Junhu Zhou

Sulfur removal at high température during coal combustion in furnaces: a review

This paper focuses on sulfur removal technologies in industrial grate furnaces (IGF) and pulverized coal fired boilers (PCFB) with high flame temperature of 1200–1600 °C. The SO2 reduction without sorbents during coal combustion, thermal stabilities of sulfation products, kinetics of sulfur retention reactions of sorbents, desulfurization processes, and sulfur removal under unconventional atmospheres at high temperature are reviewed. It is proposed that some powdered minerals or industrial wastes with effective metal components may be used as sorbents for sulfur removal to promote cost effectiveness. Because the main reason that results in low desulfurization efficiencies in IGF and PCFB is the thermal decomposition of the conventional sulfation product CaSO4 above 1200 °C, it is key to explore new sulfation products that are thermally stable at high temperatures. It is also necessary to study the kinetic catalysis of alkali and transitional metal compounds on sulfation reactions under the combustion conditions of IGF and PCFB. The two-stage desulfurization process, in which SO2 is captured by sorbents both in the coal bed and the combustion gas, is promising for IGF, especially with the humidification of flue gas in a water-film dust catcher. The staged desulfurization process combined with air-staged combustion, in which sorbents are injected into the primary air field and upper furnace to capture SO2 under reducing and oxidizing atmospheres, is promising for PCFB. Flue gas recirculation is also an effective desulfurization process under O2/CO2 conditions and can give a high desulfurization efficiency of about 80% in furnaces.

Mutate Chlorella sp. by nuclear irradiation to fix high concentrations of CO2

To improve biomass productivity and CO2 fixation of microalgae under 15% (v/v) CO2 of flue gas, Chlorella species were mutated by nuclear irradiation and domesticated with high concentrations of CO2. The biomass yield of Chlorella pyrenoidosa mutated using 500 Gy of (60)Co γ irradiation increased by 53.1% (to 1.12 g L(-1)) under air bubbling. The mutants were domesticated with gradually increased high concentrations of CO2 [from 0.038% (v/v) to 15% (v/v)], which increased the biomass yield to 2.41 g L(-1). When light transmission and culture mixing in photo-bioreactors were enhanced at 15% (v/v) CO2, the peak growth rate of the domesticated mutant (named Chlorella PY-ZU1) was increased to 0.68 g L(-1) d(-1). When the ratio of gas flow rate (L min(-1)) to 1L of microalgae culture was 0.011, the peak CO2 fixation rate and the efficiency of Chlorella PY-ZU1 were 1.54 g L(-1) d(-1) and 32.7%, respectively.

Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 into chemicals using Pt-modified reduced graphene oxide combined with Pt-modified TiO2 nanotubes.

The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reduction of CO2 into high-value chemicals is beneficial in alleviating global warming and advancing a low-carbon economy. In this work, Pt-modified reduced graphene oxide (Pt-RGO) and Pt-modified TiO2 nanotubes (Pt-TNT) were combined as cathode and photoanode catalysts, respectively, to form a PEC reactor for converting CO2 into valuable chemicals. XRD, XPS, TEM, AFM, and SEM were employed to characterize the microstructures of the Pt-RGO and Pt-TNT catalysts. Reduction products, such as C2H5OH and CH3COOH, were obtained from CO2 under band gap illumination and biased voltage. A combined liquid product generation rate (CH3OH, C2H5OH, HCOOH, and CH3COOH) of approximately 600 nmol/(h·cm(2)) was observed. Carbon atom conversion rate reached 1,130 nmol/(h·cm(2)), which were much higher than those achieved using Pt-modified carbon nanotubes and platinum carbon as cathode catalysts.

Improving CO2 fixation efficiency by optimizing Chlorella PY-ZU1 culture conditions in sequential bioreactors.

To fix CO2 emissions efficiently from flue gas of coal-fired power plants, the culture medium, light intensity and bioreactors were comprehensively optimized in the process of CO2 fixation by Chlorella PY-ZU1. To make up for relative insufficiency of nutrients (except for the carbon source) resulting from continuous bubbling of 15% CO2, three chemicals were added into the culture to optimize the molar ratios of nitrogen to carbon, phosphorus to carbon, and magnesium to carbon in culture from 0.17 to 0.69, from 0.093 to 0.096, and from 0.018 to 0.030, respectively. Such adjustments led to a 1.25-fold increase in biomass (from 2.41 to 5.42 g L(-1)). By enhancing light intensity from 4500 to 6000 lux, the peak growth rate of Chlorella PY-ZU1 increased by 99% and reached to 0.95 g L(-1) day(-1). Use of a multi-stage sequential bioreactor notably improved the peak CO2 fixation efficiency to 85.6%.

Using wet microalgae for direct biodiesel production via microwave irradiation.

To address the large energy consumption of microalgae dewatering and to simplify the conventional two-step method (cellular lipid extraction and lipid transesterification) for biodiesel production, a novel process for the direct conversion of wet microalgae biomass into biodiesel by microwave irradiation is proposed. The influences of conventional thermal heating and microwave irradiation on biodiesel production from wet microalgae biomass were investigated. The effects of using the one-step (simultaneous lipid extraction and transesterification) and two-step methods were also studied. Approximately 77.5% of the wet microalgal cell walls were disrupted under microwave irradiation. The biodiesel production rate and yield from wet microalgae biomass obtained through the one-step process using microwave irradiation were 6-fold and 1.3-fold higher than those from wet microalgae obtained through the two-step process using conventional heating.

Biodiesel from wet microalgae: Extraction with hexane after the microwave-assisted transesterification of lipids

A chloroform-free novel process for the efficient production of biodiesel from wet microalgae is proposed. Crude biodiesel is produced through extraction with hexane after microwave-assisted transesterification (EHMT) of lipids in wet microalgae. Effects of different parameters, including reaction temperature, reaction time, methanol dosage, and catalyst dosage, on fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs) yield are investigated. The yield of FAME extracted into the hexane from the wet microalgae is increased 6-fold after the transesterification of lipids. The yield of FAME obtained through EHMT of lipids in wet microalgae is comparable to that obtained through direct transesterification of dried microalgae biomass with chloroform; however, FAME content in crude biodiesel obtained through EHMT is 86.74%, while that in crude biodiesel obtained through the chloroform-based process is 75.93%. EHMT ensures that polar pigments present in microalgae are not extracted into crude biodiesel, which leads to a 50% reduction in nitrogen content in crude biodiesel.

Characterisation of water hyacinth with microwave-heated alkali pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic digestibility and hydrogen/methane fermentation.

Microwave-heated alkali pretreatment (MAP) was investigated to improve enzymatic digestibility and H2/CH4 production from water hyacinth. SEM revealed that MAP deconstructed the lignocellulose matrix and swelled the surfaces of water hyacinth. XRD indicated that MAP decreased the crystallinity index from 16.0 to 13.0 because of cellulose amorphisation. FTIR indicated that MAP effectively destroyed the lignin structure and disrupted the crystalline cellulose to reduce crystallinity. The reducing sugar yield of 0.296 g/gTVS was achieved at optimal hydrolysis conditions (microwave temperature = 190°C, time = 10 min, and cellulase dosage = 5 wt%). The sequentially fermentative hydrogen and methane yields from water hyacinth with MAP and enzymatic hydrolysis were increased to 63.9 and 172.5 mL/gTVS, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (40.0%) in the two-stage hydrogen and methane cogeneration was lower than that (49.5%) in the one-stage methane production (237.4 mL/gTVS) from water hyacinth with MAP and enzymatic hydrolysis.

Biodiesel production from lipids in wet microalgae with microwave irradiation and bio-crude production from algal residue through hydrothermal liquefaction

A cogeneration process of biodiesel and bio-crude was proposed to make full use of wet microalgae biomass. High-grade biodiesel was first produced from lipids in wet microalgae through extraction and transesterification with microwave irradiation. Then, low-grade bio-crude was produced from proteins and carbohydrates in the algal residue through hydrothermal liquefaction. The total yield (40.19%) and the total energy recovery (67.73%) of the cogenerated biodiesel and bio-crude were almost equal to those of the bio-oil obtained from raw microalgae through direct hydrothermal liquefaction. Upon microwave irradiation, proteins were partially hydrolyzed and the hydrolysates were apt for deaminization under the hydrothermal condition of the algal residue. Hence, the total remaining nitrogen (16.02%) in the cogenerated biodiesel and bio-crude was lower than that (27.06%) in the bio-oil. The cogeneration process prevented lipids and proteins from reacting to produce low-grade amides and other long-chain nitrogen compounds during the direct hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae.

Comparison in dark hydrogen fermentation followed by photo hydrogen fermentation and methanogenesis between protein and carbohydrate compositions in Nannochloropsis oceanica biomass

The thermodynamic comparison in dark fermentation between amino acids and reducing sugars released from Nannochloropsis oceanica biomass are investigated for the first time. The total utilisation efficiencies of amino acids and reducing sugars are both about 95% in dark fermentation. But the consumption time of most amino acids is about 2 times as long as that of most reducing sugars in dark fermentation. A three-stage method comprising dark fermentation, photofermentation and methanogenesis is proposed to improve hydrogen and energy yields from N. oceanica biomass. Overall, the maximum hydrogen yield of 183.9 ml/g-total volatile solids (TVS) and the methane yield of 161.3 ml/g-TVS are achieved from N. oceanica biomass through the three-stage method. The total energy yield of hydrogen and methane from microalgae biomass through the three-stage method is 1.7 and 1.3 times higher than those through the two-stage (dark fermentation and methanogenesis) and single-stage (methanogenesis) methods, respectively.

Improvement of the energy conversion efficiency of Chlorella pyrenoidosa biomass by a three-stage process comprising dark fermentation, photofermentation, and methanogenesis.

The effects of pre-treatment methods on saccharification and hydrogen fermentation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa biomass were investigated. When raw biomass and biomass pre-treated by steam heating, by microwave heating, and by ultrasonication were used as feedstock, the hydrogen yields were only 8.8-12.7 ml/g total volatile solids (TVS) during dark fermentation. When biomass was pre-treated by steam heating with diluted acid and by microwave heating with diluted acid, the dark hydrogen yields significantly increased to 75.6 ml/g TVS and 83.3 ml/g TVS, respectively. Steam heating with diluted acid is the preferred pre-treatment method of C. pyrenoidosa biomass to improve hydrogen yield during dark fermentation and photofermentation, which is followed by methanogenesis to increase energy conversion efficiency (ECE). A total hydrogen yield of 198.3 ml/g TVS and a methane yield of 186.2 ml/g TVS corresponding to an overall ECE of 34.0% were obtained through the three-stage process (dark fermentation, photofermentation, and methanogenesis).