Editorial Board
text
article
2017
eng
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53472_43add8382b2ee05291b036bc4054b6ba.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.1
Biofuels and green chemistry - a common journey ahead
Luigi
Vaccaro
Laboratory of Green Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy
author
text
article
2017
eng
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
713
714
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53473_f555bfabbe63790a0bfe497045f87ec8.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.2
Anaerobic treatment of agro-industrial wastewaters for COD removal in expanded granular sludge bed bioreactor
Abumalé
Cruz-Salomón
Facultad de Ingeniería. Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas. Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150. Lajas Maciel, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29039, Chiapas, México.
author
Edna
Ríos-Valdovinos
Facultad de Ingeniería. Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas. Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150. Lajas Maciel, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29039, Chiapas, México.
author
Francisco
Pola-Albores
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Energías Renovables, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150, Lajas Maciel, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29039, Chiapas, México.
author
Rocío
Meza-Gordillo
Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Carretera Panamericana Km 1080, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29050, Chiapas, México.
author
Selene
Lagunas-Rivera
Catedrática CONACYT, Tecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Carretera Panamericana Km 1080, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29050, Chiapas, México.
author
Víctor M.
Ruíz-Valdiviezo
Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México-Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Carretera Panamericana Km 1080, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, C.P. 29050, Chiapas, México.
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text
article
2017
eng
Untreated agro-industrial wastewaters are undesirable in the aquatic environment due to the presence of high organic matter contents. However, they may constitute a large potential for biogas production. The present investigation is focused on three laboratory-scale anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) bioreactors, continuously operated for 60 d under mesophilic condition with the aim of exploring the feasibility of treating three most significant agro-industrial wastewaters in Chiapas, Mexico (i.e., cheese whey, vinasse, and coffee-processing wastewater). The EGSB bioreactors were operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 d under stable conditions (i.e., buffer index (BI) of 0.31, 0.34, and 0.03), generating a maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 91, 74, and 96% with an average methane production of 340, 245, and 300 mL/g COD∙d for cheese whey, vinasse, and coffee-processing wastewater, respectively. According to the obtained results, the EGSB bioreactors could be a sustainable alternative to simultaneously solve the environmental problems and to produce bioenergy.
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
715
720
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53196_b6fdebf721c7ebed200cd33b3d01c3f6.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.3
Optimization of biofuel production from corn stover under supply uncertainty in Ontario
Jonathan
Ranisau
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
author
Emmanuel
Ogbe
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
author
Aaron
Traino
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
author
Mohammed
Barbouti
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
author
Mohamed
Elsholkami
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
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Ali
Elkamel
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
author
Michael
Fowler
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
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text
article
2017
eng
In this paper, a biofuel production supply chain optimization framework is developed that can supply the fuel demand for 10% of Ontario. Different biomass conversion technologies are considered, such as pyrolysis and gasification and subsequent hydro processing and the Fischer-Tropsch process. A supply chain network approach is used for the modeling, which enables the optimization of both the biorefinery locations and the associated transportation networks. Gasification of corn stover is examined to convert waste biomass into valuable fuel. Biomass-derived fuel has several advantages over traditional fuels including substantial greenhouse gas reduction, generating higher quality synthetic fuels, providing a use for biomass waste, and potential for use without much change to existing infrastructure. The objective of this work is to show the feasibility of the use of corn stover as a biomass feedstock to a hydrocarbon biofuel supply chain in Ontario using a mixed-integer linear programming model while accounting for the uncertainty in the availability of corn stover. In the case study, the exact number of biorefineries is left as a policy decision and the optimization is carried out over a range of the possible numbers of facilities. The results obtained from the case study suggests implementing gasification technology followed by Fischer-Tropsch at two different sites in Ontario. The optimal solution satisfied 10% of the yearly fuel demand of Ontario with two production plants (14.8 billion L of fuel) and requires an investment of $42.9 billion, with a payback period of about 3 years.
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
721
729
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53197_572960497a18b4148720e6db5fafe1a9.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.4
Modern microbial solid state fermentation technology for future biorefineries for the production of added-value products
Musaalbakri
Abdul Manan
Enzyme and Fermentation Technology Programme, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Persiaran MARDI – UPM, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Malaysia.
author
Colin
Webb
School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
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text
article
2017
eng
The promise of industrial biotechnology has been around since Chaim Weizmann developed acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation at the University of Manchester in 1917 and the prospects nowadays look brighter than ever. Today’s biorefinery technologies would be almost unthinkable without biotechnology. This is a growing trend and biorefineries have also increased in importance in agriculture and the food industry. Novel biorefinery processes using solid state fermentation (SSF) technology have been developed as alternative to conventional processing routes, leading to the production of added-value products from agriculture and food industry raw materials. SSF involves the growth of microorganisms on moist solid substrate in the absence of free-flowing water. Future biorefineries based on SSF aim to exploit the vast complexity of the technology to modify biomass produced by agriculture and the food industry for valuable by-products through microbial bioconversion. In this review, a summary has been made of the attempts at using modern microbial SSF technology for future biorefineries for the production of many added-value products ranging from feedstock for the fermentation process and biodegradable plastics to fuels and chemicals.
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
730
740
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53201_9ba0329fa9e86e280d9647076a03c068.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.5
A review on prospects and challenges of biological H2S removal from biogas with focus on biotrickling filtration and microaerobic desulfurization
Benyamin
Khoshnevisan
Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
author
Panagiotis
Tsapekos
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark.
author
Natalia
Alfaro
Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n,47011 Valladolid, Spain.
author
Israel
Díaz
Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n,47011 Valladolid, Spain.
author
María
Fdz-Polanco
Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n,47011 Valladolid, Spain.
author
Shahin
Rafiee
Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
author
Irini
Angelidaki
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark.
author
text
article
2017
eng
The production of biogas from sulfate-rich materials under anaerobic digestion results in the formation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The recommended level of H2S in the produced biogas for direct combustion purposes is in the range of 0.02 to 0.05% w/w (200 to 500 ppm), therefore, desulfurization is required to avoid damages to combustion equipment and prevent the formation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) which is an acid rain precursor. It has been well documented that physical, thermal, and chemical desulfurization approaches suffer from high operation costs as well as waste production needing to be disposed of. Accordingly, a great deal of efforts has been put into biological methods because of being more environmentally friendly and more economically advantageous in comparison with the other techniques. Biotrickling filtration (BTF) and microaerobic desulfurization have shown a high potential for H2S removal at pilot- and large-scale plants. Despite all the progress made and the promising aspects keeping these methods at the core of interest, there are still challenges to be addressed. The present article attempts to briefly review and discuss the challenges and future prospects of BTF and microaerobic desulfurization.
Biofuel Research Journal
Alpha Creation Enterprise
2292-8782
4
v.
4
no.
2017
741
750
https://www.biofueljournal.com/article_53413_998256bb6798c8c3ce735118624f844a.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2017.4.4.6