| English | ÅëëçíéêÜ |  

 

   
 

AIMS

 
  • Thermo chemical processes for the valorisation of renewable and recyclable raw materials
  • Valorization of agricultural waste and by-products for energy and material production
  • Production of post pyrolysis solid products from biomass and wastes (black carbon, activated carbon)
  • Identification of the agricultural wastes potential as renewable energy sources
  • Research in using technologies that are efficient and sustainable in the use of biomass and wastes for energy production or activated carbon
 
 

GOAL   Top

 

Development of new processes and products for valorisation of agricultural residues

 

 

Areas of interest :

 

1. Areas of application focus    Top

 
  • Pyrolysis of biomass and waste for fuels and activated carbon.
  • Gasification of agricultural residues and wastes for energy production
  • Hydrogen from biomass.
 

2. Scientific and Technical aspects   Top

 
  • Physical and chemical characterisation of biomass and waste feedstocks and biomass products using advanced analytical techniques
  • Production of high quality solid products by slow pyrolysis
  • Agricultural wastes gasification for energy utilization to engines
  • Pyrolysis and gasification of organic waste materials
  • Design, construction and operation of experimental units at various scales (bench scale, pilot units) based on fixed or fluid bed reactors for various biomass conversion processes (flash and slow pyrolysis, gasification)
  • Development of kinetic and reactor models based on data obtained from experimental units
  • Cleaning of waste gasification gas
  • Scale up of thermochemical processes
  • Follow up of pilot plant in pyrolysis/gasification
 

2. Sustainability Issues Top

 
  • Economic sustainability of bienergy production
  • Environmental sustainability of bioenergy production
  • Social sustainability of bioenergy
  3. Technico-Economic assessement. Top
 
  • Assessement of the different technologies utilising various primary biomass feed stocks for small and large scale technological applications.
  • Comparison with conventional fuel options (fossil, natural gas, etc.)
  • Comparison for different energy carriers (electricity, hydrogen )
  • Logistics of biomass transportation
  4. Environmental aspects of biomass valorisation. Top
 
  • analysis and assessment of the environmental impact of the relevant biomass routes for energy supply
  • assessment of feasible ways to reduce negative environmental effects and to increase positive environmental effects
  • assessment to what extent biomass can play a role in energy supply with respect to environmental impact, agricultural development and land use
  • Emissions and particulates
  • Comparison of the environmental impacts of other products used for the same goal e.g. biomass with other energy carriers or different biomass options; and optimisation of specific production processes.
  5. Social and socio-economic aspects. Top
 
  • assessment of social and economic impacts of bioenergy systems at the local, regional, national and international level
 
 

Resources from renewable for energy and materials   Top

 

Our group is able to carry out collaborative or contract research on utilisation of biomass and wastes based on the following key competencies:

  • selection and characterization of biomass (agricultural wastes) and wastes feedstocks,
  • design, construction and operation of experimental units based on fixed or fluid bed reactors,
  • development of kinetic and reactor models based on data obtained from the experimental units,
  • analytical methods for physical and chemical analysis of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon mixtures (GC, GC/MS-CPERI)

Experience has been obtain and technology has been developed in various areas as described below:

  • Biomass and agricultural by-products flash and slow pyrolysis
  • Production of charcoal and biooil from forestry biomass pyrolysis
  • Agricultural wastes gasification for energy utilization to engines
  • Cleaning of waste gasification gas
  • Kinetic modeling and design of bench scale reactor
  • Follow up of pilot plant in pyrolysis
  • Used tires pyrolysis and utilization of residual carbon black
  • Active carbon production from tires pyrolytic char
  • Active carbon production from agricultural wastes pyrolytic char
 

 

Facilities available for research   Top

 

Experimental facilities and acquired instrumentation are:

  • analytical equipment for physical characterization of gas and liquid such as GC,GC-MS (CPERI)
  • bench scale biomass pyrolysis units,
  • a batch captive sample reactor heated by electrodes with a flexibility to various heating rates, with capacities of 0.1-1.0 gr of biomass
  • a fluidized bed reactor with capacity of 1 kg/hr
 

 

Strategic plans    Top

 

By taking in account the emerging environmental needs worldwide and especially the eventual substitution of hydrocarbons by bioenergy our plans in research are:

  • Valorisation of agricultural waste and by-products to energy and high added value material production
  • Use of energy from biomass gasification to engines
  • Production of post pyrolysis solid products from tires (black carbon, activated carbon)
  • Biomass gasification. Hydrogen production by direct gasification of solid biomass (agricultural residues) and catalytic upgrading of the syngas.
  • Thermochemical processes for the production of hydrogen from biomass for advanced energy systems based on fuel cells, with low contribution to net carbon dioxide emissions.
 

 

Selected related papers   Top

 

Ánastasia A. Zabaniotou. Pyrolysis of Forestry Biomass By-Products in Greece. Energy Sources, 21 (5) (1999)

Á.A Zabaniotou*, Á.J. Êarabelas. The Evritania (Greece) demonstration plant of biomass pyrolysis. Biomass and Bioenergy, 16, 431-445 (1999)

A. Zabaniotou*, E. Kouskoumvekaki, D. Sanopoulos. Recycling of spent lead/acid batteries: the case of Greece. Resources, Recycling and Conservation, 25, 301-317 (1999).

Á.A Zabaniotou. Simulation of forestry biomass drying in a rotary dryer. Journal of Drying Technology, 18(6), 2000.

A.A Zabaniotou*, G. Kalogiannis, E. Kappas, A.J. Karabelas. Olive residues (cuttings and kernels) rapid pyrolysis product yields and kinetics. Biomass and Bioenergy, 18, 411-420 (2000).

Á.A Zabaniotou*, A.I. Roussos and C.J. Koroneos. Á laboratory study of cotton gin wastes pyrolysis . Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyolysis, 56, 47-59(2000).

A. Zabaniotou*, N. Giannoulidis. Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste with Electricity production and Environmental Safety: The Case of a Small Capacity Unit in Greece. Energy Sources, 24, 115-126(2002).

C.A. Sikalidis, A.A Zabaniotou* and S.P. Famellos. Utilisation of municipal solid wastes for mortar production. Resources, Recycling and Conservation, 36, 155-167 (2002).

Á. Zabaniotou*, J. Lagoudakis, Å. Toumanidou and G. Stavropoulos. Energetic Utilization of Used Tires. Energy Sources, 24(9),843-854 (2002).

Á. Zabaniotou*, E. Kasidi. Life cycle assessment applied to egg packaging made from polysterene and recycled paper. Journal of Cleaner Production, 11(5),(2003).

A. A. Zabaniotou* and A.J. Karabelas. Pyrolysis of agricultural wastes and used tires. Presented at the Pyrolysis & Gasification of Biomass & Waste meeting of Ôhermonet network. Strasbourg, France 1-2 October 2002.

A. Zabaniotou. Pyrolysis of agricultural wastes (biomass) in Greece. Presented at the 12th European Conference and technology Exhibition on Biomass for Energy and Industry and Climate Protection. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 17-21 June 2002.

A. Zabaniotou* and G. Stavropoulos. Pyrolysis of used automobile tires and residual char utilization. Presented at 9th European Tires Recycling (ETRA) Conference. Brussels, Belgium. 13-15 March 2002.

C. Psomiadou, Á. Tsaga and A. Zabaniotou*. Industrial wastes of Thessaloniki, Greece. Presented of the 11th International Symposium on environmental Pollution and its Impact on Life in the Mediterranean region. Limassol, Cyprus, October 6- 10, 2001.

D. Sanopoulos and A. Zabaniotou*. A generalized approach for the development of a database as a useful tool for solid (municipal and hazardous) waste management. Presented at the 8th International Waste management and landfill Symposium. S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Sardinia. Italy. 1-5 October 2001.

C. Koroneos*, A. Boura, N. moussiopoulos, A. Zambaniotou and N. Filippopoulos Technical, Environmental, Economical and Energy Analysis of Alternative Methods for the Exploitation of Agricultural Wastes in Greece. Proc. of the 1st World Conference and Exhibition on Biomass for Energy and Industry. Seville, Spain. June 2000.