... 18 Torrefaction product distribution and composition .................................................... 22 Torrefaction reactors ................................................................................................... 26 Economics ................................................................................................................... 28 Properties and applications of torrefied biomass ........................................................ 30 References ......................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3. Effects of torrefaction process parameters on biomass feedstock upgrading ....... 44 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 44 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 45 Methods............................................................................................................................. 49 Samples ....................................................................................................................... 49 Torrefaction Reactor ................................................................................................... 49 Gas Analysis ............................................................................................................... 50 Liquids Analysis ......................................................................................................... 51 Proximate Analysis ..................................................................................................... 51 Ultimate Analysis........................................................................................................ 52 High Heating Value Determination ............................................................................ 52 Design of Experiments ................................................................................................ 52 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................... 53 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 68 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 69 References ......................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 4. Effect of torrefaction on water vapor adsorption properties and resistance to microbial degradation of corn stover ...................................................................................... 72 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 72 iii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 73 Methods............................................................................................................................. 76 Sample preparation ..................................................................................................... 76 Water vapor adsorption experiments .......................................................................... 77 Adsorption modeling .................................................................................................. 78 Microbial degradation experiment .............................................................................. 81 Fiber analysis .............................................................................................................. 81 Results and discussion ...................................................................................................... 81 Experimental results.................................................................................................... 81 Fitting sorption models to experimental results .......................................................... 85 Microbial degradation results ..................................................................................... 92 Fiber analysis results ................................................................................................... 93 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 94 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 95 References ......................................................................................................................... 95 Chapter 5. Effect of particle size, different corn stover components and gas residence time on torrefaction of corn stover.......................................................................................... 99 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 99 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 100 Materials and Methods .................................................................................................... 103 Corn stover samples .................................................................................................. 103 Torrefaction experiments .......................................................................................... 105 Chemical analysis of raw and torrefied biomass ...................................................... 108 Statistical analysis ....................................................................................................