Head of this core, Prof. Keiya Nishida, retired from professorship at Hiroshima University in March, 2021. The continuation of the Advanced Core of Energetics, Hiroshima University (HU-ACE) with Prof. Yukihiko Matsumura as its new head of this core has been officially approved. We will continue to develop the Hiroshima Scenario, information sharing on energy, and interdisciplinary collaborative research on energy and the environment, and thus, we would like to ask for your continued support going forward. Prof. Nishida will continue to participate in the organization of this core, collaborative projects, etc.

Greeting from the HU-ACE head

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.51 was published.  (Click)

The95th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar
(The85th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar) was held.

Date & Time: Thu. 29 July., 2021 16:20-17:50
Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

Program

Chair & Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA
Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Kosuke HIRAMATSU
M1 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University
“Effect of addition timing of radical scavengers in supercritical water gasification”

Lecture: Mitsuru AOYAGI
Assoc.Professor, Life Environment department Science club of Living resources, Prefectural University of Hiroshima
“Preparation of sustainable macromolecular materials from unused plant biomass by chemical modifications”

Event report ⇒

HU-ACE was held the International Symposium of ISFE2021 on July 5-6, 2021.

The symposium was held ON-LINE this year.

Click here for the ISFE2021 official website

Click and submit your abstract from here

ISFE2021_registration homepage

ISFE2021_poster.pdf

The94th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar

(The83rd Hiroshima University ACE Seminar) was held.

Date & Time: Wed. 19 May., 2021   16:20-17:50

Online

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Possibility of biomass in Carbon Neutral x Smart Campus 5.0”

Hiroshima University decided to make carbon dioxide emission from the campus zero in 2030 through the Declaration of Carbon Neutral x Smart Campus 5.0.  It requires introduction of renewable energy. Photovoltaic and underground heat is considered, but biomass can be covering what these technologies cannot.  Possible role of biomass will be discussed.

Lecture: Masaki SAGEHASHI

Professor, Department of Social System Design, Eikei University of Hiroshima

“Numerical analyses of biomass utilization”

To design a biomass process or system, its feasibility should be determined from various viewpoints such as energy efficiency, environmental loads, cost etc. Numerical model is one of the powerful tools to understand the feasibility. In this presentation, numerical analyses of biomass utilization will be introduced.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

The93rd Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar

(The80th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar) was held.

Date & Time: Wed. 21 Apr., 2021   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“High efficiency power generation using ammonia recovery and methane fermentation of feedlot manure”

Feedlot manure contains large amount of nitrogen, which is converted into ammonia during methane fermentation to be fermentation inhibitor.  To circumvent this problem, we proposed to treat manure in hot compressed water, generate ammonia, and separate the ammonia from manure so that fermentation without inhibition is achieved.  This ammonia can be converted into hydrogen by electrolysis, and the hydrogen is mixed with methane fermentation gas for power generation with high efficiency.  

Lecture: Kazuhiro MOCHIDZUKI

Retoca Laboratory LLC President

“Community-based Bring-in Biomass Collection System and Smart Biomass Network”

This presentation dealt with feasibility study on a smart biomass network, which was expected to connect effective collection of biomass resources and biomass energy users in a community.  We focused on the use of wood biomass and waste cooking oil in Kitahiroshima town, Hiroshima.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.50 was published.  (Click)

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.49 was published.  (Click)

The92nd Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar

(The 77th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar)

Date & Time: Tue.9 Feb., 2021   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Yuta HIROSE

M2 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Cleaning of exhaust gas from pellet stove”

Pellet stove use wood pellet as fuel. The wood pellet is made from sawdust which occurs when making wooden products. So wood pellet is carbon neutral and important to solve the environmental problem such as depletion of fossil fuel and global warming. Therefore it is good idea to use pellet stove instead of devices which use fossil fuels as fuel. However, pellet stove have some problems to use instead of them. For example, the exhaust gas from pellet stove contains much soot, and gas which harmful for human health. So it is difficult to use in residential area. Therefore, it is important to remove these things from exhaust gas from pellet stove. In this research, we spray the water to the exhaust gas from pellet stove which contain soot to remove the soot. Heating power of pellet stove which is used in this research can be changed in 5 levels. This experiment was conducted in heating power 3, 5 with spray or no spray.

Lecture: Fumika KAMAGATA

B4 student, School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Potassium removal rate from bamboo using methanol”

Bamboo has a high growth rate and is expected as a raw material for combustion. However, due to the high alkali metal content, the ash melts at low temperatures, hindering the smooth operation of the furnace. Washing bamboo with water helps remove alkali metals, but the resulting bamboo has a high water content. Therefore, this study used flammable methanol, which does not require a drying step. The purpose is to determine the potassium removal rate when methanol is used as the solvent.

Lecture: Yuito SUGANUMA

B4 student, School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Removal of nitrogen from chicken manure using hydrothermal pretreatment”

Biomass contains several nitrogen-containing compounds, including proteins, which decompose to produce ammonia.  Nowadays, ammonia is produced by the Haber-Bosch Process to fulfill the increasing demand for fertilizer with the population growth, and it is currently one of the most common chemicals produced industrially.  Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the behavior of nitrogen in livestock waste by analyzing solid and liquid products under subcritical and supercritical conditions in the actual hydrothermal treatment of livestock waste.

Lecture: Shinnosuke MIYASAKO

M1 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Behavior of organic phosphorus in hydrothermal treatment”

This experiment was conducted to confirm the mineralization characteristics of phosphatidylcholine under hydrothermal treatment condition.  In this study, I conducted the experiment using phosphatidylcholine dissolved in water (concentration is 1.0 wt%). It is organic phosphorus mainly contained in sewage sludge belonging to waste biomass. The experimental equipment was continuous reactor consisting of SUS316 1/8 inch tube and 1/16 inch tube. In addition, the experiment was conducted by changing the conditions of residence time and reaction time. In addition, we compared the mineralization properties of ATP and DNA, which have been confirmed in previous studies.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.48 was published.  (Click)

The91st Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar 

(The76th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar) was held.

Date & Time: Tue.12 Jan., 2021   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Kaisei TAKEMURA

D2 student, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University

“An approach to develop the practical ethanol production process from syngas by genetically engineered Moorella thermoacetica”

We have succeeded in producing ethanol from syngas by using genetically engineered Moorella thermoacetica.  The ethanol productivity needs to be enhanced to commercially relevant rates, and hence, I have attempted high-cell-density culture to achieve the high production rates.  The cells were concentrated up to 5.0g/L with the minimum loss of the activity, and the production rate was increased according to the cell density.  However, it was significantly lower than the potential value and the specific production rate was lower than expected.  In my presentation, I will discuss this issue, focusing on the transfer rate of the gaseous substrates into the liquid medium.

Lecture: Md.Azhar UDDIN

Professor, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Okayama University

“Catalytic Steam Reforming of Liginocelluloisic Biomass-Derived Tar into Synthesis gas”

In recent years, the energy problem due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources and the global warming problem due to the increase in greenhouse gas CO₂ emitted by the use of fossil fuels have become more serious. One of the solutions to this problem is the effective use of renewable biomass. There are several effective biomass utilization technologies, however in this research, we focused on gasification of woody or liginocellulosic biomass, aiming at catalytic decomposition of volatile matter (tar) generated in the gasification process. We proceeded with the development of iron-cerium catalysts for steam reforming of biomass-derived tar.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.47 was published.  (Click)

HU-ACE was held the International Symposium ISFE2020 on December 7-8, 2020.

The symposium was held ON-LINE this year.

Click here for the ISFE2020 official website

Click and submit your abstract from here

ISFE2020_registration homepage

ISFE2020_poster.pdf

The90th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar

(The75th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar) was held.

Date & Time: Tue.1 Dec., 2020   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Possible collaboration related to biomass field: Activities of Hiroshima University Advanced Core for Energetics”

Collaboration is not always easy.  This is because common sense in one field is not so for researchers in another field, and what you need is not provided as it is.  Still, when it works, collaboration results in very fruitful outcome.  As an example of useful collaboration, activity of Hiroshima University Advanced Core for Energetics (HU-ACE) is introduced.  Since its foundation in 2016, members of HU-ACE have collaborated from one project to another.  In relation to biomass, Hiroshima scenario was developed by the mutual understanding of the energy researchers and collaborative projects are successful to get funding. 

Lecture: Pattraporn CHANGSUWAN

D3 student, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Char formation from guaiacol in supercritical water gasification “

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is suitable technology with synergistic application of renewable energy and waste processing.  However, the char formation produced by side reactions will cause plugging in the reactor when in operation for a long time and reduces carbon gasification efficiency in the process.  This study investigated the decomposition of shochu residue (Japanese distilled liquor) as actual biomass and guaiacol as model compound of lignin to predict carbon product yield and conversion efficiency during the gasification of both types of biomass. Shochu residue and guaiacol were conducted in a continuous flow reactor at a temperature of 600 °C and pressure of 25 MPa. Firstly, to design the supercritical water gasification reactor, it is always needed to determine the gasification characteristics of the actual feedstock. Considering that most of the wet organic waste is composed of solid and liquid components. The secondary studies that investigated the effect of guaiacol concentration (0.05-1.0 wt%) and residence time (5-94 s) on the carbon production yield and gas composition. Solid yields increased with increased feedstock concentration, reflecting an order of reaction greater than one for solid production. A reaction model was developed, and the reaction rate constants were determined successfully to reproduce experimental results. Finally, the interaction between guaiacol and radical scavengers like acetic acid was elucidated.  It was found that acetic acid is a good radical scavenger for inhibiting radical char formation from guaiacol under SCWG conditions. The interaction parameters indicated that adding acetic acid has a significant effect on the product yields, especially char yield.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.46was published.  (Click)

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.45was published.  (Click)

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.44was published.  (Click)

The 89th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar

(The73th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar)was held.

Date & Time: Thu.5 Nov., 2020   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Fumika KAMAGATA

B4 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Potassium removal rate from bamboo using methanol “ 

Bamboo has a high growth rate and is expected as a raw material for combustion. However, due to the high alkali metal content, the ash melts at low temperatures, hindering the smooth operation of the furnace. Washing bamboo with water helps remove alkali metals, but the resulting bamboo has a high water content. Therefore, this study used flammable methanol, which does not require a drying step. The purpose is to determine the potassium removal rate when methanol is used as the solvent.

Lecture: Bailun CHEN

M2 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Supercritical water gasification of fine biomass powder “

Supercritical water gasification gasifies biomass in hot compressed water whose temperature and pressure are both above critical point (647K, 22.06MPa). Biomass is solid, and from the gas-solid or liquid-solid reaction viewpoint, effect of particle size should be considered. However, there has not been sufficient study to predict solid biomass behavior in supercritical water. The purpose of this study is to conduct supercritical water gasification of solid particles to determine the particle size effect. A laboratory scale reactor was employed which was a continuous reactor made of stainless tubing. Wood particles and particles of empty fruit bunch were employed. Pulverization for different particle sized samples. Gasification efficiency was found to decrease with particle size, implying the similar mechanism as gas-solid reaction or liquid- solid reaction exists in the supercritical water reactor, too.

Lecture: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Superiority of supercritical water gasification effluent over hydrothermal liquefaction effluent as algae cultivation media”

Hydrothermal treatment of algae such as hydrothermal liquefaction and supercritical water gasification has attracted attention as renewable energy production system.  One of the ideas to achieve further renewability is to reuse its effluent for algae cultivation itself.  The effluent of the hydrothermal processes contains nutrition such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen produced from algae and can be used for algae cultivation.  Various researches have been conducted to cultivate algae using the effluent of hydrothermal treatment of algae, mainly using the hydrothermal liquefaction effluent.  A problem they encountered was inhibition of algae growth by some compound in the effluent.  In this study, effluent of supercritical water gasification from different temperature was employed to cultivate algae after mixing with the standard medium.  It was found that supercritical water gasification at 400 °C had higher non-purgeable organic carbon compared to that at 600 °C.  Other nutrition concentration was almost the same.  However, algae growth was better for the effluent of 600 °C.  This result should be attributed to the decomposition of inhibitory compound at 600 °C.

Lecture: Shunsuke KOBAYASHI

M2 student, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University

“Elucidation of the mechanism of growth inhibition by H₂ in the ethanol-producing strains of Moorella thermoacetica”

We have tried to establish a fermentation process for ethanol production by metabolically engineering a microorganism Moorella thermoacetica that can utilize sugar and CO₂. Although CO₂ is emitted in the conventional fermentation process, CO₂ can be recycled as a carbon source in the new process using M. thermoacetica. Energy from H₂ is used for the CO₂ metabolism, but growth of the engineered strain was inhibited by H₂. In this presentation, I talk about our study on the mechanism of this inhibition.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

HU-ACE News Letter Vol.43was published.  (Click)

The 88th Hiroshima University Biomass Evening Seminar was held.

(The72th Hiroshima University ACE Seminar)

Date & Time: Mon.28 Sep., 2020   16:20-17:50

Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

<Program>

Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Sin Sokrethy

M1 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Rice Straw and Rice Husk as a Biomass Resource for Rural Electrical Grid in Cambodia “ 

Cambodia is a developing country in which 80% of the population relies on rice farming (Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), 2013). The annual disposal from rice farms is considered as an excellent resource to install biomass grid for generating electricity. The purpose of this study is to find the approximated amount of residue, rice straw, and rice husk, and using the Indicator Index of Resource (IIR) to show the levels of resource in Geographic Information System program (GIS). Another purpose is to find the possibility of electricity producing and CO₂ emission saving from the available resource in the study case area of three provinces of Cambodia, Bantey Meanchey, Batam Bong, and Pursat.

Lecture: Tran Dang Xuan

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Dams on Fisheries and Agriculture in Lower Mekong Basin”

This paper discusses the fishery and agricultural sectors of the Lower Mekong Basin and focuses on the downstream floodplains of Cambodia and Vietnam. The dam construction has caused greater losses of biodiversity and fisheries than climate change in the LMB. The reduction of 276,847 and 178,169 tons of fish, 3.7% and 2.3% of rice, 21.0% and 10.0% of maize will contribute to a decrease of 3.7% and 0.3% of the GDP of Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively. Lao PDR may benefit the most revenue from electricity generation than the other country in the LMB, as most of the proposed dams are projected in the country. Cambodia burdens 3/4 of the reduction of total capture fishery destruction, whilst Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam endure the remaining 1/3 losses.

Lecture: Pattraporn Changsuwan

D3 student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

“The effect of addition of different concentration of acetic acid on guaiacol conversion in supercritical water”

The effect of acetic acid, an organic radical scavenger, on the conversion of guaiacol in supercritical water gasification by changing the concentration of radical scavenger was investigated. The mixture of guaiacol and acetic acid was conducted at temperature 600 C and pressure 25 MPa and fixed concentration of guaiacol at 0.5 wt% in continuous flow reactor. At lower concentration of radical scavenger, the small amount of solid product (char and tar) was produced because the radical reaction to form high molecular weight was decreased.  While the amount of solid product was zero at concentration of radical scavenger higher than 0.2 wt% and the excess amount of radical scavenger prefer to form intermediate compound and decompose into gas product.  The results show that acetic acid is an important radical scavenger for suppress solid formation in gasification of guaiacol due to it inhibit the radical to form high molecular weight structure.

Chair: Yukihiko MATSUMURA

Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University