1. IV Biennial International Workshop Advances in Energy Studies Ecology-Energy Issues in Latin-America Unicamp, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, June 16-19, 2004.
Emergy Evaluation of Bio-oil production using sugarcane biomass residues at Fast Pyrolysis Pilot Plant in Brazil
Alonso-Pippo, W.; Rocha, J.D.; Mesa-Pérez, J.M.; Olivares-Gómez, E.; Cortez, L.A.B.
Institute of Materials and Reagents, University of Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas,
Bioware Tecnologia, Brazi

2. Fast Pyrolysis Plant Flowsheet

3. Biomass Fast Pyrolysis Pilot Plant Facility, (a) fluidized bed reactor design, (b) reactor picture, (c) pilot plant overview

4. Energy flowchart for Bio-oil Production

5. Emergetic Parameters for bio-oil & charcoal
Resources
Bio-oil + Charcoal
Renewable (R)
1.7E+17
No Renewable (N)
6.59E+15
Total Environmental Resources (I=R+N)
1.77E+17
Materials from Economy (M)
7.32E+16
Services (S)
1.43E+15
Retro feed F=(M+S)
7.46E+16
Total Emergy
2.51E+17

6. Calculated Emergy Parameters
Value
Name
Trbio-oil=Y/Qpbio-oil
6.97E+04 sej/J
Bio-oil Transformity
Trchar=Y/Qpchar
8.37E+05 sej/J
Charcoal Transformity
EYR=Y/F
3.36
Emergy Yield Ratio
EIR=F/I
0.42
Emergy Investment Rate
ELR=(N+F)/R
0.45
Environmental Loading Rate
%R=R/Y
68%
Renewability (%)
EER=Y/E$
1.08 bio-oil ;
1.17 charcoal
Emergy Exchange Ratio
ESI=EYR/ELR
7.46
Sustentability

7. CONCLUSIONS
1. Pyrolytic gases recirculation in the fast pyrolysis fluidized bed facility as na additional source of energy to the process and fine charcoal applications are important ways to increase the process sustentability and avoid the production of high quantity of losses.
2. Energy yield in the bio-oil production is acceptable considering that its LHV is about 55 % of the fossil diesel in volume.
3. From the emergetic point of view bio-oil production process is sustainable. Its best application is to replace chemicals from fossil sources.