Daniel Saloni

Technical and Economic Modeling for the Production of Torrefied Lignocellulosic Biomass for the U.S. Densified Fuel Industry

During recent years, a renovated interest in the pre-treatment of biomass through torrefaction has led to several proposals on industrial-scale application of the technology. Torrefaction holds promising characteristics for obtaining a high-energy yield biomass for further processing, including densified biofuels such as pellets and briquettes, at low overall costs, low energy input, and high capacity and availability for the near future, having the capability of displacing coal in power facilities. Despite many efforts in developing the technology at an industrial scale, very few manufacturers and companies are offering torrefied machinery and lignocellulosic torrefied biomass. Furthermore, information about the actual profitability of the business, sensitivity, and costs of torrefied biomass are very scarce and are limited to very focused studies in some areas of the production, but not in the overall supply chain, and manufacturing processes. This study aimed to develop and validate a technical and economic model for the production of lignocellulosic torrefied biomass for its utilization in the solid biofuels industry, with a focus on production and delivered costs for U.S. potential manufacturers. This model also includes analysis of important variables affecting production, such as biomass delivered costs, capital expenditure (CAPEX), and technology availability. Results indicate that the production of torrefied lignocellulosic biomass can be profitable for U.S. manufacturers, subject to a high sensitivity on biomass cost, CAPEX, and technology affordability for large-scale production. Other sensitive facts include carbon credits scenarios, which may influence profitability based on analyses of net present value and internal rate of return for the manufacturing facility.

Capillary flooding of wood with microemulsions from Winsor I systems

A new approach based on microemulsions formulated with at least 85% water and minority components consisting of oil (limonene) and surfactant (anionic and nonionic) is demonstrated for the first time to be effective for flooding woods complex capillary structure. The formulation of the microemulsion was based on phase behavior scans of Surfactant-Oil-Water systems (SOWs) and the construction of pseudo-ternary diagrams to localize thermodynamically stable one-phase emulsion systems with different composition, salinity and water-to-oil ratios. Wicking and fluid penetration isotherms followed different kinetic regimes and indicated enhanced performance relative to that of the base fluids (water, oil or surfactant solutions). The key properties of microemulsions to effectively penetrate the solid structure are discussed; microemulsion formulation and resultant viscosity are found to have a determining effect in the extent of fluid uptake. The solubilization of cell wall components is observed after microemulsion impregnation. Thus, the microemulsion can be tuned not only to effectively penetrate the void spaces but also to solubilize hydrophobic and hydrophilic components. The concept proposed in this research is expected to open opportunities in fluid sorption in fiber systems for biomass pretreatment, and delivery of hydrophilic or lipophilic moieties in porous, lignocellulosics.

Process Monitoring Evaluation and Implementation for the Wood Abrasive Machining Process

Wood processing industries have continuously developed and improved technologies and processes to transform wood to obtain better final product quality and thus increase profits. Abrasive machining is one of the most important of these processes and therefore merits special attention and study. The objective of this work was to evaluate and demonstrate a process monitoring system for use in the abrasive machining of wood and wood based products. The system developed increases the life of the belt by detecting (using process monitoring sensors) and removing (by cleaning) the abrasive loading during the machining process. This study focused on abrasive belt machining processes and included substantial background work, which provided a solid base for understanding the behavior of the abrasive, and the different ways that the abrasive machining process can be monitored. In addition, the background research showed that abrasive belts can effectively be cleaned by the appropriate cleaning technique. The process monitoring system developed included acoustic emission sensors which tended to be sensitive to belt wear, as well as platen vibration, but not loading, and optical sensors which were sensitive to abrasive loading.

Tool Wear When Cutting Wood Fiber–Plastic Composite Materials

Wood fiber–plastic composite materials, a relatively new material, are finding applications mainly in the US residential and commercial construction markets. Thus, the volume of material produced and used is steadily increasing while the range of applications keeps expanding. So far, attention has been paid mainly to primary production processes of wood fiber–plastic materials, while secondary manufacturing processes have attracted less attention. However, with the broadening applications of such materials and their increasing use, secondary manufacturing processes for wood fiber–plastic materials are gaining importance. This study investigated the performance of five commercially available wood fiber–plastic composite materials and solid wood (eastern white pine) with respect to tool wear and resulting material surface roughness. Large performance differences between different wood fiber–plastic composite materials and between solid wood and wood fiber–plastic composite materials with respect to tool wea...

Lean manufacturing in the US South Atlantic Region: an overview of the current state of implementation in the secondary wood industry

Abstract The US secondary wood industry has been facing tough market conditions. Companies believe that business will continue to be hampered by falling profits, consumers and employment throughout all 2010–2011. These market conditions are not a recent event; it has been a challenging market for over two decades. Secondary wood industries have had to change its status quo to be able to retain market share and stay in business. Proposed changes for the secondary wood industry include lean manufacturing implementation. This research studied the current state of lean manufacturing implementation in the US South Atlantic Region by means of an online survey. Results indicated that lean manufacturing is perceived as an excellent philosophy for making the secondary wood industry more competitive and it has an important implementation potential. Differences between diverse industry segments on the triggers and resources that lead to implementing lean manufacturing were also found.

Evaluation of O/W microemulsions to penetrate the capillary structure of woody biomass: interplay between composition and formulation in green processing

The ability of microemulsions to overcome the complex capillary structure of wood is revealed in relation to its composition and formulation. The oil phase (limonene in this study) of O/W microemulsions is found to be critical for effective flooding. The type of amphiphile molecule used, including sodium lignosulfonate and alkyl polyglucosides as well as reference sodium dodecylsulfate and silicone-based surfactants, together with the viscosity of the resulting microemulsions were the main factors determining the dynamics and extent of fluid penetration. The associated observations were ascribed to the balance of the affinities of the surfactants for the substrate and its conductive elements. Owing to the inherent morphological and chemical features, large differences were observed as far as impregnation susceptibility of different wood types is concerned. By using appropriate surfactant mixtures it was possible for the microemulsions to penetrate the most recalcitrant woody biomass studied, with efficiencies up to 83% higher than that of water, at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Application of microemulsions is a new alternative for green and efficient pre-treatment of woody biomass in biorefineries, to deliver (bio)chemical functions to the constrained spaces of the cell wall and to increase its accessibility.

Evaluation of the energy balance for the production of briquettes from biomass.

Wood densification consists of processing wood by-products such as sawdust and chips into uniformly sized particles that are compressed into wood-based fuel products (pellets and briquettes). The main advantages are related to handling improvements of residual wood and energy generation opportunities when compared with wood chips from other forms of wood residues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the energy balance for production of briquettes from wood residues. This research involved determining the energy consumption required to perform the main manufacturing operations to produce wood briquettes: size reduction, drying, and densification of wood. The amount of energy that can be obtained from the combustion of wood briquettes was also measured. The effects of several factors such as wood species, material dimensions, and raw material moisture content on the energy requirements for manufacturing briquettes were studied. Four densification strategies were evaluated from an energy consumption ...

Improving Housing Conditions from the Crawl Space up with a Monitoring and Control System

Abstract Housing issues constitute a growing research area due to changes of building features and the use of technologically advanced material and devices in homes. Thus, housing-related research needs to be conducted in order to improve the living conditions in houses. This research explored the interactions of temperature and relative humidity in three contiguous housing environments (indoor, outdoor, and crawl spaces) to analyze and evaluate common housing issues. To achieve this goal, the design, development, and verification of a Housing Elements Research Chamber (HERC) by means of a monitoring and control system was tested. The monitoring and control system used sensors to continuously monitor temperature and relative humidity under different conditions. This study used the HERC to simulate housing conditions within the crawl space in order to determine the appropriateness of using different moisture-removal methods to improve housing conditions. Results showed that the use of temperature and relative humidity sensors as part of a monitoring and control system provided adequate tools to study the climate interactions between different environments in a house. Furthermore, findings indicated that the use of multiple moisture-removal methods is a desired solution to improve housing conditions.