Palm-based biomass

Table 3.1 Summary of palm-based biomass conversion technologies...

Palm-based biomass i with flowrate is split into the potential technology j with the flowrate of W and the potential technology g in the CHP with the flowrate of W. ... 

Palm-based biomass i is converted into intermediate k via technology at the production... 

Note that palm-based biomasses i and intermediate k are allowed to bypass technologies j or ] via a blank technology in the circumstances where no technology is required to produce intermediate k or desired palm product q without any conversion. For instance, PKS is carbonised in carbonisation (technology j) to produce PKS charcoal (product q). There is no further conversion (technology j ) and therefore, the material can bypass technology /. 

In the CHP, palm-based biomass i is converted to energy e via technology g at the production rate of with given conversion of Y . The production rate of energy e is given as... 

Table 3.2 Price of palm-based biomass, product and energy...

Ng, D.K.S., Ng, R.T.L. (2013a) Applications of process system engineering in palm-based biomass processing industry. Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, 2(4), 448-454. 

In this case stndy, it is assumed that an investor is interested to implement a new palm BTS which snpplies ntilities such as power, low-pressure steam (LPS), cooling water and chilled water to an existing POM (as shown in Figure 5.3). The raw material (palm-based biomass) for the BTS is purchased from the POM at the costs shown in Table 5.A.I. Meanwhile, the utilities produced by the BTS would be supplied to the POM at the costs given in Table 5.A.2. 

Table 5.1 Lignocellulosic composition of palm-based biomass and price for Cases 1 and 2...

Table 5.5 Palm-based biomass availability based on CPO production...

Table 5,10 Available and consumed palm-based biomass for Cases 1-3...

On the other hand, Table 5.10 shows that the amount of Era, PMF and PKS biomasses utilized in Case 2 are higher than in Cases 1 and 3. Since POME is utilized to generate power in Case 1, less amount of EFB, PMF and PKS would be required to achieve maximum GP. In contrast, Case 2 utilized more of EFB, PMF and PKS biomasses to compensate for not generating power from POME. Besides that. Case 3 utilized much higher amount of PKS biomass than in Cases 1 and 2 due to the low-quality EFB biomass considered. Despite such difference in all three cases, it is noted the available palm-based biomass supply in each season was sufficient for the BTS to be energy self-sustained and to meet the POM demands (shown in Table 5.11). 

Ng, R. T. L. Ng, D. K. S. Appheations of Process System Engineering in Palm-Based Biomass Processing Industry. Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 2013,2,448. 

Bio-based fuel with multiple improved properties is designed from palm-based biomass. It is aware that biofuel is a mixture of different hydrocarbons. For the ease of illustration, the biofuel is targeted and designed as a single-component biofuel. 

Once the optimal product is designed, the optimal conversion pathways that convert biomass into the bio-based fuel are identified in the second stage of the methodology. In this case study, palm-based biomass known as empty fruit bunches (EFB) is chosen as feedstock of the integrated biorefinery. The lignocellulosic composition of the EFB is shown in Table 11.9. 

Also at Palm Springs, two papers by the Methanol Fuel Cell Alliance (Ballard/BASF/BPAmoco/Daimler Chrysler/Methanex/Statoil) and the Methanol Institute, respectively, portray the existing substantial methanol production, distribution and trading based on natural gas reform/synthesis gas/methanol, as in the Methanex Canada plant. Methanol from biomass is a future possibility. A methanol pump can be fitted within the footprint of many existing diesel/gasoline filling stations, and an Identic refuelling nozzle has been developed in Sweden, to avoid confusion between methanol and alternative fuels. 

From the annual report [2], Malaysia produced about 21.63 million cubic meters of oil palm biomass, including trunks, fronds, and empty fruit bunches. This figure is expected to increase substantially when the total planted hectarage of oil palm in Malaysia will reach 5.10 million hectares in 2020. The total oil palm planted area in Malaysia has expanded from merely 1.7 million hectares in 1990 to 3.37 million hectares in 2002 and to 4.3 million hectares in 2006 [2]. The annual availability of OPS is estimated to be around 13.6 million logs based on 100000 hectares of replanting each year [3]. Under controlled processing conditions, this amount of OPS could be converted into approximately 4.5 million m of plywood each year. 

Counterbalancing the fossil-based raw materials, in 2005, the world produced 180,000 million metric tons of biomass, of which only 67 million metric tons was used as a commercial source of energy. In the same year, the world harvested -115 million metric tons of vegetable oils, of which -80,15, and 5% was consumed for food, chemical products, and animal feed, respectively. A significant portion of the 15% for chemical use included 7.5 million metric tons of high-lauric content coconut and palm kernel oil, approximately half of which is converted into fatty acids for bar soaps, and the other half consumed in the manufacture of detergent grade alcohols used in surfactant production. ... 

Thiam, L. C., Bhatia, S. Catalytic processes towards the production of biofuels in a palm oil and oil palm biomass-based biorelineiy. Bioresource Technology 2008,99,7911-7922. 

To illustrate this approach, a case study is presented based on lignocellulosic biomass generated from a palm oil mill (POM). In this case study, the optimal BTS configuration is synthesized and analysed based on variations in biomass supply and energy demand. 

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