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Muhammad T. Afzal
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, 15 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada

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Journal article
Published: 11 March 2021 in Sustainability
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An agricultural waste-based source of energy in the form of briquettes from rice husk has emerged as an alternative energy source. However, rice husk-based briquette has a low bulk density and moisture content, resulting in low durability. This study investigated the effect of initial moisture contents of 12%, 14%, and 16% of rice husk-based briquettes blended with 10 wt% of kraft lignin on their chemical and physical characteristics. The briquetting was done using a hand push manual die compressor. The briquette properties were evaluated by performing chemical (ultimate and proximate analysis, thermogravimetric analysis), physical (density, durability, compressive strength, and surface morphology) analyses. The durability values of all briquette samples were above 95%, meeting the standard with good compressive strength, surface morphology, and acceptable density range. The briquette made from the blend with 14% moisture content showed the highest calorific value of 17.688 MJ kg−1, thanks to its desirable morphology and good porosity range, which facilitates the transport of air for combustion. Overall, this study proved the approach of enhancing the quality of briquettes from rice husk by controlling the moisture content.

ACS Style

Anwar Saeed; Noorfidza Yub Harun; Muhammad Bilad; Muhammad Afzal; Ashak Parvez; Farah Roslan; Syahirah Abdul Rahim; Vimmal Vinayagam; Haruna Afolabi. Moisture Content Impact on Properties of Briquette Produced from Rice Husk Waste. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3069 .

AMA Style

Anwar Saeed, Noorfidza Yub Harun, Muhammad Bilad, Muhammad Afzal, Ashak Parvez, Farah Roslan, Syahirah Abdul Rahim, Vimmal Vinayagam, Haruna Afolabi. Moisture Content Impact on Properties of Briquette Produced from Rice Husk Waste. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3069.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anwar Saeed; Noorfidza Yub Harun; Muhammad Bilad; Muhammad Afzal; Ashak Parvez; Farah Roslan; Syahirah Abdul Rahim; Vimmal Vinayagam; Haruna Afolabi. 2021. "Moisture Content Impact on Properties of Briquette Produced from Rice Husk Waste." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3069.

Review article
Published: 06 February 2021 in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
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Climate change from carbon emissions and rising energy demands poses a serious threat to global sustainability. This issue is particularly noticeable in Canada where per capita energy demands are high and fossil fuels are used. Industrial hemp can be used for bioenergy production as an alternative to fossil fuels to capture and utilize carbon, with applications in various markets at high values. Despite this, industrial hemp has faced legal barriers that have hampered its viability. This review describes industrial hemp, its status in global markets, its performance as bioenergy feedstock, and potential in Canada, so research can target gaps in available knowledge. Numerous bioenergy applications for industrial hemp exist; the production of bioethanol and biodiesel from industrial hemp has strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the Canadian economy. The current study found that industrial hemp can compete with many energy crops in global markets as a feedstock for many bioenergy products with solid hemp yielding 100 GJ/ha/y, allowing for economical emissions reductions for example in coal/biochar blends that can reduce emissions by 10%, and in co-production of bioethanol and grain, generating $2632/ha/y. This work also suggests industrial hemp has unique potential for growth in Canada, though processing facilities are severely lacking, and hemp growing has some negative environmental impacts related to fertilizer use. Responsible growth could be realized through incentivizing or subsidizing processing facility investment, implementing co-production where possible, and funding research to improve conversion, harvesting and polygeneration processes.

ACS Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Jonathan David Lewis; Muhammad T. Afzal. Potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2021, 141, 110784 .

AMA Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Jonathan David Lewis, Muhammad T. Afzal. Potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2021; 141 ():110784.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Jonathan David Lewis; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2021. "Potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 141, no. : 110784.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2020 in Biomass and Bioenergy
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Recent investigations of microwave-heated biomass pyrolysis using laboratory scale reactors have proven thermodynamically superior to electrically-heated processes. Despite these promising results, microwave pyrolysis has not been implemented commercially. Further research into diverse feedstocks and scaled-up processes would encourage commercial investment. To accomplish this, present work examines the performance of scaled-up microwave pyrolysis using corn stalk, pinewood and algae biomasses. The results showed that the lower heating value (LHV) of pyrolytic gas increased with temperature. The LHV of three biomass samples ranged from 10.3 MJ Nm−3 to 17.6 MJ Nm−3, higher than the requirement for fuel gas in district heating. Importantly, corn stalk-derived pyrolysis gas reached a LHV of 17.6 MJ Nm−3 at 600 °C, higher than gas obtained from pulverized coal gasification. The HHV value of pinewood char was the highest of the solid products at three temperatures, reaching 27.3 MJ kg−1, due to its high carbon and low oxygen contents. The energetic assessment showed that pyrolysis system efficiency (PSE) increased with temperature from augmentation of gas yields, compensating for declining char and oil yields. Corn stalk (63%) had the highest PSE at 600 °C. The exergetic efficiencies of three different biomass-based systems followed a similar trend. The exergy efficiency of each system was lower than its corresponding energy value, due to the difference in sensible heat values. The experimental results analysed through a hydrogen plant simulation, confirming that the greatest performance was achieved by utilizing algae (85 gH2 kg algae−1) as fuel, followed by pinewood (78 gH2 kg pinewood−1).

ACS Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal; Peng Jiang; Tao Wu. Microwave-assisted biomass pyrolysis polygeneration process using a scaled-up reactor: Product characterization, thermodynamic assessment and bio-hydrogen production. Biomass and Bioenergy 2020, 139, 105651 .

AMA Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Muhammad T. Afzal, Peng Jiang, Tao Wu. Microwave-assisted biomass pyrolysis polygeneration process using a scaled-up reactor: Product characterization, thermodynamic assessment and bio-hydrogen production. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2020; 139 ():105651.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal; Peng Jiang; Tao Wu. 2020. "Microwave-assisted biomass pyrolysis polygeneration process using a scaled-up reactor: Product characterization, thermodynamic assessment and bio-hydrogen production." Biomass and Bioenergy 139, no. : 105651.

Review
Published: 23 June 2020 in Journal of CO2 Utilization
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CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by approximately 2.7 percent in 2018, after global emissions of 35.8 Gt in 2017. Thus, finding energy and cost-effective methods to use the CO2 generated from industries for productive purposes is crucial, abating CO2 emissions while producing economic benefits. This paper aims to comprehensively review the effects of CO2 on syngas, biochar and bio-oil from gasification and pyrolysis processes. It was found that the utilization of CO2 during gasification and pyrolysis provides both control over syngas H2/CO ratio and biochar with enhanced properties for high value applications. Furthermore, it was determined that co-gasification under CO2 atmosphere can enhance synergistic effects. Results also showed that the presence of CO2 can increase the hydrocarbon concentration of bio-oil due to the different reactions that can occur between biomass and CO2 compared to biomass and N2. The use of CO2 as a feedstock also reduces the net CO2 emissions and therefore provides environmental benefits. However, the utilization of CO2 during biomass gasification and pyrolysis currently has some limitations, including the endothermic nature of gasification reactions, resulting in large energy and compressed CO2 inputs, which can be expensive. It is recommended that comprehensive studies to address the current limitations of the utilization of CO2 in biomass gasification and pyrolysis processes be conducted. Promoting the use of CO2 is integral to global CO2 emission reduction, aiding in efforts to achieve CO2 emission regulations outlined by the Paris Agreement (PA).

ACS Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal; Thayne George Victor Hebb; Max Schmid. Utilization of CO2 in thermochemical conversion of biomass for enhanced product properties: A review. Journal of CO2 Utilization 2020, 40, 101217 .

AMA Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Muhammad T. Afzal, Thayne George Victor Hebb, Max Schmid. Utilization of CO2 in thermochemical conversion of biomass for enhanced product properties: A review. Journal of CO2 Utilization. 2020; 40 ():101217.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal; Thayne George Victor Hebb; Max Schmid. 2020. "Utilization of CO2 in thermochemical conversion of biomass for enhanced product properties: A review." Journal of CO2 Utilization 40, no. : 101217.

Article
Published: 19 February 2020 in The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering
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Timothy hay abundantly available in New Brunswick, Canada, is mostly used for animal feed and bedding. Upgrading biomass using Torrefaction method can offer benefits in its waste management, energy density and energy conversion efficiency. Temperature and residence time play an important role in the torrefaction process. Meanwhile, CO2 gasification is also a promising thermochemical conversion process due to its potential to reduce net GHG emissions and tune syngas composition. This study investigates the impact of torrefaction parameters on isothermal and non‐isothermal CO2 gasification of Timothy hay and spruce chars. Timothy hay chars exhibited higher CO2 gasification reactivity than chars from spruce. The physicochemical properties analysis indicated that higher reactivity of Timothy hay char was mainly attributed to the high amount of alkali and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) content, relatively large BET surface area, a high number ofactive sites, and a low crystalline index. Moreover, in both experimental cases, char derived through a high heating rate and high residence time conditions exhibited improved gasification performance, which was attributed to the generation of large amounts of AAEM(Ca and K) and high specific surface area. Co‐gasification results during non‐isothermal processes under CO2 showed the presence of larger interactions in coal char/Timothy hay char blends than that of coal char/spruce char blends. For both experimental conditions, interactions were enhanced once the char prepared from high heating rate and high residence time was gasified with coal char. Thus, the proposed approach is a sustainable way of conversion of Timothy hay under CO2 environment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal. Gasification performance of torrefied Timothy hay and spruce wood chars in a CO 2 environment. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 2020, 98, 1696 -1707.

AMA Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Muhammad T. Afzal. Gasification performance of torrefied Timothy hay and spruce wood chars in a CO 2 environment. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. 2020; 98 (8):1696-1707.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2020. "Gasification performance of torrefied Timothy hay and spruce wood chars in a CO 2 environment." The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 98, no. 8: 1696-1707.

Journal article
Published: 10 October 2018 in Biomass and Bioenergy
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Microwave pyrolysis of wood pellets was investigated in a pilot scale fixed bed microwave reactor at various biomass loadings and microwave power levels. A fixed proportion of biochar (10% of biomass loading) was used as a microwave absorber in each test conditions. Effect of biomass loading and the power level on the product yields and on the characteristics of biochar and bio-oil products were examined. While the bio-oil yield decreased when the biomass loading was increased from 1500 g to 3500 g, the biochar and gaseous product yields increased with the biomass loading. However, the microwave power level shows an opposite trend. Biochar exhibited good higher heating value (31 MJ/kg) and possessed a fine pore size (<1 nm), which can be used as a fuel or a source of porous carbon. Higher heating value of bio-oil was found in the range 12–14 MJ/kg. Kinematic viscosities of bio-oils were estimated in the range 1.8–6.1 mm2/s at 40 °C that is similar to the viscosity requirement for the gas turbine applications. Moisture content in bio-oils was found in the range of 57.3–69.3%, which is higher than the upper limit of water content (30% wt.). Only a few chemicals, including furfural, phenol, 3-Methyl-1,2-Cyclipentanedione, 3-Methylphenol, and 4-Methylguaiacol were found in the bio-oils because of the high moisture content. Results of product characterization of biochar and bio-oils confirm that both microwave power level and biomass loading does not have any significant impacts. Further research can be carried out to find out the measures to reduce the moisture content in the bio-oil.

ACS Style

D.R. Nhuchhen; M.T. Afzal; T. Dreise; A.A. Salema. Characteristics of biochar and bio-oil produced from wood pellets pyrolysis using a bench scale fixed bed, microwave reactor. Biomass and Bioenergy 2018, 119, 293 -303.

AMA Style

D.R. Nhuchhen, M.T. Afzal, T. Dreise, A.A. Salema. Characteristics of biochar and bio-oil produced from wood pellets pyrolysis using a bench scale fixed bed, microwave reactor. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2018; 119 ():293-303.

Chicago/Turabian Style

D.R. Nhuchhen; M.T. Afzal; T. Dreise; A.A. Salema. 2018. "Characteristics of biochar and bio-oil produced from wood pellets pyrolysis using a bench scale fixed bed, microwave reactor." Biomass and Bioenergy 119, no. : 293-303.

Journal article
Published: 08 June 2018 in Biofuels
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This study investigates torrefaction of timothy hay (TH) by varying torrefaction temperature, heating rate and residence time. The minimum mass yield (MY) and energy yield (EY) were found to be 51.4% and 38.0%, respectively, when the torrefaction was conducted at 300 °C, 45 min and 30 °C/min. A decrease in volatile matter and an increase in fixed carbon content confirmed that the fuel ratio (FR) increased from 0.21 in raw TH to 0.73 in the torrefied TH produced at 300 °C, 45 min and 30 °C/min. Variations in the heating rate of the reactor below 50 °C/min have less impact on the characteristics of the torrefied TH. Correlations were proposed to predict the characteristics of torrefied TH using dry solid mass loss. The decreased intensity of the O-H functional group confirms that the torrefied TH has a more hydrophobic nature. The mass loss rate of the torrefied sample produced at 300 °C peaked only at the elevated temperature of 468 °C, which indicated that severely torrefied TH has higher thermal stability. Morphological image analysis showed that torrefied TH samples have more surface porosity and structural damage compared to those found in raw TH.

ACS Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen; Muhammad T. Afzal; Ashak Mahmud Parvez. Effect of torrefaction on the fuel characteristics of timothy hay. Biofuels 2018, 1 -14.

AMA Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen, Muhammad T. Afzal, Ashak Mahmud Parvez. Effect of torrefaction on the fuel characteristics of timothy hay. Biofuels. 2018; ():1-14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen; Muhammad T. Afzal; Ashak Mahmud Parvez. 2018. "Effect of torrefaction on the fuel characteristics of timothy hay." Biofuels , no. : 1-14.

Journal article
Published: 29 May 2018 in Sustainability
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Unprocessed biomass has low energy density and high transportation cost. The energy generated through biomass can be enhanced by the pelletizing technique. In order to evaluate the energy requirement for the pelletizing of agricultural biomass, three different particle sizes (150–300, 300–425, and 425–600 µm) of reed canary grass (RCG), timothy hay (TH), and switchgrass (SW) were selected in the present work. Furthermore, two woody biomasses (spruce and pine) were also considered under similar experimental conditions for comparison purposes. An Instron machine attached to an in-house built pelletizer unit was employed to produce a single pellet. The energy demand for compacting ground biomass (spruce) with a particle size of 150 µm was lower (2.07 kJ) than those required for particle sizes of 300 µm (2.24 kJ) and 425 µm (2.43 kJ). The energy required for compacting ground reed canary grass, timothy hay, and switchgrass was lower (1.61, 1.97, and 1.68 kJ, respectively) than that required for spruce (2.36 kJ) and pine (2.35 kJ), evaluated at a 159-MPa load and at temperature of about 80 °C. The energy demand for blended biomass was around 2 kJ with the pellet quality approaching that of the pellets made from woody biomass. Overall, blending helped to improve the quality of pellets and lower the compaction energy requirements.

ACS Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun; Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal. Process and Energy Analysis of Pelleting Agricultural and Woody Biomass Blends. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1770 .

AMA Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun, Ashak Mahmud Parvez, Muhammad T. Afzal. Process and Energy Analysis of Pelleting Agricultural and Woody Biomass Blends. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (6):1770.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun; Ashak Mahmud Parvez; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2018. "Process and Energy Analysis of Pelleting Agricultural and Woody Biomass Blends." Sustainability 10, no. 6: 1770.

Journal article
Published: 02 May 2018 in Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
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This research focuses on the development of novel biocomposites with improved flexural strength properties, obtained from merging conventional pultruded glass FRP (GFRP) composites with carbon-based biochar particles synthesized via microwave MW) pyrolysis method. A comprehensive design-of-experiments is carried out by varying: (1) biomass feedstock, (2) MW processing parameters, and (3) biochar vol.% in the pultrusion biocomposites manufacturing process. Results show over two times flexural strength gain in biocomposites reinforced with a 10 vol% biochar, from 450 MPa to 970 MPa, without compromising tensile strength. The increase in flexural strength is attributed to a combination of high SSA and the hardness of the biochar particles. High hardness enhanced the biocomposites compressive performance during bending, causing the failure mechanism to shift from compressive-dominant to tensile-dominant. High porosity of the biochar created a mechanical interlocking between the honeycomb structure of the biochar and the cured polymer matrix.

ACS Style

Lucas K. Bowlby; Gobinda C. Saha; Muhammad T. Afzal. Flexural strength behavior in pultruded GFRP composites reinforced with high specific-surface-area biochar particles synthesized via microwave pyrolysis. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2018, 110, 190 -196.

AMA Style

Lucas K. Bowlby, Gobinda C. Saha, Muhammad T. Afzal. Flexural strength behavior in pultruded GFRP composites reinforced with high specific-surface-area biochar particles synthesized via microwave pyrolysis. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 2018; 110 ():190-196.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lucas K. Bowlby; Gobinda C. Saha; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2018. "Flexural strength behavior in pultruded GFRP composites reinforced with high specific-surface-area biochar particles synthesized via microwave pyrolysis." Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 110, no. : 190-196.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Bioresource Technology
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Pyrolysis of corn stalk biomass briquettes was carried out in a developed microwave (MW) reactor supplied with 2.45GHz frequency using 3kW power generator. MW power and biomass loading were the key parameters investigated in this study. Highest bio-oil, biochar, and gas yield of 19.6%, 41.1%, and 54.0% was achieved at different process condition. In terms of quality, biochar exhibited good heating value (32MJ/kg) than bio-oil (2.47MJ/kg). Bio-oil was also characterised chemically using FTIR and GC-MS method. This work may open new dimension towards development of large-scale MW pyrolysis technology.

ACS Style

Arshad Adam Salema; Muhammad T. Afzal; Lyes Bennamoun. Pyrolysis of corn stalk biomass briquettes in a scaled-up microwave technology. Bioresource Technology 2017, 233, 353 -362.

AMA Style

Arshad Adam Salema, Muhammad T. Afzal, Lyes Bennamoun. Pyrolysis of corn stalk biomass briquettes in a scaled-up microwave technology. Bioresource Technology. 2017; 233 ():353-362.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arshad Adam Salema; Muhammad T. Afzal; Lyes Bennamoun. 2017. "Pyrolysis of corn stalk biomass briquettes in a scaled-up microwave technology." Bioresource Technology 233, no. : 353-362.

Journal article
Published: 24 January 2017 in Bioengineering
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Many correlations are available in the literature to predict the higher heating value (HHV) of raw biomass using the proximate and ultimate analyses. Studies on biomass torrefaction are growing tremendously, which suggest that the fuel characteristics, such as HHV, proximate analysis and ultimate analysis, have changed significantly after torrefaction. Such changes may cause high estimation errors if the existing HHV correlations were to be used in predicting the HHV of torrefied biomass. No study has been carried out so far to verify this. Therefore, this study seeks answers to the question: “Can the existing correlations be used to determine the HHV of the torrefied biomass”? To answer this, the existing HHV predicting correlations were tested using torrefied biomass data points. Estimation errors were found to be significantly high for the existing HHV correlations, and thus, they are not suitable for predicting the HHV of the torrefied biomass. New correlations were then developed using data points of torrefied biomass. The ranges of reported data for HHV, volatile matter (VM), fixed carbon (FC), ash (ASH), carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) contents were 14.90 MJ/kg–33.30 MJ/kg, 13.30%–88.57%, 11.25%–82.74%, 0.08%–47.62%, 35.08%–86.28%, 0.53%–7.46% and 4.31%–44.70%, respectively. Correlations with the minimum mean absolute errors and having all components of proximate and ultimate analyses were selected for future use. The selected new correlations have a good accuracy of prediction when they are validated using another set of data (26 samples). Thus, these new and more accurate correlations can be useful in modeling different thermochemical processes, including combustion, pyrolysis and gasification processes of torrefied biomass.

ACS Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen; Muhammad T. Afzal. HHV Predicting Correlations for Torrefied Biomass Using Proximate and Ultimate Analyses. Bioengineering 2017, 4, 7 .

AMA Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen, Muhammad T. Afzal. HHV Predicting Correlations for Torrefied Biomass Using Proximate and Ultimate Analyses. Bioengineering. 2017; 4 (4):7.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daya Ram Nhuchhen; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2017. "HHV Predicting Correlations for Torrefied Biomass Using Proximate and Ultimate Analyses." Bioengineering 4, no. 4: 7.

Chapter
Published: 23 May 2014 in Progress in Exergy, Energy, and the Environment
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The torrefaction of agriculture (switchgrass and timothy) and forestry (spruce and pine) biomass was studied using simultaneously thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and mass spectrometer (MS). The chemical functional groups present in the gases were identified by FTIR and the quantification of gaseous products was determined using MS at different torrefaction temperatures ranging from 200 to 290 °C. TG-FTIR and TG-MS techniques are paired to refine the identification of gases. TGA results showed that the behavior of the agricultural and forestry biomass was not the same due to their composition variation. The decomposition of switchgrass took place at a lower temperature than other biomass. Both switchgrass and timothy have two peaks of degradation rate compared to only one peak present for forestry biomass. The FTIR analysis indicated that most of the chemical compositions present in the biomass are decomposed at torrefaction temperature of 290 °C. The mass spectrometric analysis at torrefaction temperature 200 and 230 °C quantified the degradation of combustible gases: CH4, C2H4, CO, and O2 around 20–30 %, whilst at torrefaction temperature 260 and 290 °C the degradation of combustible gases was more than 30 %. Moreover, all gaseous products evolved from the torrefaction of agricultural and forestry biomasses were almost similar in characteristics, but varied in proportions.

ACS Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun; Muhammad T. Afzal. Torrefaction of Agriculture and Forestry Biomass Using TGA-FTIR-MS. Progress in Exergy, Energy, and the Environment 2014, 805 -813.

AMA Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun, Muhammad T. Afzal. Torrefaction of Agriculture and Forestry Biomass Using TGA-FTIR-MS. Progress in Exergy, Energy, and the Environment. 2014; ():805-813.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Noorfidza Yub Harun; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2014. "Torrefaction of Agriculture and Forestry Biomass Using TGA-FTIR-MS." Progress in Exergy, Energy, and the Environment , no. : 805-813.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2014 in Journal of Clean Energy Technologies
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ACS Style

Zhenyu Chen; Muhammad T. Afzal; Arshad Adam Salema. Microwave Drying of Wastewater Sewage Sludge. Journal of Clean Energy Technologies 2014, 282 -286.

AMA Style

Zhenyu Chen, Muhammad T. Afzal, Arshad Adam Salema. Microwave Drying of Wastewater Sewage Sludge. Journal of Clean Energy Technologies. 2014; ():282-286.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhenyu Chen; Muhammad T. Afzal; Arshad Adam Salema. 2014. "Microwave Drying of Wastewater Sewage Sludge." Journal of Clean Energy Technologies , no. : 282-286.

Original articles
Published: 11 August 2008 in Drying Technology
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A 2D comprehensive heat and mass transfer model was developed to simulate the free liquid, vapor, and bound water movement in microwave drying of white oak specimens. The experimental and model results showed that, for white oak, moisture movement was easily impeded and high gradient of internal vapor pressure occurred. The internal vapor pressure was affected by sample dimension (length and thickness). At the same input power density, the internal pressure generated in the core increased with the sample length and thickness. However, as compared with sample length, sample thickness has less effect on the pressure gradient because of the high ratio of permeability between longitudinal and transverse directions.

ACS Style

Donghua Jia; Muhammad T. Afzal. Modeling the Heat and Mass Transfer in Microwave Drying of White Oak. Drying Technology 2008, 26, 1103 -1111.

AMA Style

Donghua Jia, Muhammad T. Afzal. Modeling the Heat and Mass Transfer in Microwave Drying of White Oak. Drying Technology. 2008; 26 (9):1103-1111.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Donghua Jia; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2008. "Modeling the Heat and Mass Transfer in Microwave Drying of White Oak." Drying Technology 26, no. 9: 1103-1111.

Original articles
Published: 05 March 2007 in Drying Technology
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A one-dimensional mathematical model was developed to predict temperature and moisture content profiles in red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and white oak (Quercus alba) during microwave drying. The model was solved using the finite element analysis with MATLAB software. The predictions for temperature and moisture content agreed favorably well with the experimental data. The diffusion coefficients of the red maple and the white oak in microwave drying conditions were calculated and analyzed. Equations of the diffusion coefficient in longitudinal and transverse directions based on input microwave power level are presented in this article. In microwave drying of hardwood, the red maple was heated more efficiently than the white oak because of higher absorbing efficiency of the microwave power.

ACS Style

Donghua Jia; Muhammad T. Afzal. Modeling of Moisture Diffusion in Microwave Drying of Hardwood. Drying Technology 2007, 25, 449 -454.

AMA Style

Donghua Jia, Muhammad T. Afzal. Modeling of Moisture Diffusion in Microwave Drying of Hardwood. Drying Technology. 2007; 25 (3):449-454.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Donghua Jia; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2007. "Modeling of Moisture Diffusion in Microwave Drying of Hardwood." Drying Technology 25, no. 3: 449-454.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2006 in Journal of Wood Science
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Free vibration testing was conducted to generate the first two mode shapes for damage detection in timbers. A wavelet transform was proposed to postprocess the mode shapes for damage pattern recognition. The wavelet used here was “db3.” The different damage severities, damage locations, and number of damaged areas were simulated by removing mass from intact beams. The results showed that the chosen wavelet db3 is suitable and that the wavelet coefficients are sufficiently sensitive to identify the existence of damage and its location in cases of different damage location, severity, and number. An edge distortion effect was apparent at the two computing edges where the wavelet coefficients were abnormally high. The wavelet coefficients showed dominant spikes around the damage locations and were zero everywhere else except the two computing edges. The dominant spikes coincided well with the damage location.

ACS Style

Chuanshuang Hu; Muhammad T. Afzal. A wavelet analysis-based approach for damage localization in wood beams. Journal of Wood Science 2006, 52, 456 -460.

AMA Style

Chuanshuang Hu, Muhammad T. Afzal. A wavelet analysis-based approach for damage localization in wood beams. Journal of Wood Science. 2006; 52 (5):456-460.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chuanshuang Hu; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2006. "A wavelet analysis-based approach for damage localization in wood beams." Journal of Wood Science 52, no. 5: 456-460.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2006 in Journal of Wood Science
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Instances of local damage in timber such as knots, decay, and cracks can be translated into a reduction of service life due to mechanical and environmental loadings. In wood construction, it is very important to evaluate the weakest location and to detect damage at the earliest possible stage to avoid future catastrophic failure. In this study, modal testing was used on wood beams to generate the first two mode shapes. A novel statistical algorithm was proposed to extract a damage indicator by computing mode shapes of vibration testing before and after damage in timbers. The different damage severities, damage locations, and damage counts were simulated by removing mass from intact beams to verify the algorithm. The results showed that the proposed statistical algorithm is effective and suitable for the designed damage scenarios. It is reliable for the detection and location of local damage of different severities, location, and number. The peak values of the damage indicators computed from the first two mode shapes were sensitive to different damage severities and locations. They were also reliable for the detection of multiple cases of damage.

ACS Style

Chuanshuang Hu; Muhammad T. Afzal. A statistical algorithm for comparing mode shapes of vibration testing before and after damage in timbers. Journal of Wood Science 2006, 52, 348 -352.

AMA Style

Chuanshuang Hu, Muhammad T. Afzal. A statistical algorithm for comparing mode shapes of vibration testing before and after damage in timbers. Journal of Wood Science. 2006; 52 (4):348-352.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chuanshuang Hu; Muhammad T. Afzal. 2006. "A statistical algorithm for comparing mode shapes of vibration testing before and after damage in timbers." Journal of Wood Science 52, no. 4: 348-352.