scholarly journals Enhancing the Economic Viability of Anaerobic Digestion by Exploiting the Whole Biomass of Mango Waste and Its Residues after Digestion

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6683
Author(s):  
R. Alrefai ◽  
A.M. Alrefai ◽  
K.Y. Benyounis ◽  
J. Stokes

A significant expansion of anaerobic digestion (AD) processes would certainly result in a reduction in the current dependence on fossil fuels. The operational costs, the large amounts of digestate generated and the expenses of dealing with it and the volatility of the fuel indexes represent major environmental and economical challenges to the diffusion of AD. Increasing the bio-products of AD could possibly help in increasing its profitability and limit these challenges. This study investigates the influence of mango starch and seed coats on the biogas produced from mango waste. To overcome the environmental challenges, the digestate was tested and its bio-fertiliser potential proven. The study reached the conclusion that the effect of the starch on the AD biogas of mango waste is low while the effect of the seed coats is quite high. This finding supports further investigations to evaluate the effect of the production of mango starch and seed coat-based products on the profitability of AD. The highest energy balance achieved was 65% at 32 °C, 3.93 g-VS organic concentration and 37% sludge concentration, which yielded a maximum CH4 yield of 62.5%. This finding encourages the application of gate fees for accepting bio-waste, which may help in overcoming its economic challenges.

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3833
Author(s):  
Fatma M. Elessawy ◽  
Albert Vandenberg ◽  
Anas El-Aneed ◽  
Randy W. Purves

Pulse crop seed coats are a sustainable source of antioxidant polyphenols, but are typically treated as low-value products, partly because some polyphenols reduce iron bioavailability in humans. This study correlates antioxidant/iron chelation capabilities of diverse seed coat types from five major pulse crops (common bean, lentil, pea, chickpea and faba bean) with polyphenol composition using mass spectrometry. Untargeted metabolomics was used to identify key differences and a hierarchical analysis revealed that common beans had the most diverse polyphenol profiles among these pulse crops. The highest antioxidant capacities were found in seed coats of black bean and all tannin lentils, followed by maple pea, however, tannin lentils showed much lower iron chelation among these seed coats. Thus, tannin lentils are more desirable sources as natural antioxidants in food applications, whereas black bean and maple pea are more suitable sources for industrial applications. Regardless of pulse crop, proanthocyanidins were primary contributors to antioxidant capacity, and to a lesser extent, anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols, whereas glycosylated flavonols contributed minimally. Higher iron chelation was primarily attributed to proanthocyanidin composition, and also myricetin 3-O-glucoside in black bean. Seed coats having proanthocyanidins that are primarily prodelphinidins show higher iron chelation compared with those containing procyanidins and/or propelargonidins.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Subedi ◽  
Lope G. Tabil ◽  
Albert Vandenberg

Efficient milling is the key economic trait for the red lentil industry. Various seed characteristics including seed coat color can influence milling characteristics. Four basic seed coat ground colors (green, gray, tan, and brown) of 16 red lentil genotypes from a common genetic background were compared to determine the effect of seed coat color genes on three key milling quality traits: dehulling efficiency (DE), milling recovery (MR), and football recovery (FR). These genotypes were grown at two locations in Saskatchewan, Canada for two years. DE, MR, and FR results varied depending on the seed coat color conferred by specific genotypes. Green and gray seed coat color (homozygous recessive tgc allele) genotypes had significantly higher DE and MR percentages compared to brown or tan seed coat types (homozygous dominant Tgc allele) depending on genotype interaction with site-year. Seeds with brown or tan seed coats had significantly higher FR percentages in two site-years. Red cotyledon lentils with uniform shape and green or gray seed coat color might be more profitable for millers who wish to maximize DE and MR of red lentil, but brown seed coat color might be preferable in terms of FR.


Author(s):  
A. S. Timchenko ◽  
A. N. Sorokin ◽  
N. S. Zdravchev ◽  
A. V. F. Ch. Bobrov ◽  
M. S. Romanov

The seed coat anatomy of Wollemia nobilis W. G. Jones, K. D. Hill et J. M. Allen was carried out. In theresult of analysis of transverse sections of seeds the sufficient parenchymatization of seed coats and their differentiationinto three morphogenetic zones – the exotesta, the mesotesta and the endotesta was revealed. Such characters of thespermoderm as differentiation of the mesotesta into several topographic zones, presence of resin cavities in mesotesta, aswell as the participation of both exotesta and mesotesta in making the wing are treated as the archaic ones. The seeds of W.nobilis are of transitional type between exomesotestal and the exotestal type (according to Corner's typology). In generalthe seed coat structure of W. nobilis fits into the divercity of seed coats structure in the family Araucariaceae and is treatedas a progressive type within the family.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 3883
Author(s):  
Megan Roux ◽  
Cristiano Varrone

It is widely accepted that plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental concerns the world is currently facing. The emergence of bio-based plastics provides an opportunity to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and transition to a more circular plastics economy. For polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most prevalent plastics in packaging and textiles, two bio-based alternatives exist that are similar or superior in terms of material properties and recyclability. These are polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT). The overarching aim of this study was to examine the transition from fossil-based to renewable plastics, through the lens of PET upcycling into PEF and PTT. The process for the production of PEF and PTT from three waste feed streams was developed in the SuperPro Designer software and the economic viability assessed via a discounted cumulative cash flow (DCCF) analysis. A techno-economic analysis of the designed process revealed that the minimum selling price (MSP) of second generation-derived PEF and PTT is 3.13 USD/kg, and that utilities and the feedstock used for the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) needed in PEF synthesis contributed the most to the process operating costs. The effect of recycling PEF and PTT through the process at three recycling rates (42%, 50% and 55%) was investigated and it was revealed that increased recycling could reduce the MSP of the 2G bio-plastics (by 48.5%) to 1.61 USD/kg. This demonstrates that the plastic biorefinery, together with increasing recycling rates, would have a beneficial effect on the economic viability of upcycled plastics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Ceccato ◽  
Daniel Bertero ◽  
Diego Batlla ◽  
Beatriz Galati

AbstractTwo possible sources of resistance to pre-harvest sprouting were evaluated in quinoa. They showed dormancy at harvest and significant variations in dormancy level in response to environmental conditions experienced during seed development. The aims of this work were to evaluate the importance of seed coats in the regulation of dormancy in this species, to investigate possible mechanisms of action and to assess association of seed coat properties with changes in dormancy level caused by the environment. Accessions Chadmo and 2-Want were grown under field conditions on different sowing dates during 2 years. Seed coats were manipulated and seed germination was evaluated at different temperatures. Seed coat perforation before incubation led to faster dormancy loss in both accessions. This effect decreased with delayed sowing date, and seeds expressed a level of dormancy not imposed by coats. This suggests the presence of embryo dormancy in the genus Chenopodium. Seeds of the accession 2-Want had a significantly thinner seed coat at later sowing dates, associated with a decreasing coat-imposed dormancy, but this pattern was not detected in Chadmo. The seed coat acts as a barrier to the release of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in quinoa, suggested by the increase in germination and a higher amount of ABA leached from perforated seeds. ABA is able to leach from seeds with an intact seed coat, suggesting that differences in seed coat thickness may allow the leakage of different amounts of ABA. This mechanism may contribute to the observed differences in dormancy level, either between sowing dates or between accessions.


1997 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Lautenschlager

Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) seeds germinate only after seed coats are degraded. In nature this happens slowly. Seeds from recently collected fruit (fresh to four years old) germinated only after scarification of the seed coat by 20-minute soaking in concentrated sulfuric acid. Germination was not enhanced by: (1) short-term intermittent soaking, up to 81 hours, in dilute (0.01 normal) hydrochloric acid; (2) passage through the digestive tracts of bears, coyotes, or birds; (3) physical perturbations such as nicking, mechanical scarification, repeated freezing and thawing and/or four years of exposure in the field; (4) exposure to light; (5) increased temperatures or temperature fluctuations; or (6) addition of nitrogen (ammonium nitrate, urea). Key words: animal passage, germination, nitrogen, red raspberry, Rubus idaeus L., seed coat, seed weight, scarification, stratification


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Temsgen Tolera ◽  
Fekade Ketema Alemu

Our environment is facing serious problems of high volumes of waste generation and inadequate disposal system in worldwide particularly in developing countries. There is also lack of studies on quantification of abattoir waste and lack of workers awareness towards abattoir waste. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to estimate abattoir waste for bioenergy potential as sustainable management. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four selected abattoirs of Eastern Ethiopia from January 1st, 2018 to December 30th, 2018. The magnitude of abattoir waste composition was computed based on Aniebo mathematical computational from the actual number of slaughtered livestock. The study demonstrated that four selected abattoirs generate 1,606.403 ton of abattoir waste per year and using anaerobic digestion of about 85,139 m3/year of biogas and 111.25 ton/year of biofertilizer can be produced. The biogas or energy from the waste can replace firewood and charcoal and the expensive fossil fuels. Using Banks mathematical computation about 20,054.12 m3/year production of biogas could replace 20.56 ton/year of energy consumed by liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene, charcoal, furnace oil, petrol, and diesel in average. The current estimated biofertilizer (111.25 ton/year) from four abattoir sites can cover about 2,225 hectares/year with its advantage and efficiency of soil. When turned into cost, about $55,645 per year of price could estimate from biogas and biofertilizer. The study concluded that huge amount of biogas and dry biofertilizer yields could produce from abattoir waste through anaerobic digestion. Therefore, installing anaerobic digestion plant is recommended to ensure environmental safety and public health.


1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 540-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Tissot ◽  
M. Valais

The abundance of the worldwide resources of natural gas and its qualities as a “clean” fuel make it a major energy option for the future. However, the increasing distance of resources in relation to the major consuming zones should bring about a considerable development of international gas trade and also a very substantial rise in the cost of future supplies to major markets. Will these markets accept a new scale of value for natural gas in relation to other fossil fuels in order to ensure the economic viability of the formidable investments required in the coming decades is the most critical question of the gas industry, among many other technical, economic and political issues.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Caposciutti ◽  
Andrea Baccioli ◽  
Lorenzo Ferrari ◽  
Umberto Desideri

Biogas is a fuel obtained from organic waste fermentation and can be an interesting solution for producing electric energy, heat and fuel. Recently, many European countries have incentivized the production of biomethane to be injected into natural gas grids or compressed and used as biofuel in vehicles. The introduction of an upgrading unit into an existing anaerobic digestion plant to convert biogas to biomethane may have a strong impact on the overall energy balance of the systems. The amount of biomethane produced may be optimized from several points of view (i.e., energy, environmental and economic). In this paper, the mass and energy fluxes of an anaerobic digestion plant were analyzed as a function of the biogas percentage sent to the upgrading system and the amount of biomethane produced. A numerical model of an anaerobic digestion plant was developed by considering an existing case study. The mass and energy balance of the digesters, cogeneration unit, upgrading system and auxiliary boiler were estimated when the amount of produced biomethane was varied. An internal combustion engine was adopted as the cogeneration unit and a CO2 absorption system was assumed for biogas upgrading. Results demonstrated that the energy balance of the plant is strictly dependent on the biomethane production and that an excess of biomethane production makes the plant totally dependent on external energy sources. As for the environmental impact, an optimal level of biomethane production exists that minimizes the emissions of equivalent CO2. However, high biomethane subsides can encourage plant managers to increase biomethane production and thus reduce CO2 savings.


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