Transesterification of sunflower oil using heterogeneous catalyst derived from date seeds of South Algeria

Date Seeds (DS) were transformed into catalyst by calcining them at various temperatures. The produced catalyst was fully characterized by SEM, XRF, and BET analyses. The basicity of the catalyst was determined using CO2-TPD technique. The catalytic efficiency of the prepared catalyst was tested in the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol. The effect of calcination temperature on the yield of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) was investigated. In addition the transesterification process was optimised. In this study, the effect of FFA (Free Fatty Acid) on FAME yield was also investigated. The results show that the produced catalyst from date seeds is a good catalyst for biodiesel production reaction. The maximum biodiesel yield reached about 96.7% under the optimal conditions

Influence of Inoculums/Substrate Ratios (ISRs) on the Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Slaughterhouse Waste in Batch Mode: Process Stability and Biogas Production

AbstractBatch digestion experiments were conducted to determine the effects of inoculums/substrate ratio of three different ratios (ISRs) 0.3, 0.5 and 1. The substrate chosen in this study was slaughterhouse waste from Adrar city (south west of Algeria). The inoculation was made by sludge issued from wastewater treatment plant. During this study, several parameters of anaerobic digestion were measured, such as pH, VFA, AT and volume of the produced biogas. pH variation and VFA/TA values have shown high stability of anaerobic digestion process

Modeling of erosion in the Wadi Guir watershed (South-West Algeria) by the application of Geographic Information System (GIS)

International audienceThe erosion of watersheds in Algeria is the major concern of dam managers. It depends on the nature of the soil and rainfall aggressiveness. The areas threatened by degradation due to desertification and water erosion are estimated at 50 million hectares. This area represents more than 20% of the total areas of the country, which is around 238 million hectares (MEDDI, 2015). The main objective of this study is the mapping of erosion in Wadi Guir watershed which feeds the Djorf-Torba dam (South-West Algeria), by the combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and the different empirical formulas used in arid regions. This contribution makes it possible, on the one hand, to determine the zones producing erosion, which feed the main Wadi, through maps of distribution of the degrees of sensitivity to erosion (SADIKI, 2004). On the other hand, the application of empirical formulas makes it possible to evaluate the forecast of solid inputs linked to citation (TOUAÏBIA et al.., 1999). This in order to control the sediment dynamics, and ensure better profitable management of the dam organs during floods and during normal operation

Co-digestion of vegetable peel with cow dung without external inoculum for biogas production: Experimental and a new modelling test in a batch mode

This paper examined both experimental and a new modelling test for biogas production based on Co-Digestion Ratio (CDR) of vegetable peel (VP) with cow dung (CD) without external inoculum. For this, vegetable peel was used as a substrate and cow dung was used as a co-substrate. Reactors in triplicate were prepared. The vegetable peel concentrations were 12, 8, 6 and 4 g VS/l with the same cow dung concentration (4 g of VS/l) which corresponds to a CDR of 3:1, 2:1, 1.5:1 and 1:1. A new mathematical model corresponding to the biotech anaerobic digestion process based only on the (CDR) and (VS) was implemented under Matlab Simulink. The experimental results indicate that the optimal cumulative methane production (CMP) of 2000 ml was generated in the reactor containing a (CDR) of 3:1 which corresponds to a methane yield of 170 ml CH4/ g VS. i.e., an improvement between 23 and 26% comparing to all other CDRs. The experimental results were conformed by the new mathematical model. After applying the invented new idea by converting the constants (Rm, L and Gm) into functions (Rm =f1 (CDR), L=f2(CDR) and Gm = f3 (VS)) and relating them to each other using the Gompertz relation. The new model was able to predict the methane produced using only two inputs: VS and CDR. While in the literature studies, which were used Gompertz relationship for kinetic modelling, the constants must be recalculated each time as a new model, although the substrates used are the same, only the composition is different. Analysis of the variance (ANOVA) between the experimental and modelling results showed that there is no statistically significant difference, with a significance level of 0.05. Finally, the invented new idea can be a key to another different research that uses the same substrate

A Route for Bioenergy in the Sahara Region : Date Palm Waste Valorization through Updraft Gasification

The Adrar region (Algeria) has a total of 397,800 date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Due to annual palm cleaning, large quantities of lignocellulosic biomass are produced. Depending on the variety, an average of 65 kg of biowaste is obtained per palm tree. Since the value of this biowaste is underrated, most of the palms are burned outdoors, causing air and visual pollution. This work explores the gasification potential of lignocellulosic waste from date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L. Takarbouche variety) into useful energy. The technology investigated is air updraft fixed-bed gasification, thanks to an originally designed and built reactor, with the capability to process 1 kg of feedstock. Four types of palm waste—namely, palms, petioles, bunch, and bunch peduncles—are first characterized (bulk density, proximate analysis, fixed carbon, elemental composition, and calorific value) and then used as feedstock for two gasification tests each. The syngas produced for the four date palm wastes is combustible, with an outlet temperature between 200 and 400 °C. The operating temperature inside the gasifier varies according to the feature of the biomass cuts (from 174 °C for the peduncles to 557 °C for palms). The experimental setup is also equipped with a cyclone, allowing for the recovery of some of the tar produced during the tests. Finally, the results show that the residence time has a positive effect on the conversion rate of date palm waste, which can significantly increase it to values of around 95%. Project: 177/2017 (Bio-fuel production from Saharan biomass in a continuous system using solar energy)\u2014General Directorate of Scientific Research and Technological Development (DGRSDT), Ministry of higher Education, Algeria.</p

Effect of stirring speeds on biodiesel yield using an innovative oscillatory reactor and conventional STR (A comparative study)

This paper aims to study the effect of stirring speed on biodiesel yield using an innovative oscillating reactor compared to the conventional stirring tank reactor. The efficiency of the invented reactor was compared with the conventional system, employing two catalysts (a homogeneous catalyst and a heterogeneous bio-catalyst). The obtained results showed that under low agitation speed of 50 rpm, the invented oscillating reactor is more efficient than the conventional system with a biodiesel yield of 93% compared to 90.13% using the heterogeneous catalyst and 93.53% compared to 92.7% using the homogeneous catalyst respectively. As for the higher stirring speeds, the conventional system was found to be slightly more efficient than the oscillating reactor when using the heterogeneous biocatalyst (96.03% against 94.42%) while the contrary was observed when using the homogeneous catalyst (94.43% against 95%). However, this slight increase in the biodiesel yield at higher speeds results in increasing production costs. This indicates that biodiesel production using the innovative oscillating reactor at low speeds is more economically viable. The characteristics of the produced biodiesel using the invented reactor were in agreement with the ASTM D6751 biodiesel standards. Moreover, a two-way ANOVA analysis was conducted to compare between groups that have been split on two independent variables as reactor type and stirring speed. The statistical analysis proved that the invented oscillating reactor performs better when using heterogeneous catalysts at low stirring speed levels. This study suggests that the biodiesel yield of the innovative reactor can be further enhanced by introducing a baffle system which provides a relatively larger contact surface area. Similarly, synthesis of other heterogeneous bio-catalysts derived from the date seed of another date palm cultivar can be tested to further improve the biodiesel yield

Anaerobic digestion of dry palms from five cultivars of Algerian date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) namely H'mira, Teggaza, Tinacer, Aghamou and Takarbouchet: A new comparative study

The lignocellulosic properties of date palm waste (dry palm) differ significantly from one cultivar to another, which affects the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. This study is believed to be amongst the first to evaluate the influence of date palm cultivars on the biomethane yield in order to offer an annual, continuous and cost-effective biogas production model. In this work, 5 cultivars from date palm waste namely; H'mira (H), Teggaza (Tg), Tinacer (Ti), Aghamou (Ag) and Takarbouchet (Tk) were evaluated for biogas production. All experiments were performed for 45 days with 5 reactors in triplicate under mesophilic conditions (37 °C). The highest methane yield of 231.87 ml of CH4/g of Volatile Solid (VS) was obtained with the Ag cultivars with a difference that varied between 37% and 62% depending on the cultivar type. These results indicate that the date palm cultivars massively influence the biomethane yield, it may give an opportunity for researchers to select the most suitable cultivars for methane production and provide opportunities to valorize other cultivars on other beneficial uses, such as adsorption, thermal insulation, or charcoal production etc.Web of Science269art. no. 12677

A Critical Overview of the State-of-the-Art Methods for Biogas Purification and Utilization Processes

Biogas is one of the most attractive renewable resources due to its ability to convert waste into energy. Biogas is produced during an anaerobic digestion process from different organic waste resources with a combination of mainly CH₄ (~50 mol/mol), CO₂ (~15 mol/mol), and some trace gasses. The percentage of these trace gases is related to operating conditions and feedstocks. Due to the impurities of the trace gases, raw biogas has to be cleaned before use for many applications. Therefore, the cleaning, upgrading, and utilization of biogas has become an important topic that has been widely studied in recent years. In this review, raw biogas components are investigated in relation to feedstock resources. Then, using recent developments, it describes the cleaning methods that have been used to eliminate unwanted components in biogas. Additionally, the upgrading processes are systematically reviewed according to their technology, recovery range, and state of the art methods in this area, regarding obtaining biomethane from biogas. Furthermore, these upgrading methods have been comprehensively reviewed and compared with each other in terms of electricity consumption and methane losses. This comparison revealed that amine scrubbing is one the most promising methods in terms of methane losses and the energy demand of the system. In the section on biogas utilization, raw biogas and biomethane have been assessed with recently available data from the literature according to their usage areas and methods. It seems that biogas can be used as a biofuel to produce energy via CHP and fuel cells with high efficiency. Moreover, it is able to be utilized in an internal combustion engine which reduces exhaust emissions by using biofuels. Lastly, chemical production such as biomethanol, bioethanol, and higher alcohols are in the development stage for utilization of biogas and are discussed in depth. This review reveals that most biogas utilization approaches are in their early stages. The gaps that require further investigations in the field have been identified and highlighted for future research.Applied Science, Faculty ofEngineering, School of (Okanagan)ReviewedFacultyResearche