- +5535988240010
Electo E . Silva Lora
UNIFEI, Mechanical Engineering Institute, Faculty Member
This paper presents a mathematical model for the thermo-economic evaluation of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), which recovers exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine (ICE) based cogeneration plant, currently in operation in... more
This paper presents a mathematical model for the thermo-economic evaluation of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), which recovers exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine (ICE) based cogeneration plant, currently in operation in Turin, Italy. The model is based on a complete set of experimental data of the plant, for both nominal and partial load operation conditions. The main components of the ORC plant have been modelled and a thermo-economic analysis has been carried out for each component. The aim of the paper is to perform a thermo-economic analysis of the system through the Theory of Exergetic Cost, in order to provide a complete diagnosis of the plant, by quantifying the performances of the whole system and its sub-systems, and by determining the monetary costs and the exergetic costs. The model can represent a useful decision-making tool for the optimal design of similar plants.
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After fifty years of a civil war in Colombia, known as "armed conflict", peace was signed in November 2016, between the national government and the largest armed group in the country; During these years, most of the rural areas... more
After fifty years of a civil war in Colombia, known as "armed conflict", peace was signed in November 2016, between the national government and the largest armed group in the country; During these years, most of the rural areas were abandoned and unproductive. The demand for electric power in 2015 was 66,548 GWh, which was generated with an installed capacity of 16,436 MW, supported by large-scale hydraulic resources (70.0%) and fossil fuels (29.3%), the rest (0.7%) corresponded to cogeneration with cane bagasse (0.6%) and wind energy (0.1%). The nine main agricultural crops in the country generate a little more than 53.6 million tons of agricultural residual biomass (ARB), which is likely to be harnessed energy. In this ARB the residual biomass necessary for the supply of nutrients to the soil has been discounted, to avoid its degradation. If this ARB is used for electricity generation, it is estimated that it would be possible to generate at least 27,801 GWh y-1, and at most 59,895 GWh year-1, depending on the conversion technologies used, amounts corresponding to 41.8% and 90.0% of the energy generated in Colombia in 2015, respectively.
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ABSTRACT After some hours of operation, every power plant's equipment begins to show degraded performance. The amount of equipment degradation and the gain that can be achieved in plant heat rate and power generation by the... more
ABSTRACT After some hours of operation, every power plant's equipment begins to show degraded performance. The amount of equipment degradation and the gain that can be achieved in plant heat rate and power generation by the replacement or repairing of each ...
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Abstract The large quantities of residual biomass produced in the palm oil industry have become one of the main environmental and financial concerns of this industry. For this reason, biorefineries are gaining strength in recent years,... more
Abstract The large quantities of residual biomass produced in the palm oil industry have become one of the main environmental and financial concerns of this industry. For this reason, biorefineries are gaining strength in recent years, since through their production model the residual biomass can be used as raw material to produce bioenergetics (biofuels and bio-products), hence contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to compare and evaluate alternatives to convert a conventional palm oil mill into a biorefinery considering energy and environmental sustainability indicators. In this context, this work presents a study of three scenarios: the first (I), the base case, consists of a traditional palm oil mill; the second (II) considers a palm oil mill working under the biorefinery concept that uses the fast pyrolysis process for the production of bio-oil and biochar; and the third (III) considers a biorefinery that, besides incorporating the pyrolysis process, has an extraction/transesterification stage for the production of biodiesel and glycerin in the palm oil mill. The surplus electricity index was calculated for the three scenarios, and scenario III was the most favorable, achieving 110.23 kW per ton of fresh fruit bunch with an overall efficiency of 82.69%. The environmental assessment carried out for scenario III indicates that environmental impacts of bio-oil production are 32.5% lower than the ones to produce electricity (climate change category) and 14.2% lower than environmental impacts to produce biodiesel (resources category), demonstrating that the production of bio-oil using fast pyrolysis result in lower environmental impacts compared with the other products obtained in the biorefinery. Finally, the Net Energy Ratio was calculated for the scenario with the best thermodynamic performance (scenario III: 21.17) and compared with previously published studies, resulting in a gain of total energy flow of up to 17.77.
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Six alternatives for the conversion of an average Colombian palm oil mill (30 t h−1 of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) into biorefineries were evaluated. The alternatives studied were: (C1) Production of biogas from the Palm Oil Mill Effluents... more
Six alternatives for the conversion of an average Colombian palm oil mill (30 t h−1 of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) into biorefineries were evaluated. The alternatives studied were: (C1) Production of biogas from the Palm Oil Mill Effluents (POME), (C2) Composting of empty fruit bunches (EFB) and fiber, (C3) Biomass combustion for high pressure steam combined heat and power, (C4) Pellets production, (C5) Biochar production and, (C6) Biochar and bio-oil production. The available biomass could result in up to 125 kWh of electricity, 207 kg of compost, 125 kg of pellet, 44 kg of biochar and 63 kg of bio-oil per metric ton of FFB. The global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EP), net energy ratio (NER), capital expenditures (CAPEX), operational costs (OPEX), net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) were calculated for all the alternatives. GHG reductions of more than 33% could be achieved. Anaerobic digestion and composting contributed to 30% reduction of the EP. The CAPEX for all of the biorefinery alternatives studied varies between 0.7 $ t−1 and 2.8 $ t−1 of FFB. The OPEX varies between 1.6 $ t−1 and 7.3 $ t−1 of FFB. The NPV for viable scenarios ranged between 2.5 million and 13.9 million US dollars. The IRR calculated varied between 3% and 56% and the payback periods were between 3 and 8 years. The total extra incomes reached values up to 15.2 $ t−1 of FFB. Overall the pellets production biorefinery was the preferred alternative.
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... of some agricultural products [11] and the availability of residues in Brazil (residue coefficient was taken from Nogueira and Lora, 2003). ... We can highlight the African Palm or 'Dendê' because of its productivity, for it... more
... of some agricultural products [11] and the availability of residues in Brazil (residue coefficient was taken from Nogueira and Lora, 2003). ... We can highlight the African Palm or 'Dendê' because of its productivity, for it presents medium and long-term possibilities of replacing ...
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A bioenergia representa uma alternativa fundamental e estratégica para a tão ambicionada transição energética para sistemas renováveis e mais sustentáveis. Considerando as características edafoclimáticas e amplo território, o Brasil pode... more
A bioenergia representa uma alternativa fundamental e estratégica para a tão ambicionada transição energética para sistemas renováveis e mais sustentáveis. Considerando as características edafoclimáticas e amplo território, o Brasil pode ocupar um relevante protagonismo nesta transição. Além do mais, a “vocação natural” do Brasil à bioenergia já é confirmada pela contribuição substancial dos recursos bioenergéticos, em suas formas mais modernas, na oferta interna de energia. Este trabalho discorre sobre a produção e uso da bioenergia no país, desde aspectos históricos, passando pelo seu potencial e perspectivas de novos mercados, como combustíveis líquidos, biogás, hidrogênio e bioeletricidade.
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O cafe e a bebida mais consumida da atualidade, sendo a segunda commodity mais comercializada no mundo, perdendo apenas para o petroleo. O Brasil destaca-se por ser o maior produtor mundial deste precioso grao, e apenas no ano de 2019... more
O cafe e a bebida mais consumida da atualidade, sendo a segunda commodity mais comercializada no mundo, perdendo apenas para o petroleo. O Brasil destaca-se por ser o maior produtor mundial deste precioso grao, e apenas no ano de 2019 (somados os meses de janeiro e fevereiro), exportou um total de 6,879,184 sacas, o que significa uma substancial quantidade e geracao de receita para o pais. Portanto e de fundamental importância o estudo aprofundado sobre as etapas de producao do cafe, de modo a identificar os processos que possuem maior contribuicao para os impactos ambientais e promover acoes para reduzir tais impactos. Neste trabalho foram selecionados e comparados 5 estudos do tema e realizou-se uma sucinta analise de cada um, seguindo a metodologia do ciclo de vida, com foco nos resultados dos trabalhos. O objetivo geral dos estudos analisados e atuar na reducao dos pontos de maior geracao dos impactos ambientais, tornando a producao de cafe um processo eficiente e sustentavel, com menor consumo de energia eletrica, reducao do uso de produtos quimicos, reutilizacao de residuos orgânicos, e demais melhorias que agregam valor e credibilidade para os produtores e empresas envolvidas.
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The main goal of this paper is to compare the biochemical and thermochemical routes for second generation biofuels production performance, using efficiency and economic indicators. In both cases, the feedstock used is bagasse.... more
The main goal of this paper is to compare the biochemical and thermochemical routes for second generation biofuels production performance, using efficiency and economic indicators. In both cases, the feedstock used is bagasse. Calculations are carried out for a biofuel plant having a bagasse consumption of 1772 t/d of dry substance, equivalent to 400 MW of thermal energy. By-products utilisation, such as lignin in the biochemical route, and bagasse for steam and electricity self-sufficiency through cogeneration were also considered. The high production cost of bioethanol obtained through the biochemical route (USD21.32 to USD22.7 per GJETOH) is strongly influenced by the enzyme costs. The biomethanol production cost by the thermochemical route (USD15.82 per GJMeOH) is mainly influenced by the high investment cost.
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Engineering, Environmental Science, Economics, GAS TURBINE, Power Plant, and 15 moreElectricity, Natural Gas, Power Generation, Atmospheric Pressure, Thermal Power Plant, Relative Humidity, General Electric, Steam Turbine, Applied Energy, Combined cycle, Ambient Temperature, Electric Power, Electricity Generation, Thermal Efficiency, and Power station
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The aim of this paper is to present an analysis about the tests performed in one micro power generator facility, composed of a double stage fixed bed gasifier and a spark engine. The results obtained from the tests are assessed and the... more
The aim of this paper is to present an analysis about the tests performed in one micro power generator facility, composed of a double stage fixed bed gasifier and a spark engine. The results obtained from the tests are assessed and the best operation point is discussed. Parameters which must be used for the design and scale up of this system, such as, equivalence ratio, gas generated by unit of fuel, gas energy content by unit of fuel, cold efficiency and global efficiency, as well as, the hearth load, are presented.
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Abstract The principal motivation of this work is to evaluate the existing fuel use (gasoline or ethanol) and new alternative source of power supply (electricity) for vehicles in Brazil, and to assess potential to consume less petroleum... more
Abstract The principal motivation of this work is to evaluate the existing fuel use (gasoline or ethanol) and new alternative source of power supply (electricity) for vehicles in Brazil, and to assess potential to consume less petroleum and non-renewable fuels, in order to reduce the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In the literature, there are several relevant published works which focus on this topic for developed countries, and other countries, such as Brazil are not fully investigated; therefore this gap was a motivation for this study. The methods consider the fuel production, electricity generation and powertrain production, the vehicle use phase stages and powertrain end of life only, which includes the recycling of vehicles and batteries. The goal and scope of this study is to evaluate and to compare the environmental impacts of vehicles in the Brazilian context. A life cycle assessment is carried out in this paper to assess the well-to-wheels for different scenarios of fuels consumption and powertrains configurations for a vehicle. The five analyzed scenarios are: conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by gasoline, conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by hydrous ethanol, conventional internal combustion engine vehicle fuelled by a mixture of gasoline and hydrous ethanol (flex-fuel vehicle), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and battery electric vehicle. The common functional unit assumed for the analysis was 1.0 km traveled. The results show that the scenarios that use ethanol as fuel have higher environmental impacts for the categories of acidification, eutrophication and photochemical oxidation. The scenarios using gasoline have the higher impacts for abiotic depletion, fossil fuels abiotic depletion potential and global warming potential. Vehicles using lithium ions batteries have the highest impacts for human toxicity. The battery electric vehicle has smallest environmental impacts in general way, followed by vehicles using ethanol. The Brazilian government should increase its investment and develop the use of electric vehicles, since the country's electric mix is renewable, as well as further encourage the use of ethanol, since it generates less environmental impacts than gasoline.
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Abstract This paper evaluates the potential of available land area for bioenergy projects in 2050 without compromising food security. The paper's novelty is the qualitative and quantitative assessment of parameters interfering with... more
Abstract This paper evaluates the potential of available land area for bioenergy projects in 2050 without compromising food security. The paper's novelty is the qualitative and quantitative assessment of parameters interfering with land availability for bioenergy projects. Unlike previous studies, the projections consider food waste, areas of degraded or abandoned land due to low productivity, and parameters generally overlooked by other authors, such as urban agriculture and insect protein consumption. Population's food demand, agricultural productivity changes, and surplus land availability for biofuel production are bases for the methods employed. Three (3) different scenarios were defined: business as usual (Pessimistic Scenario - CP), the best of the realistic scenarios (Optimistic Conservative Scenario - CC), and the ideal situation (Ideal Scenario - CC). The authors did not consider social segmentation variations in land access, characterizing a weakness of the study. Projections disregard economic and market influences governing land use and distribution. Despite the risks to biodiversity because of agricultural frontiers' expansion, there is enough arable land in the world to feed the population in 2050 in the three proposed scenarios. However, choosing to prioritize forest preservation and going for shrubland areas as the next agricultural frontiers, no arable land would remain in the Pessimistic Scenario for biofuels. Otherwise, agriculture would cause deforestation of 24% of forest area (935 million hectares) and causing massive environmental impacts. In the Optimistic Conservative Scenario, 5.7% of agricultural land would remain, supplying 92% of the 2100 target, and in the Ideal Scenario, 42.0% of agricultural land would remain, with the potential of reach the 2100 target more than 6 times. Bioenergy could contribute to 5–17.7% of the global energy matrix in the most realistic scenarios.
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Waste Management, Biogas, Anaerobic Digestion, Biofuel, Vinasse, and 3 moreEffluent, Bagasse, and Stillage
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ABSTRACT
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Engineering, Economics, Biofuel, Sugar, Cogeneration, and 3 moreCHEMICAL SCIENCES, Bagasse, and Cane
‘Curb CO2 emissions’ is a common expression today and it will be heard even more frequently in the future. Biofuels have attracted attention for many years, and recently this attention has been directed, in particular, to biofuels in... more
‘Curb CO2 emissions’ is a common expression today and it will be heard even more frequently in the future. Biofuels have attracted attention for many years, and recently this attention has been directed, in particular, to biofuels in heavy‐duty vehicles. This sector contributes to a significant quantity of emissions in Brazil. This class of fuels – biodiesel, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) – has an established industry in Brazil. However, the limited capacity for the production of biodiesel, and the limitations imposed by its properties, make it difficult to expand the industry. Thus, hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVOs) have emerged as a more environmental friendly fuel and a potential alternative to cut emissions in the transportation sector. To identify ways to use such fuels in Brazil, this study reviews environmental indicators for diesel, biodiesel, and HVO, and compares then using a composite score. Based on specific emission factors, scenarios for the use of HVO are evaluated in terms of emissions avoided, potential granting of decarbonization credits, and feasibility for investment. The results in one of the scenarios evaluated show that 0.5 decarbonization credits can be granted for each liter of HVO consumed in Brazil. There is room for profitability in all of the scenarios. This work also shows that Brazil has the necessary public policies to foster biofuels on a large scale, and, with blend mandates being reformulated, the country could avoid emissions of over 12.9 million CO2 tons per year in the transport sector. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.