6th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar was held



Biomass Evening  Seminar

On Feb 15, 2013, the 6th Biomass Evening Seminar was held at Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University.

Biomass Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, and HOSTY Association are co-organizing the Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar. This seminar covers topics from the fundamentals of biomass to the latest information so that it can contribute the activities on biomass in this district.





  • Commentary

Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Faculty of Engineering

  • Lecture

Machi KANNA

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering

Fermentation inhibitors are generated from lignocellulosic biomass during the process of hydrothermal pretreatment. These inhibitors negatively affect the rate of cell growth and fermentation. We determined the effect of these fermentation inhibitors on ethanol fermentation and growth. In this study, we discussed about more effective ethanol production.

“Analysis of microorganism function which contributes to the advanced methane fermentation of marine algae”

Takeshi YAMAGUCHI

M2 Student, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter

Methane fermentation using marine algae as feedstock is being developed. However, alginic acid, which is the main component of algae, is not easily digested, and usual microorganism cannot be used. Thus, flora that can digest alginic acid was collected, and mechanism of anaerobic digestion of alginic acid was investigated. In addition, experiment was conducted to get flora which is salt-torrelant so that methane fermentation under high salt concentration is to be realized for the non-dilution treatment of macroalgae.

“Behavior of phosphorus in supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge” (in Japanese)

Yuta UNAMI

B4 student, Faculty of Engineering

(Cluster1: Mechanical System Engineering )

Depletion of high-quality phosphate rock has been concerned in the world. It is necessary to establish a system of phosphorus circulation. Meanwhile, sewage sludge is a waste biomass with high moisture and phosphorus contents, whose generation is increasing year by year, and proper treatment is wanted. With this background, supercritical water gasification has attracted attention as a method of obtaining energy from biomass. For supercritical water gasification, drying step is not necessary because water acts as a reaction medium. It is a suitable technology for gasification of biomass with high water content with recovery of inorganics as solid or liquid. So, recovery of phosphorus by supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge should be promising. Recovery of phosphorus using supercritical water gasification has been reported, but systematic research on the behavior of phosphorus during supercritical water gasification has not been elucidated. In this study, behavior of phosphorus during supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge is reported.

[Inquiries about this article]

Thermal Energy Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering

Y.NAKASHIMA

Mail: y4naka [AT] hiroshima-u.ac.jp

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