Solar torrefaction of solid olive mill residue

Abstract

Torrefaction is a thermochemical pretreatment method for improving fuel characteristics of biomass. The process is conducted between 200 and 300 °C under inert atmosphere. The relatively low process temperature of torrefaction makes the use of solar energy suitable with low costs. In this study, solid olive mill residue (SOMR) was used to test the feasibility of using solar energy in the torrefaction process. SOMR is an agricultural waste obtained from olive oil extraction, and it is mainly produced in the Mediterranean region, which has high solar energy potential. In this study, the torrefaction of SOMR was conducted by concentrating solar energy with a parabolic dish concentrator, at 250 °C for 10 min. The fuel properties of solar torrefaction products were compared with raw SOMR. Solar torrefaction yielded a deoxygenated solid fuel with increased carbon content and higher heating value (HHV), similar to torrefaction.