An Assessment of Different Integration Strategies of Hydrothermal Carbonisation and Anaerobic Digestion of Water Hyacinth

Aaron E. Brown, Jessica M. M. Adams, Oliver R. Grasham, Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero and Andrew B. Ross
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Aaron E. Brown: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Jessica M. M. Adams: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
Oliver R. Grasham: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero: BioResource Systems Research Group, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Andrew B. Ross: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-26

Abstract: Water hyacinth (WH) is an invasive aquatic macrophyte that dominates freshwater bodies across the world. However, due to its rapid growth rate and wide-spread global presence, WH could offer great potential as a biomass feedstock, including for bioenergy generation. This study compares different integration strategies of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) and anaerobic digestion (AD) using WH, across a range of temperatures. These include (i) hydrochar combustion and process water digestion, (ii) hydrochar digestion, (iii) slurry digestion. HTC reactions were conducted at 150 °C, 200 °C, and 250 °C. Separation of hydrochars for combustion and process waters for digestion offers the most energetically-feasible valorisation route. However, hydrochars produced from WH display slagging and fouling tendencies; limiting their use in large-scale combustion. AD of WH slurry produced at 150 °C appears to be energetically-feasible and has the potential to also be a viable integration strategy between HTC and AD, using WH.

Keywords: water hyacinth; hydrothermal carbonization; anaerobic digestion; biomethane; hydrochar; process water (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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