Biomass to Renewable Energy Processes, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1995

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Director, ENEA's Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources, ENEA Research Centre Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: energy transition; renewable sources; hydrogen; bioenergy and storage; excellent skills and vast experience in the preparation, operation, and management of numerous research projects focused with particular reference to the decarbonization of fossil fuels (CCUS technologies), production and use of green fuel dedicated to the energy sector and energy applications, sponsored by national, international and European commission

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Guest Editor
ENEA Research Centre Trisaia, 75026 Rotondella, Italy
Interests: solid-state materials; engineering and technological aspects of renewable energy sources (solar energy, bioenergy, biofuels), energy and material recovery from waste; thermo-chemical and biological process from biomass and waste to recovery and energy and bio products

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As evidenced by ever-increasing energy consumption, public awareness surrounding environmental issues, and the strong interest, both in the academic and industrial sectors, in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, clean energy requires particular consideration in the global scientific community. Large quantities of agricultural wastes resulting from crop cultivation activity present a promising renewable energy supply.

Bioenergy has been recognized as a significant component in many future energy scenarios. “Waste-to-energy” conversion processes for heat and power generation, and for transport fuel production, have good economic and market potential. Substitution of fossil fuels with biofuels appears to be an effective strategy not only to avert an impending future energy crisis but also to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels. District heating and cooling networks are highly effective ways to integrate natural resources, such as industrial and agricultural biomass, into energy production while increasing energy efficiency.

Furthermore, bioproducts, due to their lower environmental impact compared to that of their fossil substitutes and their introduction on the market, represent a great opportunity for territorial development. Thanks to the creation of local agro-industrial supply chains, enhancement of marginal or unused land for the cultivation of raw materials of biological origin, which are not useful in food production but can be transformed into biochemicals of industrial interest, can surely provide a new impetus, in both economic and employment terms, to develop these territories.

This Special Issue aims to analyze the evolution of the growing interest and trends in the field of biomass for renewable energy and biorefinery to inform the research community on the current situation in the field and future trends. Basic information will be provided to facilitate decision making by those responsible for scientific policy.

Dr. Giulia Monteleone
Dr. Vinod Kumar Sharma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • circular economy
  • renewable energy
  • bioenergy
  • advanced biofuel
  • biorefinery
  • energy efficiency

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 9073 KiB  
Article
The Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes Using an Anaerobic Fixed Biofilm Reactor: A Case of Discarded Tomatoes from a Traditional Market
by Andrea Alvarado-Vallejo, Oscar Marín-Peña, Erik Samuel Rosas-Mendoza, Juan Manuel Méndez-Contreras and Alejandro Alvarado-Lassman
Processes 2024, 12(9), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12091923 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1231
Abstract
Tomato waste, characterized by high organic matter and moisture content, offers a promising substrate for anaerobic digestion, though rapid acidification can inhibit methanogenic activity. This study investigated the performance of a 10.25 L anaerobic fixed biofilm reactor for biogas production using liquid tomato [...] Read more.
Tomato waste, characterized by high organic matter and moisture content, offers a promising substrate for anaerobic digestion, though rapid acidification can inhibit methanogenic activity. This study investigated the performance of a 10.25 L anaerobic fixed biofilm reactor for biogas production using liquid tomato waste, processed through grinding and filtration, at high organic loading rates, without external pH control or co-digestion. Four scouring pads were vertically installed as a fixed bed within a fiberglass structure. Reactor performance and buffering capacity were assessed over three stages with progressively increasing organic loading rates (3.2, 4.35, and 6.26 gCOD/L·d). Methane yields of 0.419 LCH4/gCOD and 0.563 LCH4/g VS were achieved during the kinetic study following stabilization. Biogas production rates reached 1586 mL/h, 1804 mL/h, and 4117 mL/h across the three stages, with methane contents of 69%, 65%, and 72.3%, respectively. Partial alkalinity fluctuated, starting above 1500 mg CaCO3/L in Stage 1, dropping below 500 mg CaCO3/L in Stage 2, and surpassing 3000 mg CaCO3/L in Stage 3. Despite periods of forced acidification, the system demonstrated significant resilience and high buffering capacity, maintaining stability through hydraulic retention time adjustments without the need for external pH regulation. The key stability indicators identified include partial alkalinity, effluent chemical oxygen demand, pH, and one-day cumulative biogas. This study highlights the effectiveness of anaerobic fixed biofilm reactors in treating tomato waste and similar fruit and vegetable residues for sustainable biogas production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass to Renewable Energy Processes, 2nd Edition)
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