Potential of invasive shrubs for energy applications in Uganda

Abstract

In this study, six fast-growing invasive biomass species; Acacia mearnsii, Broussonetia papyrifera, Lantana camara, Mimosa pigra, Psidium guajava and Senna spectabilis were studied to determine their potential for fuel and biofuel production. Proximate composition, ultimate composition and heating values were determined using standard methods. The thermal analysis, chemical interactions, and morphology were studied using Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis respectively. Aspen Plus Version 11 was used to simulate slow, fast and flash pyrolysis of the biomass. Senna spectabilis had the highest heating value of 17.84 MJ/kg and the lowest ash content, making it the most suitable for thermochemical conversion. Based on the compositional analysis, Senna spectabilis also had the highest content of cellulose (48%), making it most suitable for biofuel production via enzyme saccharification. The Aspen Plus model for the pyrolysis process was used to predict the yields and products of pyrolysis of the biomass species for typical reactor conditions and feedstock composition. The highest yield of biogas, biochar and bio-oil was achieved at 650 °C for all the biomass species. Moreover, Lantana camara was the most suitable for biogas production and Senna spectabilis for biochar and bio-oil production. The influence of the pyrolysis temperature on the pyrolysis products, flue gases and gaseous emissions was also demonstrated in this study.

Keywords

Biomass / Renewable Energy / Invasive shrubs / Pyrolysis / Modeling

References

[1] Abián M, Alzueta M, Carvalho A, Rabacal M, Costa M. On the role of potassium and calcium on the combustion characteristics of biomass obtained from thermogravimetric experiments. Energy Fuels, 2017, 31(11): 12238-12246

[2] Álvarez-Álvarez P, Pizarro C, Barrio-Anta M, Cámara-Obregón A, Bueno JL, Álvarez A, Gutiérrez I, Burslem DF. Evaluation of tree species for biomass energy production in Northwest Spain. Forests, 2018, 9(4): 160

[3] ASTM International ASTM D3176–15 standard practice for ultimate analysis of coal and coke. ASTM Int Pennsylvania, 2015

[4] ASTM International ASTM E1131–20 standard test method for compositional analysis by thermogravimetry. ASTM Int Pennsylvania, 2020

[5] Badan P, Thepchatri T, Tanavat E, Haruthaithanasan M, Haruthaithanasan K. Fuel properties of some native tree species for biomass energy in Thailand. Thai J Agric Sci, 2020, 53(1): 53-57

[6] Batchelor S, Brown E, Scott N, Leary J (2019) Two birds, one stone—reframing cooking energy policies in Africa and Asia. Energies 12(9):1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12091591

[7] Cai J, He Y, Yu X, Banks SW, Yang Y, Zhang X, Yu Y, Bridgwater AV. Review of physicochemical properties and analytical characterization of lignocellulosic biomass. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2017, 76: 309-322

[8] Cavalaglio G, Cotana F, Nicolini A, Coccia V, Petrozzi A, Formica A, Bertini A. Characterization of various biomass feedstock suitable for small-scale energy plants as preliminary activity of biocheaper project. Sustainability, 2020, 12(16): 6678

[9] Chai M, Xie L, Yu X, Zhang X, Yang Y, Rahman MM, Blanco PH, Liu R, Bridgwater AV, Cai J. Poplar wood torrefaction: kinetics, thermochemistry and implications. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2021, 143

[10] Chen D, Cen K, Cao X, Chen F, Zhang J, Zhou J. Insight into a new phenolic-leaching pretreatment on bamboo pyrolysis: Release characteristics of pyrolytic volatiles, upgradation of three phase products, migration of elements, and energy yield. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2021, 136

[11] Chen H.(2015) Lignocellulose biorefinery product engineering. Lignocellulose biorefinery engineering. principles and applications (1st ed., pp. 125–165). Woodhead Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100135-6.00005-3

[12] Chiodo V, Zafarana G, Maisano S, Freni S, Urbani F. Pyrolysis of different biomass: direct comparison among PosidoniaOceanica, Lacustrine Alga and White-Pine. Fuel, 2016, 164: 220-227

[13] Chirambo D. Addressing the renewable energy financing gap in Africa to promote universal energy access: integrated renewable energy financing in Malawi. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2016, 62: 793-803

[14] Demirbas, A. (2002). Relationships Between Heating Value and Lignin, Moisture, Ash and Extractive Contents of Biomass Fuels. Energy exploration and exploitation, 20(1), 105–111. Retrieved 25 January, 2021, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/https://doi.org/10.1260/014459802760170420

[15] Dobrica I, Bugheanu P, Stanculescu I, Ponta C. FTIR spectral data of wood used in Romanian traditional village constructions. Analele Universitătii Din Bucureşti-Chimie, 2008, 17(1): 33-39

[16] GACC. (2016). Uganda Country Profile. Retrieved 24 January, 2020, from Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves: http://cleancookstoves.org/country-profiles/focus-countries/8-uganda.html

[17] Gani A, Naruse I. Effect of cellulose and lignin content on pyrolysis and combustion characteristics for several types of biomass. Renewable Energy, 2007, 32: 649-661

[18] García R, Pizarro C, Lavín AG, Bueno JL. Biomass Proximate Analysis using Thermogravimetry. Biores Technol, 2013, 139: 1-4

[19] Haldar D, Purkait MK. Thermochemical pretreatment enhanced bioconversion of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum): insight on the production of sugars and lignin. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2020, 12: 1125-1138

[20] Havilah PR, Sharma PK, Gopinath M. Combustion characteristics and kinetic parameter estimation of Lantana camara by thermogravimetric analysis. Biofuels, 2016, 10(3): 365-372

[21] He X, Liu Z, Niu W, Yang L, Zhou T, Qin D, Niu Z. Effects of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of gas and biochar obtained from pyrolysis of crop residues. Energy, 2018, 143: 746-756

[22] Hummelgård, M. (2017). How to SEM-image untreated / uncoated non-conductive samples in high vacuum by beam-energy charge balancing. Retrieved 28 January, 2021, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/howto-sem-image-untreated-uncoated-non-conductive-high-hummelg%C3%A5rd/

[23] IEA. (2016B). http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org. Retrieved 5 June 2016, from http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydevelopment/energyaccessdatabase/.

[24] IEA. (2019). World Energy outlook. Retrieved November, 2020, from SDG7: Data and projections : https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections/access-to-clean-cooking#abstract

[25] Ioelovich M. Energy Potential of Natural, Synthetic Polymers and Waste Materials - A Review. Academic Journal of Polymer Science, 2018, 1(1): 1-15

[26] Ivanova, T., Hernández, A. H., Bradna, J., Cusimamani, E. F., & Montoya, J. C. (2018). Assessment of Guava (Psidium Guajava L.) Wood Biomass for Briquettes' Production. Forests, 9(10), 613. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/f9100613

[27] JEOL Limited. (n.d.). Scanning Electron Microscope A to Z. Basic Knowledge for using the SEM. Retrieved 19 January 2021, from https://www.stcloudstate.edu/cmia/_files/documents/sem-basic-knowledge.pdf

[28] Kanbayashi, T., & Miyafuji, H. (2016). Microscopic Investigations on Woody Biomass as Treated with Ionic Liquids. In S. G. Stanciu (Ed.), Microscopy and analysis (pp. 203–220). Intechopen. doi:DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/62721

[29] Katende, A. B., Birnie, A., & Tengnas, B. (1995). Useful trees and shrubs for Uganda. Identification, propagation and management for agricultural and pastoral communities (Vol. Series 10). (B. Tengnas, Ed.) Kampala: Regional Land Management Unit,Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

[30] Kosowska-Golachowska, M., Luckos, A., Magdziarz, A., & Wolski, K. (2018). A study into the combustion process of Acacia mearnsii (black wattle) in a circulating fluidized bed. 23 ^rd International Conference on FBC, (pp. 1043–1052). Seoul, Korea.

[31] Kumar, R. M., & Anand, R. (2019). Production of biofuel from biomass downdraft gasification and its applications. In A. K. Azad, & M. Rasul (Eds.), Advanced Biofuels.Applications, Technologies and Environmental Sustainability (pp. 129–159). Woodhead Publishing. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102791-2.00005-2

[32] Kumar R, Chandrashekar N, Pandey KK. Fuel properties and combustion characteristics of Lantana camara and Eupatorium spp. Curr Sci, 2009, 97(6): 930-934

[33] Lan W, Ding H, Jin X, Yin D, Wang Y, Ji J. Catalytic biomass gasification of sawdust:integrated experiment investigation with process modeling and analysis. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 2022, 17: 482-487

[34] Lestinsky P, Palit A. Wood pyrolysis using aspen plus simulation and industrially applicable model. GeoScience Engineering, 2016, 62(1): 11-16

[35] Li H, Mou H, Zhao N, Yu Y, Hong Q, Philbert M, Zhou Y, Dizaji HB, Dong R. Nitrogen Migration during Pyrolysis of Raw and Acid Leached Maize Straw. Sustainability, 2021, 13(7): 3786

[36] Li H, Yu Y, Yi F, Qiang J, Li C, Zhao N, Dong R. Characteristics and formation of nitrogen-containing products from the pyrolysis of maple wood and maize straw. J Anal Appl Pyrol, 2022, 163

[37] Li L, Liu G, Li Y, Zhu Z, Xu H, Chen J, Ren X. Release of Sulfur and Nitrogen during Co-pyrolysis of Coal and Biomass under Inert Atmosphere. ACS Omega, 2020, 5(46): 30001-30010

[38] Li X, Wei Y, Xu J, Xu N, He Y. Quantitative visualization of lignocellulose components in transverse sections of moso bamboo based on FTIR macro- and micro-spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics. Biotechnol Biofuels, 2018, 11(1): 1-16

[39] López, N. G. (2016). Biomass utilization for energy purposes in Kenya. Retrieved 25 January, 2021, from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1037533/FULLTEXT01.pdf

[40] Lv D, Xu M, Liu X, Zhan Z, Li Z, Yao H. Effect of cellulose, lignin, alkali and alkaline earth metallic species on biomass pyrolysis and gasification. Fuel Process Technol, 2010, 91: 903-909

[41] Meng X, Rokni E, Zhou W, Qi H, Sun R, Levendis YA. Emissions From Oxy-Combustion of Raw and Torrefied Biomass. J Energy Res Technol, 2020, 142(12): 122307-122316

[42] Mierzwa-Hersztek, M., Gondek, K., Jewiarz, M., & Dziedzic, K. (2019). Assessment of energy parameters of biomass and biochars, leachability of heavy metals and phytotoxicity of their ashes. 21, 786–800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-019-00832-6

[43] Ministry of energy and mineral development. (2015). Uganda's sustainable energy for all (SE4AII) initative action agenda. Ministry of energy and mineral development, Kampala:. Retrieved 5 November, 2020, from https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Uganda_AA_EN_Released.pdf

[44] Mohan D, Pittman CU, Steele PH. Pyrolysis of wood/biomass for bio-oil: A critical review. Energy Fuels, 2006, 20: 848-889

[45] Mundike J, Collard F-X, Görgens JF. Pyrolysis of Lantana camara and Mimosa pigra: Influences of temperature, other process parameters and incondensable gas evolution on char yield and higher heating value. Biores Technol, 2017, 243: 284-293

[46] Nandiyanto, A. B., Oktiani, R., & Ragadhita, R. (2019). How to Read and Interpret FTIR Spectroscope of Organic Material. Indonesian Journal of Science & Technology, 4(1), 97–118. doi: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17509/ijost.v4i1.15806

[47] Neves D, Thunman H, Matos A, Tarelho L, Gómez-Barea A. Characterization and prediction of biomass pyrolysis products. Prog Energy Combust Sci, 2011, 37(5): 611-630

[48] Nunes, L., De Oliveira Matias, J., & Da Silva Catalao, J. (2018). Introduction, Torrefaction of biomass for energy applications. Academic Press, pp 1– 43. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-809462-4.00001-8

[49] Okalebo, R. J., Gathua, K. W., & Woomer, P. L. (2002). Laboratory methods of soil and plant analysis: A wroking manual (Vol. 2). TSBF-CIAT and SACRED Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

[50] Osman AI, Mehta N, Elgarahy AM, Al-Hinai A, Al-Muhtaseb AH, Rooney DW. Conversion of biomass to biofuels and life cycle assessment: a review. Environ Chem Lett, 2021, 19: 4075-4118

[51] Patel B, Gami B. Biomass characterization and its use as a solid fuel for combustion. Iranica Journal of Energy and Environment, 2012, 3(2): 123-128

[52] Peters JF, Banks SW, Bridgwater AV, Dufour J. A kinetic reaction model for biomass pyrolysis processes in Aspen Plus. Appl Energy, 2017, 188: 595-603

[53] Rocha, S., Candia, O., Valdebenito, F., Espinoza-Monje, F. J., & Azocar, L. (n.d.). Biomass quality index:Searching for suitable biomass as an energy source in Chile. Fuel, 264, 116820. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2019.116820

[54] Rokni E, Ren X, Panahi A, Levendis YA. Emissions of SO2, NOx, CO2, and HCl from Co-firing of coals with raw and torrefied biomass fuels. Fuel, 2018, 211: 363-374

[55] Shahbaz M, AlNouss A, Parthasarathy P, Abdelaal AH, Mackey H, McKay G, Al-Ansari T. Investigation of biomass components on the slow pyrolysis products yield using Aspen Plus for techno-economic analysis. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2022, 12: 669-681

[56] Shao LM, Zhang H, Yao QS, He PJ. SO₂ and NOx emissions from sludge combustion in a CO₂/O₂ atmosphere. Fuel, 2013, 109: 178-183

[57] Singh YD, Mahanta P, Bora U. Comprehensive characterization of lignocellulosic biomass through proximate, ultimate and compositional analysis for bioenergy production. Renewable Energy, 2017, 103: 490-500

[58] Tabuti JR, Dhillion SS, Lye KA. Firewood use in Bulamogi County, Uganda:species selection, harvesting and consumption patterns. Biomass Bioenerg, 2003, 25: 581-596

[59] Tian T, Li Q, He R, Tan Z, Zhang Y. Effects of biochemical composition on hydrogen production by biomass gasification. Int J Hydrogen Energy, 2017

[60] Tomczyk A, Sokołowska Z, Boguta P. Biochar physicochemical properties: pyrolysis temperature and feedstock kind effects. Rev Env Sci Bio/technol, 2020, 19: 191-215

[61] Tripathi M, Sahu J, Ganesan P. Effect of process parameters on production of biochar from biomass waste through pyrolysis: A review. Renewable and Sustainablle Energy Reviews, 2016, 55: 467-481

[62] Tsuchiya Y, Shimogaki H, Abe H, Kagawa A. Inorganic elements in typical Japanese trees for woody biomass fuel. The Japan Wood Research Society, 2010, 56: 53-63

[63] Tursi A. A review on biomass:Importance, chemistry, classification, and conversion. Biofuel Research Journal, 2019, 22: 962-979

[64] UBOS. (2014, May). Uganda National Household survey 2012/2013. UBOS, Kampala.

[65] Van S, Robertson J. Analysis of forages and fibrous foods, 1985 Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell University

[66] Wang J, Minami E, Asmadi M, Kawamoto H. Thermal degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose in ball-milled cedar and beech wood. J Wood Sci, 2021, 67(32): 1-14

[67] Wang L, Karimi N, Sutardi T, Pau MC. Combustion Characteristics and Pollutant Emissions in Transient Oxy-Combustion of a Single Biomass Particle: A Numerical Study. Energy Fuels, 2019, 33: 1556-1569

[68] Williams, L. C., Emerson, R. M., & Tumuluru, J. S. (2017). Biomass Compositional Analysis for Conversion to Renewable Fuels and Chemicals. In J. S. Tumuluru, Biomass Volume Estimation and Valorization for Energy (pp. 251–270). IntechOpen. doi: https://doi.org/10.5772/65777

[69] Wongsiriamnuay T, Tippayawong N. Non-isothermal pyrolysis characteristics of giant sensitive plants using thermogravimetric analysis. Biores Technol, 2010, 101: 5638-5644

[70] Xu F, Yu J, Tesso T, Dowell F, Wang D. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of lignocellulosic biomass using infrared techniques: A mini-review. Appl Energy, 2013, 104: 801-809

[71] Yang H, Liu M, Chen Y, Xin S, Zhang X, Wang X, Chen H. Vapor–solid interaction among cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Fuel, 2020, 263

[72] Yguatyara de Luna M, Rodrigues PM, Torres GA, Eufrázio, d. A., Queiroz, M. J., Elaine, M. S., & Alexsandra de Sousa, R. M. A thermogravimetric analysis of biomass wastes from the northeast region of Brazil as fuels for energy recovery. Energy Sources, Part a: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2019, 41(13): 1557-1572

[73] Yu S, Park J, Kim M, Ryu C, Park J. Characterization of biochar and byproducts from slow pyrolysis of hinoki cypress. Bioresource Technology Reports, 2019, 6: 217-222

Funding

MAPRONANO(P151847)