1,721,040 research outputs found
Pure vegetable oil for energy and transports
No full text.Pure Vegetable Oil (PVO) is a 100% renewable fuel obtained from oil crops. PVO can be produced in a distributed manner in rural areas and commercial technologies almost exist for energy and transports, making possible to develop small scale chains, suitable for both industrialised as well as developing countries. The aim of the research work is to investigate over a three-year period the complete PVO chain under Italian conditions, i.e., crop selection, plantation and harvesting, seed drying and storage, oil extraction, cake (coproduct) valorisation and PVO use in small generators, cogenerators, micro gas turbines and greenhouse/school heating systems, supporting experimental work with environmental and socio-economic studies. The aim of the present paper is to present the results obtained at the end of the first year, as regards oil production in both cold decentralised systems and industrial systems, as well testing of the oil in a modified tractor. The PVO produced in the cold press met the current DIN specifications for PVO in engines and the performance of the tractor was very similar to standard tractor
Review on marine plastic pyrolysis oil: Turning pollution into a maritime fuel
Full text linkMarine litter, predominantly plastic waste, represents both an escalating environmental crisis and a potential
resource for sustainable fuel production. This review offers the first comprehensive assessment of using marine
litter as a feedstock for pyrolysis to generate alternative fuels for the maritime sector. Among various litter types,
beach and floating plastics are identified as the most suitable for pyrolysis, given their accessibility and high
plastic content, while seafloor litter presents additional collection and pretreatment challenges. Literature in-
dicates that pyrolysis can yield 45 %–60 % oil from plastic-rich waste, requiring minimal upgrading to meet
marine fuel standards. The resulting marine plastic-derived pyrolysis oil demonstrates high compatibility with
existing maritime infrastructure, allowing for seamless blending with conventional fuels. However, limitations
such as restricted production capacity and the fossil origin of plastic suggest that marine plastic-derived pyrol-
ysis oil should be considered a transitional solution. This work uniquely proposes the integration of pyrolysis
units within port reception facilities as a strategic and efficient approach to manage marine litter and produce
low-carbon maritime fuels. Despite technical and logistical challenges, marine litter pyrolysis shows promising
potential as a complementary pathway for both ocean cleanup and low-carbon fuel transition in the maritime
sector
The biomethane potential for public transport decarbonization in Italian cities
No full textThe transport sector remains heavily reliant on oil products, and it is among those that are considered harder to decarbonize, especially in some specific segments. Considering public transport, there is currently a significant interest in electrifying urban buses, especially for some routes that are well suited for the current characteristics of battery electric buses. However, for some applications, including long-distance buses, biomethane could play an important role in contributing to the decarbonisation of the sector, especially considering the important part of the current fleet in Italy that is already operating on fossil natural gas. This analysis presents a comparison of the potential role of biomethane to support public transport decarbonization in Italy, by estimating CO2 equivalent emissions savings considering the current biogas plants and natural gas buses in Italian cities. An additional evaluation is performed considering the future expected evolution of biomethane production in line with the new Piano Nazionale Integrato per l'Energia e il Clima, that aims to a total production of 5.7 bcm by 2030, as well as the expected 1.5 bcm of biomethane allocated to the transport sector. Within these maximum potential levels, the results of the analysis demonstrate the important savings that can be achieved with biomethane, especially when exploiting specific feedstocks that have a very low impact in terms of well-to-wheels emissions. Biomethane can represent an interesting complement to electric buses, as it can exploit the already existing fleet based on natural gas, and it also shows a number of advantages on routes that are not suitable for electric buses
Assessment of the EU target on renewable energy for transport in the framework of the European vegetable oil sector
No full textModelling lignocellulosic bioethanol from poplar: estimation of the level of process integration, yield and potential for co-products
No full textSustainable bio kerosene: Process routes and industrial demonstration activities in aviation biofuels
No full textAnalisi dei processi per la produzione di biojet e del loro stato tecnologico. Review of biojet production processes, and assessment of their statu
Challenges and opportunities of process modelling renewable advanced fuels
Full text linkThe Paris COP21 held on December 2015 represented a step forward global GHG emission reduction: this led to intensify
research efforts in renewables, including biofuels and bioliquids. However, addressing sustainable biofuels and bioliquid
routes and value chains which can limit or reverse the ILUC (indirect land-use change effect) is of paramount importance.
Given this background condition, the present study targets the analysis and modelling a new integrated biomass conversion
pathway to produce renewable advanced fuels, enabling the issue of indirect land-use change (ILUC) of biofuels to be tackled.
The bioenergy chain under investigation integrates the decentralized production of biogas through anaerobic digestion and
its upgrading to biomethane, followed by a centralized conversion to liquid transport fuels, involving methane reforming
into syngas, Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, and methanol synthesis. The methodology adopted in this work stem from
extensive literature review of suitable bio/thermo-chemical conversion technologies and their process modelling using a
commercial flow-diagram simulation software is carried out. The major significance of the study is to understand the different modelling approaches, to allow the estimation of process yields and mass/energy balances: in such a way, this work
aims at providing guidance to process modellers targeting qualitative and quantitative assessments of biomass to biofuels
process routes. Beyond FT products, additional process pathways have been also explored, such as MeOH synthesis from
captured CO2 and direct methane to methanol synthesis (DMTM). The analysis demonstrated that it is possible to model
such innovative integrated processes through the selected simulation tool. However, research is still needed as regards the
DMTM process, where studies about modelling this route through the same tool have not been yet identified in the literature
Assessment of the feedstock availability for covering EU alternative fuels demand
Full text linkModern economies rely on the efficiency of their transportation sector; however, the environmental impact of the sector remains a growing concern. Among the various proposed solutions, the production and deployment of alternative fuels is a major option. However, concerns exist that the actual availability of sustainable feedstock might lower the current level of ambition. This paper addresses this issue by reviewing recent studies and policy targets, to match forecasts for expected demand and feedstock availability for road, aviation, and maritime sectors in the EU in 2030. The existing literature is fragmented and based on a variety of different approaches, and a consistent assessment of the potential overall demand for transport is still missing. In spite of the challenges posed by the numerous uncertainties, this research provides an estimate of potential European demand for alternative fuels that ranges between 20 and 33 Mtoe. We aimed to answer the question about the availability of sustainable feedstock to cover this potential demand. The analysis confirmed, even under very conservative assumptions, that feedstock may not be the major barrier today. Other issues, such as the feedstock costs, the price volatilities, the existing logistical infrastructures, etc., are relevant aspects contributing to the puzzle. Whilst feedstock is present across European regions, a critical element which requires detailed analysis at the implementation value chain level is the effectiveness of its sustainable mobilisation alongside the synergies and trade-offs that may arise
Review and experimental study on pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae for biofuel production
No full textReview and experimental study on pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae for biofuel productio
Oilseed pressing and vegetable oil properties and upgrading in decentralised small scale plants for biofuel production
No full textInvestigation on cold pressing of oilseed: oil quality vs use as biofue
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