# CIE Research

## Pyrolysis Operation with Mr. Peter Burgess

### Objective
Learn enough information to create a business plan related to setting a Pyrolysis machine.

### Questions
1. Introduce ourselves (20s)
1. Chuan, software engineering student
2. Judy, mechanical engineering student
3. Could we record this meeting?
2. Provide some context to the project (40s)
1. Our project is about turning the 25,000 tonne annual post harvest wastes located at HVP plantation at the border of VIC and NSW into a useful resource.
3. Could you explain to us how what is the ECH02 system currently running at Hello-Fresh? What is produced and how are they consumed?
7. What's the input to output ratio? Pyrocal company converts 750kg/h of biomass to about 90kg/h of char.
8. How do you prepare and store feedstocks?
6. Could you walk us through the process of setting up, running, and recycle a pyrolysis machine?
10. What infrastructures are necessary for the success of a pyrolysis system?
11. Is the market demanding renewing energy from Pyrolysis? Could we be producing more than we can consume?

## Biofuel with Prof Greg Martin

### Objective
* Learn enough information to write about the pros and cons of biofuel.
* Gain contact details

### Question
1. Introduction
2. Provide context
3. What are prominent methods of converting wood waste to fuel?
1. what facility is required?
4. are there harmful byproduct?
5. what’s the efficiency?
6. what type of biofuel is produced?
4. What are the main challenges of setting up a fuel conversion plant?
7. Could we convert wood into medical or food grade alcohol? Could this be done in a small scale?
8. What other ways could be convert wood waste to resource?
9. Do you know any biofuel businesseses that would be happy to be contacted by us?

----

## Project context

## Rowan interview
1. Expain the aim "to understand the Burton engine"
2. How does an engine gets transported and setup?
3. EP have just started building commerial engine
4. 20 foot container or 40 foot container
5. Setup heat capture site, install a heat exchanger which is dependent on
6. The working fluid in Barton engine is air which allows easy installation compared to other forms of working fluid
7. A site for container
8. 3 phases of power
10. Heat capture system, 30-40k, the whole process of capture
11. Engine
12. Isolation transformer that doesn't change the voltage but instead act as a protector to the grid
13. Paper work to connect the power point to grid, 10k
3. Operator and maintainer training for the heat connection
4. The Burton engine converts heat to electricity
5. 100kw in 20 foot container, 200kw in 40 foot container
6. Min 450C heat from source has a 30% efficiency to drop to 300C, 300C is removed from stack
7. Internal compustion engine such as Burton is very efficient. 30% efficiency is similar to car's engine
8. Hydrolic oil and lubricant oil will be used
9. Mark 2 engine in a 24 foot container with heat exchanger will be 12 tonnes, 6 tonne without the heat exchanger
10. Not registered with climate solution fund because CP hasn't generated carbon credits
11. Estimate 20 years life expectency because the use of air as a working fuild allows the engine to be clean. Only the heat is consumed.

Are there anything you expected us to ask but we didn't ask?
We should have expained our background so Rowan knows how much explaination is needed

## Summary
There are few path for wood wastage
* Energy

Current process of burning post-harvest residues
* release carbon
* distrub local community, HVP plantation has received few complaints

## Contacts

### Rainbow Bee Eater
* Peter Burgess, Managing Director, [e-mail]
* https://www.rainbowbeeeater.com.au/


Basic info
* Uses ECH02 to create clean syngas from waste biomass that are then turned into heat
* A commercial module at Holla-Fresh farm in Tantanoola, SA which uses ECH02 to generate heat and biochar to enrich fuel
* The biochar produced is added to compost, fertilisers, animal feeds, and construction materials

Questions to ask
1. What are
2. Would it be feasible for HVP plantations to
3. From you experience what are the methods to utilize forest wood residues?
4. Input/output ratio
5. Cost
6. Operation time and biochar/syngas/biofuel production rate
7. Logistic challenges in the cycle of collecting/Purchasing wood residues, producing biochar/syngas/biofuel, sell/deliver biochar/syngas/biofuel?

### A/Prof Graham Brodie
* [e-mail]
* https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/2369-graham-brodie

Basic info:
* Studied a process called "thermo-catalytic depolymerization" which utilizes microwaves to convert organic matter to biochar which can be done on an industrial scale

Questions to ask
*

### A/Prof Greg Martin
* [e-mail]
* https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/11339-greg-martin

Basic info:
* Studied algae produced bio crude fuel

Questions to ask:
* What are the processes of creating fuels using lignocellulosic/wood biomass
* What kind of biofuel could one produce on a plantation using wood residuel? Alchohol or oil.
* What technique is suitable

## Research

### Biofuel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-generation_biofuels

### Biochar
* https://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/climatechange/australias-farming-future/biochar
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar

* Biochar is the solid material obtained from the termochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. The burning of wood in a campfire can yeild biochar but is less efficient compared to a pyrolysis machine.
* Biochar in soil reduces the rate of CO2 emission from soil, because the carbon stored in biochar doesn't decompose to CO2 for thousands of years.
* Improper production process can cause Biochar may contain heavy metal and toxic organic compounds, however
* Biochar improves yeild for certain crops by
* reduce leacching of E-coli
* increase soil moisture
* provide a habitat for soil micro organisms
* elevate pH
* The porous nature increases the retaination of water and water soluble nutrients, and on the other hand also absorbs pesticides and herbicides leading to poor weed control.
* There are different types of biochars as well. Grass or crop–derived biochars appear to have the best balance of agricultural benefit and carbon stability. Wood–derived biochars were more carbon rich, whereas biochars from manures and food wastes recorded higher nitrogen and phosphorus levels.
* The effect of biochar to soil also depends on the soil quality

[Can biochar help save the world? (1)](https://chinadialogue.net/en/climate/2836-can-biochar-help-save-the-world-1/)
* The carbon in biochar is mineralised, so it's very resistant to breaking down.
* Byproducts of biochar's manufacture are very attractive, address three or four critical crises at once: The climate-change crisis, the energy crisis, the food and water crisis (biochar fertilises soil and retains water)
* The natural carbon cycle can only remove about 54% of the carbon that produced by human activity
* Ways of manufacturing biochar
* centralised
* decentralised: manufactured by individuals or a small group of individuals
* mobile: vehicle equipped with a pyrolyser (powered by syngas) visits farms distributing biochar while collecting bio-oil to be transported to a refinery and turn into liquid biofuel for vehicles. (Brazil's sugar cane industry)
* Crucible Carbon predicts carbon sequestration from biochar at the cost of $20 a tonne.

### [Biofuels Study (L.E.K 2011)](https://arena.gov.au/assets/2013/10/advanced-biofuels-study.pdf)
* A study of biofuel with respect to government policy
* Wood counts as Lignocellulosic residues

### [Why Biofuels Are Terrible (Real Engineering @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpEB6hCpIGM)
* Plants only convert 1 percent of sun's energy, photovoltaic cells has 12-20% efficiency
* Corn
* Expensive
* Water intensive
* When food crops is used for fuel, it drives up price
* Must undergo upgrading before it can be finished into a fuel or used in a refinery

### [Recyling Sawmill waste in operation (elwellboy @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNfBQU5Kwfw)
* A detailed walkthrough of how waste is first filtered and screened to remove stone and dust, then grinded.
* S.E.F.E wood chip mill
* Aim to create a pellet plant
* Pallet is a mixture of hard and softwood that goes through a dryer

### [Logging waste to fuel (University of Nottingham @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqzXAMvoo9Y)
* 5 to 10 tons of waste per week from hedge clipping for 12 man team logging operation
* Directly to power stations and composting

### [Transportation of Biomass (Ledcord Group @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuMJS6zI7DQ)
* Contaminate free and dry chips can be turned into fuel
* Need large trucks

### [Outback mill (Beowulf Builders Pty Ltd @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm_aUSFWxvs)
* An assuie walking you through his friend's backyard

### [Wood scrap to charcoal (The Oregonian @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kQoHpNJh8g)
* Turns thinings and logging wastes into a charcoal like dense briquettes by roasting the wood chips and saw dust in 320C
* Large industrial burner

### [Albany pellet plant repoened in 2017 (Tyne @ ABC)](https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-03-08/wa-wood-pellet-plant-recomissioned/8333208)
* Owned by Plantation Energy
* Decommissioned in 2012 due to
* lack of market demand
* high Australian dollar
* supply issue

### Eden pallet plant
* [NWS woodchip waste (Going Bush @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpXfMCWseIQ)
* [Engineering details (Gemco Energy)](http://www.gemcopelletmill.com/500kg-600kg-per-hour-wood-pellet-plant-in-Eden.html)
* [2019 November 11 update (Magnet News)](https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/6480396/eden-chipmill-loads-up-with-new-pallet-manufacturing-plan/)
* [2021 Jan 19 update (Magnet News)](https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/7091482/eden-briquette-plant-to-be-operational-by-april/))
* Forest fibre harvested from East Gippsland will be turned into pallets

### [Tasmanian Plantation (Going Bush @ YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p77rFsmUW_U)
* Thining: selectively cut down small trees to make room for bigger trees to grow.
* Prunning to make thick timber
* The growth of thick timber requires 25-30 years.

## Potential usage of forest waste
* Pallet
* Cat litter and animal beddings
* Home heating
* Generate electricity
* Fuel
* Ethanol
* Charcol
* Direct burn
* Compost

## Gallery

Wood Chips
Wood Pallet
Briquettes