Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102368
Xiao-Yu Zhang , Wen-Lin Li , Zhi-Hao Ma , Sheng Li , Wei-Wei Yan , Li Li , Xing-Shun Cong , Xian-Yong Wei , Zhi-Xin Li
The reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction represents a critical pathway for CO2 valorization into syngas for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and renewable energy storage. Although Co-based catalysts offer an economical and efficient solution, their application is affected by CO2 methanation reaction and carbon deposition, resulting in limitations that are difficult to balance between activity, selectivity and stability. This work provides an effective approach to enhance the RWGS reaction performance over Co-based supported catalysts through Y2O3 morphology engineering (nanoplates/NP, nanorods/NR, nanospheres/NS). Remarkably, Co/Y2O3-NR catalyst demonstrates exceptional, CO2 conversion (57.1 %), CO selectivity (99.3 %) and stability compared to Co/Y2O3-NP and Co/Y2O3-NS catalysts at 600 °C. Systematic characterization reveals that Y2O3-NR exhibits optimal Co dispersion, moderate metal-support interaction and preferential CO2 adsorption, resulting in its outstanding catalytic activity. Crucially, spatially segregated carbon deposition preserves active sites across Co/Y2O3 catalysts, enhancing the catalytic stability. These findings establish Y2O3 morphology engineering as an exemplary support material and provide mechanistic insights for designing high-performance Co-based supported catalysts in RWGS reaction via morphological engineering.
{"title":"Morphology engineering of support oxides boosted the catalytic performance over Co/Y2O3 catalysts in reverse water-gas shift reaction","authors":"Xiao-Yu Zhang , Wen-Lin Li , Zhi-Hao Ma , Sheng Li , Wei-Wei Yan , Li Li , Xing-Shun Cong , Xian-Yong Wei , Zhi-Xin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102368","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102368","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction represents a critical pathway for CO<sub>2</sub> valorization into syngas for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and renewable energy storage. Although Co-based catalysts offer an economical and efficient solution, their application is affected by CO<sub>2</sub> methanation reaction and carbon deposition, resulting in limitations that are difficult to balance between activity, selectivity and stability. This work provides an effective approach to enhance the RWGS reaction performance over Co-based supported catalysts through Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> morphology engineering (nanoplates/NP, nanorods/NR, nanospheres/NS). Remarkably, Co/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-NR catalyst demonstrates exceptional, CO<sub>2</sub> conversion (57.1 %), CO selectivity (99.3 %) and stability compared to Co/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-NP and Co/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-NS catalysts at 600 °C. Systematic characterization reveals that Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-NR exhibits optimal Co dispersion, moderate metal-support interaction and preferential CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption, resulting in its outstanding catalytic activity. Crucially, spatially segregated carbon deposition preserves active sites across Co/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> catalysts, enhancing the catalytic stability. These findings establish Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> morphology engineering as an exemplary support material and provide mechanistic insights for designing high-performance Co-based supported catalysts in RWGS reaction <em>via</em> morphological engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102368"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102362
Jiawei Wu , Zhiwei Wang , Na Guo , Mengju Zhang , Zaifeng Li , Shuhua Yang , Tingzhou Lei
The catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste is one of highly effective approaches for the production of hydrocarbons. However, the yield of hydrocarbons is still very low. The combination of CaO and ZSM-5 can improve the quality of hydrocarbon fuels. CaO/ZSM-5 catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method. Material characterizations such as FTIR, XRD and SEM were carried out to examine the CaO/ZSM-5 catalyst. Catalytic co-pyrolysis experiments were conducted on pinewood and polypropylene (PP) using Py-GC/MS. The pyrolysis temperature was 500–700 °C. The sample mass was 0.1 ± 0.01 mg. During the pyrolysis of pinewood alone, the addition of CaO increased the yields of aldehydes, ketones, furans, aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and decreased the yields of phenols, esters, acids, alcohols and N-compounds compared with that without catalysts. The addition of ZSM-5 decreased the yield of phenols and increased the yield of aromatic hydrocarbons. CaO/ZSM-5 can increase the yield of hydrocarbons, the order of influencing factors from high to low on hydrocarbons production was blend ratio of CaO to ZSM-5 > temperature > reaction time > blend ratio of raw material to catalyst. With the sufficient CaO loading, oxygen-containing compounds can be converted into to hydrocarbons. The yield of aliphatic hydrocarbon first increased and then decreased with the increasing of CaO loading. When pinewood: PP: CaO/ZSM-5 = 1:1:5, the highest yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons were 90.91 % and 5.05 %. It can reduce the discarding of plastic and the burning of biomass. These results provide some practical insights on hydrocarbons production from mixtures of pinewood and polypropylene using co-pyrolysis technology. The composition of liquid phase products in the co-pyrolysis of Pinewood and PP is relatively complex. How to efficiently separate and purify the high value-added chemicals and fuels is a research direction for the next step.
{"title":"Towards enhanced hydrocarbons from catalytic co-pyrolysis of pinewood and polypropylene with CaO/ZSM-5","authors":"Jiawei Wu , Zhiwei Wang , Na Guo , Mengju Zhang , Zaifeng Li , Shuhua Yang , Tingzhou Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102362","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste is one of highly effective approaches for the production of hydrocarbons. However, the yield of hydrocarbons is still very low. The combination of CaO and ZSM-5 can improve the quality of hydrocarbon fuels. CaO/ZSM-5 catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method. Material characterizations such as FTIR, XRD and SEM were carried out to examine the CaO/ZSM-5 catalyst. Catalytic co-pyrolysis experiments were conducted on pinewood and polypropylene (PP) using Py-GC/MS. The pyrolysis temperature was 500–700 °C. The sample mass was 0.1 ± 0.01 mg. During the pyrolysis of pinewood alone, the addition of CaO increased the yields of aldehydes, ketones, furans, aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and decreased the yields of phenols, esters, acids, alcohols and N-compounds compared with that without catalysts. The addition of ZSM-5 decreased the yield of phenols and increased the yield of aromatic hydrocarbons. CaO/ZSM-5 can increase the yield of hydrocarbons, the order of influencing factors from high to low on hydrocarbons production was blend ratio of CaO to ZSM-5 > temperature > reaction time > blend ratio of raw material to catalyst. With the sufficient CaO loading, oxygen-containing compounds can be converted into to hydrocarbons. The yield of aliphatic hydrocarbon first increased and then decreased with the increasing of CaO loading. When pinewood: PP: CaO/ZSM-5 = 1:1:5, the highest yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons were 90.91 % and 5.05 %. It can reduce the discarding of plastic and the burning of biomass. These results provide some practical insights on hydrocarbons production from mixtures of pinewood and polypropylene using co-pyrolysis technology. The composition of liquid phase products in the co-pyrolysis of Pinewood and PP is relatively complex. How to efficiently separate and purify the high value-added chemicals and fuels is a research direction for the next step.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102362"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The investigation of low-energy consumption and environmentally friendly solid adsorbents has emerged as one of the key research directions for carbon capture. This study demonstrates the successful development of a structurally tunable “three-level" lignin-based hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) material, featuring ultra-micro, micro-, and mesoporous structures, for efficient CO2 capture. Subsequently, fractal theory was applied to an in-depth analysis of the adjusting the ratio of templating agent (F127) and activator (KOH) could effectively modulate the ultra-micro, micro-, and meso-porous in lignin-based HPC. Various kinetic models were used to characterize the CO2 adsorption mechanism and the adsorption rate of lignin adsorbents under dynamic conditions. Most importantly, this study compares lignin-based HPC (MC1.5-K3) with conventional activated porous carbon (MIC-K3) and mesoporous carbon (MC1.5), highlighting the advantages of the “three-level" pore structure, that the combination of ultra-micro, micro-, and mesoporous is not a simple superposition but has a synergistic enhancement effect. The availability of mesoporous channels not only facilitates mass transfer and diffusion rate of CO2 within the particles but also increases the maximum number of ultra-microporous and microporous. Because the KOH activator successfully enters the particle interior through the mesoporous channels, it effectively etches the mesoporous walls to form additional adsorption sites. Additionally, comparing MC1.5-K3 with MIC-K3, it was found that HPC retains more surface functional groups. These factors collectively enhance the CO2 adsorption performance of lignin-based HPC. Under ambient conditions (30 °C, 1 bar), MC1.5-K3 achieved a static CO2 uptake of 3.26 mmol/g and a dynamic adsorption of 2.9 mmol/g, and has low adsorption heat, along with excellent cycling stability. Therefore, lignin-based HPC successfully incorporated abundant microporous, especially ultra-microporous adsorption sites, mesoporous transport channels, and surface functional groups, which significantly promoted CO2 adsorption. In summary, green HPC based on lignin shows great potential as an efficient solid adsorbent for carbon capture.
{"title":"Adjustable ultra-micro, micro-, and mesopores in lignin-based hierarchical porous carbon for CO2 adsorption","authors":"Zhaoming Li, Zhikai Wang, Xu Yang, Honghong Lyu, Boxiong Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102363","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102363","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The investigation of low-energy consumption and environmentally friendly solid adsorbents has emerged as one of the key research directions for carbon capture. This study demonstrates the successful development of a structurally tunable “three-level\" lignin-based hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) material, featuring ultra-micro, micro-, and mesoporous structures, for efficient CO<sub>2</sub> capture. Subsequently, fractal theory was applied to an in-depth analysis of the adjusting the ratio of templating agent (F127) and activator (KOH) could effectively modulate the ultra-micro, micro-, and meso-porous in lignin-based HPC. Various kinetic models were used to characterize the CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption mechanism and the adsorption rate of lignin adsorbents under dynamic conditions. Most importantly, this study compares lignin-based HPC (MC1.5-K3) with conventional activated porous carbon (MIC-K3) and mesoporous carbon (MC1.5), highlighting the advantages of the “three-level\" pore structure, that the combination of ultra-micro, micro-, and mesoporous is not a simple superposition but has a synergistic enhancement effect. The availability of mesoporous channels not only facilitates mass transfer and diffusion rate of CO<sub>2</sub> within the particles but also increases the maximum number of ultra-microporous and microporous. Because the KOH activator successfully enters the particle interior through the mesoporous channels, it effectively etches the mesoporous walls to form additional adsorption sites. Additionally, comparing MC1.5-K3 with MIC-K3, it was found that HPC retains more surface functional groups. These factors collectively enhance the CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption performance of lignin-based HPC. Under ambient conditions (30 °C, 1 bar), MC1.5-K3 achieved a static CO<sub>2</sub> uptake of 3.26 mmol/g and a dynamic adsorption of 2.9 mmol/g, and has low adsorption heat, along with excellent cycling stability. Therefore, lignin-based HPC successfully incorporated abundant microporous, especially ultra-microporous adsorption sites, mesoporous transport channels, and surface functional groups, which significantly promoted CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption. In summary, green HPC based on lignin shows great potential as an efficient solid adsorbent for carbon capture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102363"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102367
Longfei Wang , Yuanjun Tang , Guoneng Li , Jun Dong , Yao Fang , Wenwen Guo , Chao Ye
This study systematically investigates the effects of Fe-loading on the pyrolysis behavior of three key biomass components: cellulose, xylan, and lignin. Complementary analytical techniques, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), were utilized to assess the impact of Fe-loading on: (i) pyrolysis characteristics, (ii) the combined pyrolysis index (CPI), (iii) small-molecule gas evolution, and (iv) tar product distribution. Results demonstrate that the loading of Fe(NO3)3 significantly reduced the initial pyrolysis temperatures of cellulose and xylan by ∼140 °C and ∼62 °C, respectively, resulting in 58 % and 37 % decreases in CPI values. Conversely, lignin exhibited a 111 % CPI increase under Fe loading conditions, attributable to accelerated aryl-ether bond cleavage. The presence of Fe enhanced CO2 evolution while suppressing H2O and CO generation in cellulose/xylan conditions. In contrast, it promoted CH4, H2, CO, and CO2 evolution during lignin pyrolysis. Py-GC/MS analysis indicated that the presence of Fe drives aromatization through deoxygenation pathways while inhibiting ring-opening depolymerization, consequently shifting tar composition toward higher-carbon-number aromatic hydrocarbons. The findings can serve as a valuable reference for the application and promotion of the high-value valorization of waste biomass.
{"title":"Synergistic effects of Fe-loading on pyrolysis characteristics of cellulose, xylan, and lignin: TG, TG-MS, and Py-GC/MS analysis","authors":"Longfei Wang , Yuanjun Tang , Guoneng Li , Jun Dong , Yao Fang , Wenwen Guo , Chao Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study systematically investigates the effects of Fe-loading on the pyrolysis behavior of three key biomass components: <em>cellulose</em>, <em>xylan</em>, and <em>lignin</em>. Complementary analytical techniques, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), were utilized to assess the impact of Fe-loading on: (<em>i</em>) pyrolysis characteristics, (<em>ii</em>) the combined pyrolysis index (<em>CPI</em>), (<em>iii</em>) small-molecule gas evolution, and (<em>iv</em>) tar product distribution. Results demonstrate that the loading of Fe(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub> significantly reduced the initial pyrolysis temperatures of <em>cellulose</em> and <em>xylan</em> by ∼140 °C and ∼62 °C, respectively, resulting in 58 % and 37 % decreases in <em>CPI</em> values. Conversely, <em>lignin</em> exhibited a 111 % <em>CPI</em> increase under Fe loading conditions, attributable to accelerated aryl-ether bond cleavage. The presence of Fe enhanced CO<sub>2</sub> evolution while suppressing H<sub>2</sub>O and CO generation in <em>cellulose</em>/<em>xylan</em> conditions. In contrast, it promoted CH<sub>4</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>, CO, and CO<sub>2</sub> evolution during <em>lignin</em> pyrolysis. Py-GC/MS analysis indicated that the presence of Fe drives aromatization through deoxygenation pathways while inhibiting ring-opening depolymerization, consequently shifting tar composition toward higher-carbon-number aromatic hydrocarbons. The findings can serve as a valuable reference for the application and promotion of the high-value valorization of waste biomass.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102367"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102365
Dong Ye , Jingyi Feng , Jiahui Liu , Kai Zhu , Li Sun , Ruitang Guo
A series of WO3-modified CeOx-CrOx catalysts were synthesized via co-precipitation and systematically evaluated for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance. The optimal catalyst, with a W/(Ce + Cr) molar ratio of 0.8, demonstrated exceptional activity, achieving >90 % NOx conversion and >90 % N2 selectivity across a broad temperature window (150–350 °C) under a high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 200,000 mL g−1 h−1. This performance significantly surpassed that of the unmodified CeOx-CrOx reference catalyst, which only maintained >90 % NOx conversion and N2 selectivity within a narrower range (150–200 °C). The enhanced catalytic performance was attributed to the introduction of WO3, which generated abundant surface Lewis acid sites, thereby improving NH3 adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the formation of metal tungstate species stabilized Cr3+ and Ce3+, disrupting redox cycling between the cations with higher and lower oxidation numbers. This stabilization reduced both the abundance and reducibility of high-valence metal cations and chemisorbed oxygen species, endowing the WO3-modified catalysts with balanced oxidative capacity to activate adsorbed NH3 while effectively suppressing its excessive oxidation to NOx and over-activation to -NH (a key intermediate in N2O formation). Consequently, the WO3-promoted catalysts exhibited both an expanded operational temperature window and enhanced N2 selectivity. Additionally, the catalysts demonstrated robust resistance to SO2 and H2O poisoning, providing critical insights into the optimization of CeOx-CrOx-based SCR catalysts and paving the way for their potential industrial implementation.
{"title":"Effectively broadening the operational temperature window of the CeOx-CrOx SCR catalyst by modifying WO3","authors":"Dong Ye , Jingyi Feng , Jiahui Liu , Kai Zhu , Li Sun , Ruitang Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A series of WO<sub>3</sub>-modified CeO<sub><em>x</em></sub>-CrO<sub><em>x</em></sub> catalysts were synthesized via co-precipitation and systematically evaluated for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance. The optimal catalyst, with a W/(Ce + Cr) molar ratio of 0.8, demonstrated exceptional activity, achieving >90 % NO<sub><em>x</em></sub> conversion and >90 % N<sub>2</sub> selectivity across a broad temperature window (150–350 °C) under a high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 200,000 mL g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>. This performance significantly surpassed that of the unmodified CeO<sub><em>x</em></sub>-CrO<sub><em>x</em></sub> reference catalyst, which only maintained >90 % NO<sub><em>x</em></sub> conversion and N<sub>2</sub> selectivity within a narrower range (150–200 °C). The enhanced catalytic performance was attributed to the introduction of WO<sub>3</sub>, which generated abundant surface Lewis acid sites, thereby improving NH<sub>3</sub> adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the formation of metal tungstate species stabilized Cr<sup>3+</sup> and Ce<sup>3+</sup>, disrupting redox cycling between the cations with higher and lower oxidation numbers. This stabilization reduced both the abundance and reducibility of high-valence metal cations and chemisorbed oxygen species, endowing the WO<sub>3</sub>-modified catalysts with balanced oxidative capacity to activate adsorbed NH<sub>3</sub> while effectively suppressing its excessive oxidation to NO<sub><em>x</em></sub> and over-activation to -NH (a key intermediate in N<sub>2</sub>O formation). Consequently, the WO<sub>3</sub>-promoted catalysts exhibited both an expanded operational temperature window and enhanced N<sub>2</sub> selectivity. Additionally, the catalysts demonstrated robust resistance to SO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O poisoning, providing critical insights into the optimization of CeO<sub><em>x</em></sub>-CrO<sub><em>x</em></sub>-based SCR catalysts and paving the way for their potential industrial implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102365"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102355
Georg Daurer , Stefan Schwarz , Joshua Slawatycki , Martin Demuth , Christian Gaber , Christoph Hochenauer
The application of OH* chemiluminescence diagnostics is becoming increasingly prevalent in the combustion characterization of hydrogen. As the current literature is lacking a systematic study of OH* chemiluminescence in non-premixed turbulent natural gas (NG) and hydrogen (H2) flames, the present work was designed to address this research gap. Therefore, extensive experiments were performed on a semi-industrial burner operating at 50–100 kW in NG/H2–Air/O2 combustion modes, which were complemented by comprehensive numerical simulations, including 1D laminar counterflow diffusion flamelet calculations and full 3D CFD simulations of the semi-industrial furnace setup. In this way, an OH* chemistry model is presented that accurately predicts the global reaction zone characteristics and their difference between CH4 and H2 in air-fired and oxygen-fired flames. The comprehensive numerical approach, in conjunction with the subsequent study of different operating conditions, yielded novel insights into both combustion modeling and the underlying thermochemical phenomena, providing an essential contribution to the transition of the thermal energy sector towards hydrogen as an alternative carbon-free fuel.
{"title":"OH* chemiluminescence in non-premixed industrial natural gas/hydrogen flames under air-fuel and oxy-fuel conditions: Kinetics modeling and experimental validation","authors":"Georg Daurer , Stefan Schwarz , Joshua Slawatycki , Martin Demuth , Christian Gaber , Christoph Hochenauer","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The application of OH* chemiluminescence diagnostics is becoming increasingly prevalent in the combustion characterization of hydrogen. As the current literature is lacking a systematic study of OH* chemiluminescence in non-premixed turbulent natural gas (NG) and hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) flames, the present work was designed to address this research gap. Therefore, extensive experiments were performed on a semi-industrial burner operating at 50–100 kW in NG/H<sub>2</sub>–Air/O<sub>2</sub> combustion modes, which were complemented by comprehensive numerical simulations, including 1D laminar counterflow diffusion flamelet calculations and full 3D CFD simulations of the semi-industrial furnace setup. In this way, an OH* chemistry model is presented that accurately predicts the global reaction zone characteristics and their difference between CH<sub>4</sub> and H<sub>2</sub> in air-fired and oxygen-fired flames. The comprehensive numerical approach, in conjunction with the subsequent study of different operating conditions, yielded novel insights into both combustion modeling and the underlying thermochemical phenomena, providing an essential contribution to the transition of the thermal energy sector towards hydrogen as an alternative carbon-free fuel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102355"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102360
Wanhe Hu , Jingxin Wang , Jinghan Zhao , Jianli Hu , Jamie Schuler , Shawn Grushecky , Changle Jiang , William Smith , Edward M. Sabolsky
Thermochemical pretreatment techniques have been widely applied to improve the fuel properties of biomass. In this study, thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) was employed to investigate the effects of three torrefaction methods on the combustion characteristics, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamic properties of red maple logging residues. Proximate and ultimate analyses, elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to examine the fundamental physicochemical properties of both torrefied and untorrefied samples. The results showed that inert torrefaction (NT) produced the highest solid yield (91.42 %), thereby retaining the largest amount of carbon. Although hydrothermal torrefaction (HT) resulted in the highest carbon content (65.21 %), its low yield (39.60 %) led to substantial carbon loss. Combustion analysis revealed that weight loss behavior varied with heating rate. As the heating rate increased from 10 °C/min to 40 °C/min, the first-stage weight loss of NT, oxidative torrefaction (OT), and untorrefied (UT) samples ranged from 59.9 % to 74.0 %, while second-stage losses ranged from 22.0 % to 37.9 %. In contrast, the HT sample exhibited first-stage losses between 37.7 % and 41.9 %, and second-stage losses between 53.0 % and 57.9 %. The activation energies calculated using the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) methods were comparable on average. In the first stage, the activation energy followed the order HT > OT > UT ≈ NT; in the second stage, it followed HT > OT > UT > NT. This study provides new insights into the thermochemical pretreatment and conversion of hardwood logging residues and contributes to the development of sustainable strategies for renewable energy and material applications.
{"title":"Linking torrefaction mechanisms to combustion kinetics and thermodynamics of hardwood logging residues","authors":"Wanhe Hu , Jingxin Wang , Jinghan Zhao , Jianli Hu , Jamie Schuler , Shawn Grushecky , Changle Jiang , William Smith , Edward M. Sabolsky","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermochemical pretreatment techniques have been widely applied to improve the fuel properties of biomass. In this study, thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) was employed to investigate the effects of three torrefaction methods on the combustion characteristics, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamic properties of red maple logging residues. Proximate and ultimate analyses, elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to examine the fundamental physicochemical properties of both torrefied and untorrefied samples. The results showed that inert torrefaction (NT) produced the highest solid yield (91.42 %), thereby retaining the largest amount of carbon. Although hydrothermal torrefaction (HT) resulted in the highest carbon content (65.21 %), its low yield (39.60 %) led to substantial carbon loss. Combustion analysis revealed that weight loss behavior varied with heating rate. As the heating rate increased from 10 °C/min to 40 °C/min, the first-stage weight loss of NT, oxidative torrefaction (OT), and untorrefied (UT) samples ranged from 59.9 % to 74.0 %, while second-stage losses ranged from 22.0 % to 37.9 %. In contrast, the HT sample exhibited first-stage losses between 37.7 % and 41.9 %, and second-stage losses between 53.0 % and 57.9 %. The activation energies calculated using the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) methods were comparable on average. In the first stage, the activation energy followed the order HT > OT > UT ≈ NT; in the second stage, it followed HT > OT > UT > NT. This study provides new insights into the thermochemical pretreatment and conversion of hardwood logging residues and contributes to the development of sustainable strategies for renewable energy and material applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102360"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102359
Fang Xu, Rui Zhang, Mingjun Liu, Shuang Wu, Da Cui, Jingru Bai, Qing Wang
To address the growing challenges of energy crisis and white pollution, co-pyrolysis of lignin and plastics facilitates both biomass resource valorization and pollution mitigation. To gain deeper insight into the synergistic mechanism, this study combined experiments, kinetic analyses, and molecular simulations to systematically investigate the product distributions and bond-breaking behaviors during lignin/PE co-pyrolysis at multiple scales. The kinetic investigation demonstrated that lignin and PE interaction exhibited a positive synergistic effect, significantly lowering the activation energy. Moreover, adding PE promoted the formation of oxygen-free tar while suppressing oxygen-containing tar, consequently enhancing the fuel properties of pyrolysis tar. In parallel, ReaxFF-MD simulations provided molecular-level insights into the dynamic behaviors of chemical bonds during co-pyrolysis. The results demonstrated that lignin/PE co-pyrolysis facilitated C—C bonds breaking but inhibited C—O bonds cleavage, thereby significantly increasing the production of hydrocarbon gases. TG analysis indicated that the interaction between lignin and PE facilitated the release of volatile products. The simulations complemented experimental observations in the secondary reaction stage, demonstrating synergistic promotion of tar formation while inhibiting pyrolysis gas release. This work elucidated the synergistic mechanism of lignin/PE co-pyrolysis at multiple scales, providing theoretical support for the clean conversion and resource recovery of lignin and plastic waste.
{"title":"Unraveling the synergistic mechanism of lignin/polyethylene (PE) co-pyrolysis: A multi-scale exploration combining experiments, kinetics and ReaxFF-MD simulations","authors":"Fang Xu, Rui Zhang, Mingjun Liu, Shuang Wu, Da Cui, Jingru Bai, Qing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the growing challenges of energy crisis and white pollution, co-pyrolysis of lignin and plastics facilitates both biomass resource valorization and pollution mitigation. To gain deeper insight into the synergistic mechanism, this study combined experiments, kinetic analyses, and molecular simulations to systematically investigate the product distributions and bond-breaking behaviors during lignin/PE co-pyrolysis at multiple scales. The kinetic investigation demonstrated that lignin and PE interaction exhibited a positive synergistic effect, significantly lowering the activation energy. Moreover, adding PE promoted the formation of oxygen-free tar while suppressing oxygen-containing tar, consequently enhancing the fuel properties of pyrolysis tar. In parallel, ReaxFF-MD simulations provided molecular-level insights into the dynamic behaviors of chemical bonds during co-pyrolysis. The results demonstrated that lignin/PE co-pyrolysis facilitated C—C bonds breaking but inhibited C—O bonds cleavage, thereby significantly increasing the production of hydrocarbon gases. TG analysis indicated that the interaction between lignin and PE facilitated the release of volatile products. The simulations complemented experimental observations in the secondary reaction stage, demonstrating synergistic promotion of tar formation while inhibiting pyrolysis gas release. This work elucidated the synergistic mechanism of lignin/PE co-pyrolysis at multiple scales, providing theoretical support for the clean conversion and resource recovery of lignin and plastic waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102359"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102357
Shanshan Wen , Li Liang , Junhong Zhang , Lihua Gao , Zhijun He
An environmentally friendly and economically viable process for the production of carbon-based synfuel via the co-carbonization of corn stalks (SW) and bituminous coal (BC) for sintering operations in the steel industry. The preparation parameters included a co-carbonization temperature of 700 °C, a holding time of 60 min, and a biomass-to-coal mass ratio of 5/5. Under these conditions, a composite fuel suitable for sintering production was successfully prepared, featuring a bulk density of 410 kg m−3, a solid yield of 46.52 %, and a high calorific value of 28.91 MJ kg−1. The experimental findings demonstrate that the carbon-based composite fuels underwent dynamic microstructural evolution during the co-carbonization process, manifested through the gradual decomposition of the internal ordered cellulose frameworks and the increase enhancement in the graphitic carbon phase concentration. Furthermore, the co-carbonization process significantly modulated the of surface functional group concentrations in the carbon-based synthetic fuels, wherein aromatic compounds containing C-O bonding configurations played a pivotal role in governing their reactivity profiles. This work provides valuable theoretical guidance for the application of biomass in sintering processes, while also pointing the way forward for promoting low-carbon emission production practices in the metallurgical industry.
通过将玉米秸秆（SW）和烟煤（BC）共碳化，生产碳基合成燃料的一种环保且经济可行的工艺，用于钢铁工业的烧结操作。制备参数为共碳化温度700℃，保温时间60 min，生物质与煤的质量比为5/5。在此条件下，成功制备了适合烧结生产的复合燃料，其体积密度为410 kg m−3，固体产率为46.52%，热值为28.91 MJ kg−1。实验结果表明，碳基复合燃料在共碳化过程中发生了动态的微观结构演变，表现为内部有序纤维素框架的逐渐分解和石墨碳相浓度的增强。此外，共碳化过程显著调节了碳基合成燃料中表面官能团的浓度，其中含有C-O键构型的芳香族化合物在控制其反应性方面发挥了关键作用。这项工作为生物质在烧结过程中的应用提供了有价值的理论指导，同时也为冶金行业推广低碳排放生产实践指明了前进的方向。
{"title":"Insights into sustainable carbon-based synfuel production via biomass and low-rank coal co-carbonization technology: Co-carbonization pathways regulating and decoupling combustion reactivity","authors":"Shanshan Wen , Li Liang , Junhong Zhang , Lihua Gao , Zhijun He","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An environmentally friendly and economically viable process for the production of carbon-based synfuel via the co-carbonization of corn stalks (SW) and bituminous coal (BC) for sintering operations in the steel industry. The preparation parameters included a co-carbonization temperature of 700 °C, a holding time of 60 min, and a biomass-to-coal mass ratio of 5/5. Under these conditions, a composite fuel suitable for sintering production was successfully prepared, featuring a bulk density of 410 kg m<sup>−3</sup>, a solid yield of 46.52 %, and a high calorific value of 28.91 MJ kg<sup>−1</sup>. The experimental findings demonstrate that the carbon-based composite fuels underwent dynamic microstructural evolution during the co-carbonization process, manifested through the gradual decomposition of the internal ordered cellulose frameworks and the increase enhancement in the graphitic carbon phase concentration. Furthermore, the co-carbonization process significantly modulated the of surface functional group concentrations in the carbon-based synthetic fuels, wherein aromatic compounds containing C-O bonding configurations played a pivotal role in governing their reactivity profiles. This work provides valuable theoretical guidance for the application of biomass in sintering processes, while also pointing the way forward for promoting low-carbon emission production practices in the metallurgical industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102357"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-22DOI: 10.1016/j.joei.2025.102352
Ke Chang , Meng Liu , Hang Yu, Zixue Luo, Qiang Cheng
The introduction of hydrogen regulates the formation process of combustion products in methane flames, but existing detection technologies still face challenges in simultaneously quantifying the temperature and concentration of gas-phase and solid-phase components. In this study, a combined visible and infrared spectroscopy detection method is proposed to simultaneously reconstruct the concentration of gas-solid components and temperature within the flame. The soot and temperature distributions are reconstructed from the visible radiation intensity image of the flame, while the concentration distributions of H2O and CO2 are reconstructed by using the radiation intensity images from the H2O and CO2 separate absorption and co-absorption bands in the infrared spectrum, after subtracting the radiation contribution from the soot. To validate the proposed method, a hydrogen-blended methane laminar diffusion flame is examined. The reconstruction results for soot volume fraction and flame temperature are verified using laser extinction and thermocouple measurements, respectively. Additionally, the results derived from the two infrared reconstruction schemes are compared and analyzed, with the discrepancy between them maintained within 6 %. Results indicate that hydrogen blending slightly reduces the flame temperature while significantly diminishing soot production. When the hydrogen blending ratio is 50 %, the average flame temperature decreases from 1410 K to 1205 K, and soot volume fraction is only about one-tenth of that under pure methane conditions. Moreover, hydrogen blending suppresses CO2 formation and enhances H2O production, with the peak H2O concentration increasing by 18.4 % and the peak CO2 concentration decreasing to 81.24 % at 50 % hydrogen blending.
{"title":"Combined visible and infrared spectral detection for soot, H2O, and CO2 in hydrogen-blended methane flame","authors":"Ke Chang , Meng Liu , Hang Yu, Zixue Luo, Qiang Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joei.2025.102352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The introduction of hydrogen regulates the formation process of combustion products in methane flames, but existing detection technologies still face challenges in simultaneously quantifying the temperature and concentration of gas-phase and solid-phase components. In this study, a combined visible and infrared spectroscopy detection method is proposed to simultaneously reconstruct the concentration of gas-solid components and temperature within the flame. The soot and temperature distributions are reconstructed from the visible radiation intensity image of the flame, while the concentration distributions of H<sub>2</sub>O and CO<sub>2</sub> are reconstructed by using the radiation intensity images from the H<sub>2</sub>O and CO<sub>2</sub> separate absorption and co-absorption bands in the infrared spectrum, after subtracting the radiation contribution from the soot. To validate the proposed method, a hydrogen-blended methane laminar diffusion flame is examined. The reconstruction results for soot volume fraction and flame temperature are verified using laser extinction and thermocouple measurements, respectively. Additionally, the results derived from the two infrared reconstruction schemes are compared and analyzed, with the discrepancy between them maintained within 6 %. Results indicate that hydrogen blending slightly reduces the flame temperature while significantly diminishing soot production. When the hydrogen blending ratio is 50 %, the average flame temperature decreases from 1410 K to 1205 K, and soot volume fraction is only about one-tenth of that under pure methane conditions. Moreover, hydrogen blending suppresses CO<sub>2</sub> formation and enhances H<sub>2</sub>O production, with the peak H<sub>2</sub>O concentration increasing by 18.4 % and the peak CO<sub>2</sub> concentration decreasing to 81.24 % at 50 % hydrogen blending.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17287,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The Energy Institute","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102352"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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