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. The 78th seminar will be held as follows. Please join.

Monday, 7 October 2019, 16:20-17:50

Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

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Commentary and Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA
Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

◆Lecture: ​Puji Rahmawati NURCAHYANI
D3, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Kinetic rate of microalgae decomposition in supercritical water gasification.”
Biomass is a renewable source for gaining energy. Microalgae, a unicellular photosynthetic biomass, was introduced as biooil energy sources, but its potential to produce gaseous energy source under supercritical water gasification needs to be clarified. We examined the decomposition of microalgae in water at 600 °C, 25 MPa with continuous reactor system. Results showed that liquid product was the main product besides of gas. We found char and tar as well. We developed a model with assumption that reactions taking place are first order reactions except the tarry material production that was expressed as second order reaction. The reaction rate of each reaction in the model was determined. 

◆Lecture: ​Yoshiyasu ITO
B4, School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Supercritical water gasification on high concentration model compound of woody biomass”
Consider the use of biomass, the influence of supercritical water gasification was investigated using a mixed aqueous solution of glucose, xylose and guaiacol as a model compound of woody biomass. In previous studies, concentrations of glucose, xylose and guaiacol were performed at 0.1 wt%. However, at 0.1 wt%, the concentration was low and the practicality was lacking. Therefore, in this study, the influence of supercritical water gasification is studied using mixed aqueous solution with a concentration of 5 wt%.

◆Lecture: ​Hiroshi YOSHIOKA
M1, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Research on pretreatment of bamboo”
Today, global warming caused by fossil fuel is a problem all over the world. Therefore, biomass is attracting attention. Bamboo is attracting even in its biomass. Bamboo is abundant in Japan. And bamboo’s growth is so fast. So if it can be used as biomass, it has the potential to be a great energy source. However, there is a problem when bamboo is burned as biomass. That is generating clinker. Clinker is generated when potassium of bamboo is burned. This clinker stick boiler’s wall, and cause corrosion of boiler. So, we need to remove potassium of bamboo for using as biomass resources. I thought supercritical methanol is effectiveness for pretreatment of bamboo. Because, I thought bamboo’s potassium is eluted by supercritical methanol. The experiments are carried out using supercritical methanol in this pretreatment for the first time. For that reason, I investigated the behavior of bamboo’s potassium by using supercritical methanol. I treated bamboo with methanol and then studied the proportions of inorganic and organic material. Finally, I understood effect of methanol treatment.

◆Lecture: ​Yuta HIROSE
M1, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“ The possibility of pellet stove improvement. ”
Pellet stove use wood pellet as fuel. The wood pellet is made from sawdust which occurs when making wooden products. So wood pellet is carbon neutral and important to solve the environmental problem such as depletion of fossil fuel and global warming. Therefore it is good idea to use pellet stove instead of devices which use fossil fuels as fuel. However, pellet stove have some problems to use instead of them. For example, the exhaust gas from pellet stove contains much heating value, soot, CO2, CO and some gas which harmful for human health. So it is important to improve these problems. In this research, we considered about mass balance and energy balance. In addition, we researched about soot which contained exhaust gas from pellet stove.

We will hold the discussion meeting from 18:00 (800 JPY needed). Join this meeting, too if you are available.