| Life cycle assessment to evaluate environmental performance of thermochemical processing of biomass | Publication | 2020-02-19 | Eskinder Gemechu, Adetoyese Oyedun, Edson Nogueira Jr, Amit Kumar |
| Investigating the mechanics of agricultural residue biomass-water mixtures flows while hydro-transporting in vertical pipesJaved K*, Vaezi M, Kumar A. Investigating the mechanics of agricultural residue biomass-water mixtures flows while hydro-transporting in vertical pipes, abstract accepted for presentation to the 2018 ASABE Annual International Meeting, July 29-Aug. 1, 2018, Detroit, Michigan, USA | Activity | 2018-04-28 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| A consequential life cycle assessment of biofuel production on transportation sectorJuly 7-10, 2019. [Conference Presentation] | Activity | 2019-07-07 | Nafisa Mahbub, Eskinder Gemechu, Amit Kumar |
| Analyzing the techno-economic aspects of co-processing fast pyrolysis bio-oil with conventional vacuum gas oil for the production of liquid fuels.Analyzing the techno-economic aspects of co-processing fast pyrolysis bio-oil with conventional vacuum gas oil for the production of liquid fuels. | Activity | 2022-07-20 | "Sreekumar A", Olufemi Oni, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Can we marry pipeline transportation with hydrothermal processing?Kumar M*, Javed K, Oyedun AO, Vaezi M, Kumar A. Can we marry pipeline transportation with hydrothermal processing?, abstract submitted to the 26th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2018), May 14-18, 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark. | Activity | 2018-04-28 | Mayank Kumar, Kashif Javed, Adetoyese Oyedun, Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Climbing the flow ladder: experimental insights into maize stover hydro transport through inclined pipesThis study focuses on the experimental investigation of frictional pressure drops in maize stover-water slurries transported through a 50 mm diameter and 7.3 m long inclined pipe segment, which is part of a 29 m closed-circuit pipeline facility. Experiments will be conducted under varying inclination angles (up to 21° uphill and 7° downhill), solid particle sizes (<3.2–19.2 mm), slurry concentrations (5–40% by mass), and flow velocities (≤5.0 m s-1). Key findings will reveal the interplay between inclination, slurry rheology, and particle-fluid interactions, influencing energy consumption and pumping requirements.
The insights gained will provide critical input for developing a predictive model that integrates the effects of inclination on slurry behavior into the overall techno-economic framework for biomass pipeline networks. By bridging the knowledge gap in inclined pipe hydro transport, this research aims to accelerate the adoption of pipeline networks for biofuel feedstock delivery, enabling biorefineries to achieve economic parity with fossil fuel-based systems.
| Activity | 2025-07-14 | Kashif Javed, Amit Kumar |
| Comparative assessment of pipeline hydro-transport of biomass feedstock – an overview of 8 years experimental and techno-economic studiesVaezi M*, Kumar A. Comparative assessment of pipeline hydro-transport of biomass feedstock – an overview of 8 years experimental and techno-economic studies, presented at the ASABE 2017 Annual International Meeting, July 16-19, 2017, Spokane, Washington. | Activity | 2017-07-16 | Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Comparison of frictional behaviour and techno-economics of agricultural residue biomass in ascending and descending pipesThis study focuses on the techno-economic assessment of the hydro-transport of chopped agricultural and forest residue biomass by pipeline over a long distance. This could be the most sustainable and economical mode of delivering biomass for the production of biofuels on commercial scale (on par with fossil fuels). Horizontal pipeline loop arrangement has been studies earlier. However, techno-economic assessment of inclined pipeline transport of biomass slurries have not been studied earlier. This study aims at addressing this gap. A long-distance pipeline network's size and cost must be accurately estimated by comprehending and measuring the frictional behaviour and rheological characteristics of various types and sizes of materials through pipe sections at various inclinations. The main objective of the current study is to analyse the frictional behaviour of 6.4 mm particle size of wheat straw aqueous slurries as they pass through a 7.3 m long inclined pipe segment with a 50 mm diameter that is a part of a 29 m long closed-circuit pipeline facility. It will also be examined how frictional pressure drops of biomass-water slurries are impacted by pipe inclinations (both ascending and descending) in relation to the horizontal axis, slurry solid concentration, and slurry velocities. Using the findings of this study, a detailed techno-economical model for long-distance pipelines from farms to large biorefineries will be developed to estimate the cost of delivery of biomass slurries on a large scale. This information developed in this study will help in development of biorefineries on a commercial scale.
| Activity | 2023-07-09 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Comparison of vertical hydro-transport of lignocellulosic biomass with conventional solidsDate: July 7-10, 2019. [Conference Presentation]. | Activity | 2019-07-07 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Development of a framework for the assessment of biohubs | Activity | 2025-06-10 | Amit Kumar |
| Development of a valorization framework for biogenic CO2 emissions from kraft pulp mills. | Activity | 2022-10-26 | "Dwivedi A", F M Khan, Amit Kumar |
| Evaluation of particle size, shape and specific energy consumption during hammer milling of wheat straw and softwood residues.Evaluation of particle size, shape and specific energy consumption during hammer milling of wheat straw and softwood residues. | Activity | 2022-07-20 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar, "Pradhan P" |
| Experimental investigation of agricultural residue biomass-water slurry flows in inclined and vertical pipelines | Activity | 2020-07-13 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Experimental Investigation of Particle Degradation of Agricultural Residue Biomass in Post-Pumping During Pipeline Hydro TransportThis study aims to experimentally investigate the particle morphology of pumped agricultural residue biomass (wheat straw and maize stover) slurry flow through a laboratory scale 29 m long, 50 mm inside diameter closed pipeline loop. The water-based slurries of various particle sizes ranging from <3.2-19.2 mm with slurry solid mass concentrations from 5-40% were pumped through the pipeline loop and the slurry samples were collected at varied pumping hours from the mixing and the drain tanks. Degraded biomass particle samples were oven-dried after 50-micron woven wire mesh filtration. A flatbed scanner scanned the particles, and ImageJ, an open-source software, analyzed the images. The study examined the effects of particle size, feedstock, concentration, and pumping time on particle shredding and an empirical particle degradation correlation for the input parameters to understand better biomass-water slurries' rheological behavior during pipeline transportation for large-scale biofuel production. | Activity | 2024-08-13 | Aidan Everett Richardson, Russell Flores, Kashif Javed, Amit Kumar |
| Experimental investigation of terminal settling velocity of biomass particles in Newtonian fluid. | Activity | 2021-07-16 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Hydro-transport of lignocellulosic biomass through inclined pipelines. | Activity | 2021-07-12 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Hydrothermal treatment of biomass to produce biofuels | Activity | 2019-05-07 | Ankit Mathanker, Deepak Pudasainee, Raj Gupta, Amit Kumar |
| Integrating pipeline hydro transportation with hydrothermal liquefaction for biofuel production optimizing process parameters and product characterizationThis study explores a novel approach to produce biofuels by integrating hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process with pipeline hydro-transportation of biomass. The research examines critical process parameters, optimizes the HTL process, and characterizes the produced biocrude for efficient biofuel generation from pipeline-transported lignocellulosic feedstocks. The water-to-feed ratio, temperature, and residence time were found to be critical parameters that affect biocrude yield, and in the integration of the two technologies, the water-to-feed ratio is more critical than particle size. The optimal process parameters obtained in the study are water-to-feed ratio (15), temperature (294 °C), initial pressure (460 psi), residence time (0 min), and particle size (~0.381 mm), which produced a biocrude with yield of 31.34%, a higher heating value (HHV) of 27.26 MJ/kg, and an energy recovery of 46.18%. The compounds present in the produced biocrude are phenols, ketones, aldehydes, furan derivatives, naphthalenol, and fatty acids, with phenolic compounds making up around 46% of the mix. The produced biocrude exhibits desirable properties like lower oxygen content, lower water content, and a higher heating value within the reported range for HTL biocrude; however, a high total acid number (TAN), the presence of oxygenated compounds, and a notable carbon residue content (28.8%) are among the observed characteristics that point to the necessity of catalytic upgrading. This study highlights the technical viability of combining hydro-transportation of biomass via pipeline with HTL for the production of biofuels, providing important factors to consider for the future implementation of this technology integration. | Activity | 2024-06-24 | Omex Mohan, Olugbenga Fakayode, Amit Kumar |
| Integration of large-scale biomass supply through pipeline for scale-up of biomass processingDate: May 30-31, 2019. [Conference Presentation] | Activity | 2019-05-30 | Amit Kumar |
| Investigating the mechanics of agricultural residue biomass-water mixtures flows while hydro-transporting in vertical pipes | Activity | 2018-07-29 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Investigation into the drag reduction behavior during pipeline hydro-transportation of forestry residues The potential of utilizing forestry residues for bioenergy is an attractive option for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and providing new opportunities for the forestry sector. However, the feedstock transportation using trucks to bioenergy facilities is challenging due to the remoteness of feedstock supply locations and the associated high cost. A viable alternative is to use pipelines to transport wood residues as slurry to the end conversion facilities. Even though wood chip slurry transportation has been previously studied with larger particle sizes, the mechanisms of slurry behavior with smaller particles must be further explored. The techno-economic attractiveness will be substantially improved if the forestry residue slurries behave similarly to agricultural residue slurries and show drag reduction behavior. Therefore, the primary goal of this research is to investigate the mechanisms of forestry residue slurry transport using a 2-inch pipeline system and to study the effect of bulk velocity, slurry concentration, and particle characteristics on slurry pressure drop. We measured pressure gradients for wood particle sizes ranging from 1.3 to 3.2 mm with saturated mass concentrations ranging from 5% to 35% and bulk velocities ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 m/s. The results show that drag reduction behavior exists in wood residue slurries with small particle sizes (<2.6 mm) and aspect ratios (4-6). Pressure drop was reduced by 22% when 1.3 mm residues were pumped at a bulk velocity of 3.4 m/s and a saturated mass concentration of 25% compared to water. The relationships between the slurry pressure drop and saturated mass concentration were estimated and used to determine the lower and higher limiting requirements for the drag-reducing regimes in the flow of wood slurry for a given particle size and bulk velocity. The findings of this study will be critical in determining the techno-economic feasibility of pipeline hydro-transportation of forest residues. | Activity | 2024-04-05 | Omex Mohan, Amit Kumar |
| Large scale pipeline hydrotransport of biomass feedstock to bio-based energy facilitiesVaezi M*, Kumar A. Large scale pipeline hydrotransport of biomass feedstock to bio-based energy facilities, presented at the SPARK 2017 Conference, Nov. 6-8, 2017, Edmonton, AB. | Activity | 2017-11-06 | Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Measuring agricultural residue and woodchips biomass slurry flows critical velocity in pipelines using high-frequency impedancemetry approachVaezi M*, Kumar A. Measuring agricultural residue and woodchips biomass slurry flows critical velocity in pipelines using high-frequency impedancemetry approach, presented at the 67th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Oct. 22-25, 2017, Edmonton, AB. | Activity | 2017-10-22 | Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Parametric study of hydrothermal treatment of biomass to produce biofuelsJune 16-21, 2019. [Conference Presentation] | Activity | 2019-06-16 | Ankit Mathanker, Deepak Pudasainee, Amit Kumar |
| Pelletization of Three Municipal Solid Waste Streams: Digestate, Source Separated Organics and Refuse Derived Fuel for Use in a BiorefineryWaste-to-energy conversion is one promising approach for sustainable waste management. Densified pelletized biomass meets the requirements to be used in such conversion processes. This study focuses on the thermo-chemical characterization, feasibility of pelletization, the effect of particle size and moisture content of three different waste streams: Source Separated Organics (SSO), Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), and Digestate from the City of Edmonton. Three different milling sizes of 4, 8, and 12 mm, having a moisture content (MC) of 10 and 15% were processed through a die size of 6 mm. Both RDF and SSO could be pelletized. The produced RDF pellets had a calorific value of 21.49 MJ/Kg; the SSO pellets presented a variation between the winter and spring-summer seasons, having an HHV of 19.47 MJ/Kg in winter and 13.88MJ/Kg in spring-summer; this variation is linked with changes in the feedstock composition. The Digestate showed the lowest energetic content with 10.07 MJ/Kg. The ground RDF and SSO particle size directly affects the specific energy consumption and pelletization temperature but has an inverse relation with the process throughput. The moisture content directly affects the pelletization energy requirement for SSO, but the relation is inverse for RDF. The quality of the produced pellets was assessed; for the RDF, the maximum durability achieved was 98.23 %, while for SSO was 97.4 %; The maximum bulk density reached was 594 Kg/m3 for RDF and 730 Kg/m3 for SSO. The optimal pelletization variables were identified for potential scale-up and feedstock production in future thermochemical conversion research. The results of the study is critical for the utilization of the various components of MSW for the production of fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery and contribute to the concept of circular economy. | Activity | 2023-07-09 | Benjamin Mauricio Martinez Castellanos, Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian |
| Pipeline hydro transport of wheat straw biomass in vertical pipesJaved K*, Vaezi M, Kumar A. Pipeline hydro transport of wheat straw biomass in vertical pipes, presented at the ASABE 2017 Annual International Meeting, July 16-19, 2017, Spokane, Washington. | Activity | 2017-07-19 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Potential Techniques to Measure In Situ Rheological Properties of Biomass Slurries During Pipeline Hydro Transport for Large-Scale Biofuel Production The major objective of this study is to investigate the available literature for various conventional and fibrous slurry flows through pipelines to measure the in-situ slurry density, concentration and velocity profiles and capture real-time slurry flow images along with evaluating the identified techniques and recommend adaptable technologies compatible with lignocellulosic biomass slurries.
Based on this study, multiple techniques were identified, each presenting potential advantages and disadvantages. The initial characterization was grounded on the experimental objectives, feedstock type, particle size, slurry concentration, pipeline orientation and diameter, slurry flow regime, and anticipated outcomes of each technique. A qualitative evaluation was performed to select suitable techniques for measuring biomass slurry rheology and capturing photographic images. To uncover the untapped potential of biomass feedstock, this study aims to propose specific techniques that could be used for online measurement of various flow parameters for further investigating the slurry’s rheology.
| Activity | 2024-08-13 | "Wardatul Akman", Kashif Javed, Amit Kumar |
| Raw biomass slurry flow in an inclined pipeline for its transport over a long distance to a biorefinery | Activity | 2020-07-06 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Scale effects on horizontal frictional pressure losses in forest residue and agricultural biomass slurry flowsSustainable biomass energy is crucial for global decarbonization, and there exists significant potential in converting untapped forest and agricultural residues into bioenergy. However, meeting the large biomass demand of economically scaled conversion facilities is challenging, as the long distances between biomass sources and these facilities make conventional truck-based transport costly. A promising alternative is hydraulic conveying of biomass residues through pipelines in slurry form, which offers economies of scale and enables continuous operation. Designing and implementing such a system requires detailed knowledge of horizontal frictional pressure losses in the pipeline, influenced by solid particle characteristics, flow velocity, and slurry concentration. Despite the study of flow behavior of forest and agricultural residue slurries in small-scale laboratory test loops, effectively scaling these findings to large industrial pipelines remains a significant practical barrier. To address this, we designed and commissioned a 59.5 m long, 4-inch closed-loop pipeline test system. Biomass particles with nominal size in the range of 4–24 mm was successfully pipelined at bulk velocities of 0.5–3.0 m/s and saturated slurry concentrations of 5–35% and the horizontal frictional pressure losses were measured and compared with existing data for smaller diameter (2-inch) pipelines. The measured horizontal frictional pressure losses for forest residue slurries suggested that the maximum turbulent drag reduction was similar (14%) in both 2-inch and 4-inch pipelines but occurred at higher slurry concentrations in the latter. The pressure loss data was used to refine the existing scaling laws for biomass slurries, enabling more accurate scaling for large-scale biomass transport. The findings from this study will support the commercialization of biomass slurry pipeline technology, offering a cost-effective solution for delivering feedstock to enable sustainable bioenergy production. | Activity | 2025-07-14 | Omex Mohan, Amit Kumar |
| Scale up of pipeline hydro-transportation of agricultural and forestry residues.Scale up of pipeline hydro-transportation of agricultural and forestry residues. | Activity | 2022-05-12 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Scale up study on pipeline hydro-transportation of agricultural and forestry residues | Activity | 2021-09-20 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Techno-economic assessment of bio-coal production through wet and dry torrefaction processes of different biomass feedstocksDate: May 27-30, 2019. [Conference Presentation] | Activity | 2019-05-27 | Maryam Akbari, Adetoyese Oyedun, Amit Kumar |
| Techno-economic assessment of co-processing of fast pyrolysis bio-oil with fossil fuel derived vacuum gas oilTechno-economic assessment of co-processing of fast pyrolysis bio-oil with fossil fuel derived vacuum gas oil | Activity | 2022-05-12 | "Sreekumar A", Olufemi Oni, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Techno-economic assessment of pipeline hydro-transport vs. truck delivery of forest residue biomass to a bio-based energy facility based on experimental measurements | Activity | 2018-07-29 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| The development of a framework to forecast the availability of biomass feedstocks up to 2050 using AIThis study aims to forecast MSW quantities in Canada as a whole as well as in four major provinces in Canada, namely, Alberta (AB), British Columbia (BC), Ontario (ON), and Quebec (QC), using three different machine learning (ML) approaches. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), support vector machines (SVMs), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models are used to predict the quantity of solid waste disposal and diversion. The predictions modeled were based on twelve socio-economic variables whose values were derived from Statistics Canada, and the projections were made for the years 2023 to 2050. This study performed a correlation analysis to rank the socio-economic variables for measuring the ML model's performance and conducted statistical tests to determine if the predictor variables were statistically significant. Data preprocessing, training, and testing were performed in MATLAB simulation software to create reliable datasets. We found that machine learning algorithms are effective for developing models to predict disposal and diversion of solid waste with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 99.9% from ANNs and 98.6% from SVMs. The total waste generation for Canada forecasted through ANNs, SVMs, and MLRs increased 22.90%, 25.76%, and 24.18%, respectively, in the 28 years from 2023 to 2050. The approaches used in this study demonstrate the feasibility of creating solid waste forecasting models to guide the design of waste management systems. | Activity | 2025-06-10 | Md Mashum Billal, Amit Kumar |
| The impact of flow parameters and pipe slopes on the frictional behaviour of Agricultural residue biomass-water slurries in uphill and downhill flows The main aim of the present study is to experimentally investigate the frictional characteristics of aqueous slurries composed of agricultural residue biomass as they flow through a 50 mm diameter and 7.3 m long inclined pipe section. This pipe section is part of a 29 m-long closed-circuit pipeline facility in the Large-Scale Fluids Lab. In addition, this study will investigate the impact of pipe inclinations in ascending (≤21°) and descending (≤7°) positions in relation to the horizontal axis, solid particle size (<3.2-19.2 mm), slurry solid mass concentration (5-40%), and slurry velocities (≤5.0 m s-1) on frictional pressure drops. The findings of this research will be utilized in constructing a comprehensive techno-economic framework for long-range pipelines connecting bio farms to large-scale biorefineries.
| Activity | 2024-07-28 | Kashif Javed, Russell Flores, Aidan Everett Richardson |
| Two-phase (solid-liquid) flows of agricultural residue biomass in inclined pipes.Two-phase (solid-liquid) flows of agricultural residue biomass in inclined pipes. | Activity | 2022-07-20 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Conversion of Organic Waste to Value-added Products | Publication | 2019-09-23 | Maryam Akbari |
| Integration of Pipeline Hydrotransportation and Hydrothermal Liquefaction for Biocrude and Hydrochar Production from Softwood Biomass | Publication | 2025-12-17 | Omex Mohan |
| Hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels | Publication | 2020-01-01 | Ankit Mathanker |
| Hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass using water and hydrogen-donor solvent mixtures to produce energy-dense heavy oil | Publication | 2021-01-01 | Snehlata Das |
| Use of thermogravimetric analyzer and high temperature furnace as an alternative to the coke reactivity index test and study on effect of binders in metallurgical coke making | Publication | 2019-01-01 | Amanthan Santhanakrishnan |
| Hydrothermal liquefaction of pipelined biomass for fuel production | Activity | 2020-11-23 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Prediction of the frictional behaviour for pipeline hydro transportation of agricultural residue using a neural network model | Activity | 2020-11-23 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| A parametric study through the modeling of hydrothermal gasification for hydrogen production from algal biomassHydrothermal gasification (HTG) is applicable to high moisture content biomass feedstock such as wet microalgae. The key interests of this thermochemical processing are its ability to use whole algae instead of simply lipid extracts and to use a wide range of algal feedstocks. It employs water in the form of a reaction medium to disintegrate biomass into hydrogen gas. The products' composition and yields are a function of process parameters, namely feed concentration, pressure, and temperature. There is very limited literature available on model development to understand the impacts of various input parameters on the products of HTG. This study presents the development of a detailed process model for HTG and the illustration of process parameters on the gas product yields. The approach includes developing the system model, identifying the key process parameters in the reactor setup that affect syngas yield, and understanding the overall process in terms of final product yield. A simulation of hydrothermal gasification based on thermodynamic equilibrium is studied. Based on the developed process model about 52.1 t/day of hydrogen can be produced from 500 t/day of wet algal biomass. This shows the potential of large-scale hydrogen production through this process for the hydrogen economy. The results from this study could be used by the gas processing industry and policymakers to determine the most feasible means of converting biomass-based resources into gaseous fuels. | Publication | 2021-04-01 | Mayank Kumar, Adetoyese Oyedun, Amit Kumar |
| A Review of Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass for Biofuels Production with a Special Focus on the Effect of Process Parameters, Co-Solvents, and Extraction SolventsHydrothermal liquefaction is one of the common thermochemical conversion methods
adapted to convert high-water content biomass feedstocks to biofuels and many other valuable
industrial chemicals. The hydrothermal process is broadly classified into carbonization, liquefaction,
and gasification with hydrothermal liquefaction conducted in the intermediate temperature range of
250–374 ◦C and pressure of 4–25 MPa. Due to the ease of adaptability, there has been considerable
research into the process on using various types of biomass feedstocks. Over the years, various
solvents and co-solvents have been used as mediums of conversion, to promote easy decomposition of the lignocellulosic components in biomass. The product separation process, to obtain the finalproducts, typically involves multiple extraction and evaporation steps, which greatly depend on the type of extractive solvents and process parameters. In general, the main aim of the hydrothermalprocess is to produce a primary product, such as bio-oil, biochar, gases, or industrial chemicals,such as adhesives, benzene, toluene, and xylene. All of the secondary products become part ofthe side streams. The optimum process parameters are obtained to improve the yield and quality of the primary products. A great deal of the process depends on understanding the underlined reaction chemistry during the process. Therefore, this article reviews the major works conducted in the field of hydrothermal liquefaction in order to understand the mechanism of lignocellulosic conversion, describing the concept of a batch and a continuous process with the most recent state-of-art technologies in the field. Further, the article provides detailed insight into the effects of various process parameters, co-solvents, and extraction solvents, and their effects on the products’ yield and quality. It also provides information about possible applications of products obtained through liquefaction. Lastly, it addresses gaps in research and provides suggestions for future studies. | Publication | 2021-08-11 | Ankit Mathanker, Snehlata Das, Deepak Pudasainee, "Monir Khan", Amit Kumar, Raj Gupta |
| Application of high-frequency impedancemetry approach in measuring the critical velocities of biomass and sand slurry flows in pipelines | Publication | 2018-10-17 | Mahdi Vaezi, "Shubham Verma", Amit Kumar |
| Biofuel production form pipeline-transported lignocellulosic biomass via hydrothermal liquefaction: Process optimization and product characterizationThis study investigates hydrochar production from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of pipeline-transported softwood biomass. Pipelining biomass using water as a carrier fluid offers a cost-effective alternative to truck transport, and its integration with HTL for hydrochar production is relatively unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of process parameters on HTL of pipelined biomass and characterize the resulting hydrochar for various applications. The yield of hydrochar produced from pipelined biomass, at the optimal process conditions, was 13.22 % (oven-dry mass basis), with 19.31 % of energy recovered in hydrochar. The hydrochar was characterized as a black, fragile, mildly acidic carbon material with a dry bulk density of 0.142 g/cm3, improved carbon content, increased surface area (9.27 m2/g), altered pore morphology, and a graphitized, amorphous structure, reflecting structural and compositional changes from the HTL process. Pipelining was found to have minimal impact on the lignocellulosic composition and particle size of the softwood biomass, but it resulted in the leaching of inorganic elements, leading to a reduction in ash content in the hydrochar. The characterization results suggest the hydrochar is suitable for soil amendment and solid fuel applications; its low surface area hinders its use as an adsorbent or for energy storage. This study thus demonstrates the potential of integrating hydro-transportation with HTL, offering a pathway to recover, manage, and use hydrochar for various applications. | Publication | 2026-04-15 | Omex Mohan, Olugbenga Fakayode |
| Comparative energy and techno-economic analyses of two different configurations for hydrothermal carbonization of yard waste | Publication | 2020-02-19 | Maryam Akbari, Adetoyese Oyedun, Amit Kumar |
| Comparison of drag reduction characteristics during hydro-transport of comminuted wood chips through pipelinesPipeline hydro-transportation of forest residues helps in reducing the biomass feedstock's delivered cost compared to truck transport. This can subsequently help in establishing large-scale biorefineries. There is limited research on wood chips and water slurry transport through pipelines. In addition, there is no study on the comparison of flow regimes of wood chips and agricultural residue slurries. This research experimentally investigated the flow behavior of slurries made of milled wood chips and water. Experiments were carried out in a 25.5 m long, 50 mm diameter closed-circuit pipe loop test setup to measure horizontal pressure gradients. Pressure gradients were measured for wood particle sizes ranging from 1.3 to 3.2 mm, saturated mass concentrations ranging from 5% to 35%, and bulk velocities ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 m/s. The findings indicate evidence of drag reduction behavior in wood residue slurries with small particle sizes (< 2.6 mm) and aspect ratios (4–6). A 22% decrease in pressure drop was obtained, compared to water, when pumping 1.3 mm wood residues at a bulk velocity of 3.4 m/s and a saturated mass concentration of 25%. Comparing pressure drop values from tests on earlier research on agricultural residue slurry suggests similar flow behavior. However, the maximum drag reduction in wood residue slurries was 33% lower than that reported for agricultural residues. The findings from this study will be crucial in refining wood residue hydro-transport for cost-effective biomass conversion and for the development of large-scale biorefineries on woody biomass. | Publication | 2024-10-31 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Comparison of maize stover and wheat straw slurry flow in vertical pipes | Publication | 2022-05-01 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Experimental study on two-phase (solid-liquid) flows of ground wheat straw in inclined pipes Long-distance pipeline hydro-transport of lignocellulosic biomass for industrial-scale biofuel production at levels comparable to conventional oil refineries presents an economically and logistically viable alternative to fossil fuels. There is limited understanding of the behavior of the transportation of agricultural biomass slurries in an inclined pipeline. This research is focused on a laboratory-scale investigation of 6.4 mm nominal particle length (d50 = 4.85 mm) knife-milled wheat straw-water suspensions' uphill and downhill flows for a range of pipe inclination and saturated mass concentrations. The range of pipe inclination and saturated mass concentration was -7° to +21° and 5%-30%, respectively. The inclined test section was 29 m long with a 50 mm inside diameter of a closed pipeline loop. The accuracy of the measurements was verified by calibrating the inclined pipe section with fine sand (d50 = 0.103 mm)-aqueous slurries and comparing the results with established correlations. Most wheat straw-aqueous suspensions in the inclined flows showed the characteristics of the plug flow and the transition flow regions together for saturated mass concentration, Cm = 5%-30% and the entire flow range (0.5-4.7 m s-1), with a clear dependence of both the onset velocity of drag reduction (vOD) and drag reduction (%DR) on the pipe inclination as well as the slurry concentration and the critical concentration of maximum drag reduction (Cm)cr on a specific range of suspension velocity. Because of the accelerating effect of gravity, downhill slurry flows had the lowest vOD and the highest %DR at every Cm and pipe inclination with a maximum drag reduction of 25.53% at vm = 4.5 m s-1 and Cm = 25%. Uphill flows demonstrated some nonmonotonic changes in vOD and %DR, which need more experimental data for us to reach a firm conclusion. The research outcomes could help design and operate a long-distance integrated pipeline network for biomass transportation to produce biofuels on a large scale. | Publication | 2024-04-04 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Forecasting residential and nonresidential solid waste generation, disposal, and diversion using three machine learning approachesAccurate forecasting of solid waste quantities is essential for sustainable waste management planning, yet limited research exists in this area. This study develops a framework to forecast solid waste generation, disposal, and diversion quantities using three machine learning (ML) approaches: artificial neural networks (ANNs), support vector machines (SVMs), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The forecasting framework is based on 12 socioeconomic variables, the values of which were derived from publicly available data sources. Projections for 2023 to 2050 were developed considering data preprocessing, training, and testing, to create reliable datasets. Correlation analysis was used to rank predictor and response variables, and statistical tests were conducted to identify heteroscedasticity and linear relationships. A case study was conducted for Canada and four provinces: Alberta (AB), British Columbia (BC), Ontario (ON), and Quebec (QC). The results show that ML algorithms predict solid waste effectively, achieving coefficients of determination (R2) of 99.9% with ANNs and 98.6% with SVMs. The total waste generation for Canada, forecast through ANNs, SVMs, and MLRs, increased by 18.29%, 22.45%, and 22.61%, respectively, in the 28 years from 2023 to 2050. In 2050, the projected values of waste generation using the three methods were 43.67, 45.14, and 44.47 million tonnes, respectively, in Canada. ANN forecasts for 2050 project 7.75 million tonnes in AB, 5.36 in BC, 17.85 in ON, and 8.81 in QC. Waste generation is increasing with increasing population size. The method developed here can be used globally with appropriate data adjustments. The results can help in policy development and decision making. | Publication | 2025-07-05 | Md Mashum Billal, Amit Kumar |
| Frictional behaviour of wheat straw-water suspensions in vertical upward flowsThe use of biofuels helps mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier studies have shown that transporting biomass in horizontal pipelines in the form of water-based slurries significantly reduces transportation costs. The frictional behaviour of water-based chopped wheat straw slurry in a vertical pipeline has not been studied and this is the focus of this study. In situ concentrations of water-based conventional solids of medium sand, glass beads, and fine sand and straw slurry flows were determined by measuring their delivered concentrations in pseudo-homogeneous regimes for prepared concentrations of 1–6% (dry volume of conventional solids) and 5–25% (saturated mass of straw), respectively. Two grades of sand and glass beads with mean particle diameters of 0.103, 0.447, and 0.5 mm, respectively, and straw with a nominal particle length of 19.2 mm were utilised. The delivered concentrations for the straw slurries and fine sand were close to their corresponding prepared concentrations and were homogeneous. There was a large discrepancy between prepared and delivered concentrations for the medium-sized sand and glass beads slurries. The pressure drop of straw slurries over the range of velocities of 0.5–4.2 m s−1 and mass concentrations of 5–25% through the vertical pipe showed a maximum drag reduction of 19% at a concentration of 25% (mass) and at a 3.5 m s−1 velocity. For concentrations of 5–20% (mass), the straw slurries showed drag-reducing capabilities in the mixed and turbulent flow regions for various velocities that were different from horizontal flows. | Publication | 2021-10-18 | Kashif Javed, Mahdi Vaezi, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to produce biofuels: parametric study and products characterization | Publication | 2020-02-19 | Ankit Mathanker, Deepak Pudasainee, Amit Kumar, Raj Gupta |
| Kumar M, Oyedun AO, Kumar A. A review on the current status of various hydrothermal technologies on biomass feedstock, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2018, 81 (2): 1742-1770.Journal Paper | Publication | 2018-04-28 | Mayank Kumar, Adetoyese Oyedun, Amit Kumar |
| Production and characterization of hydrochar produced from hydrothermal liquefaction of pipeline-transported softwood biomassThis study investigates hydrochar production from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of pipeline-transported softwood biomass. Pipelining biomass using water as a carrier fluid offers a cost-effective alternative to truck transport, and its integration with HTL for hydrochar production is relatively unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of process parameters on HTL of pipelined biomass and characterize the resulting hydrochar for various applications. The yield of hydrochar produced from pipelined biomass, at the optimal process conditions, was 13.22 % (oven-dry mass basis), with 19.31 % of energy recovered in hydrochar. The hydrochar was characterized as a black, fragile, mildly acidic carbon material with a dry bulk density of 0.142 g/cm3, improved carbon content, increased surface area (9.27 m2/g), altered pore morphology, and a graphitized, amorphous structure, reflecting structural and compositional changes from the HTL process. Pipelining was found to have minimal impact on the lignocellulosic composition and particle size of the softwood biomass, but it resulted in the leaching of inorganic elements, leading to a reduction in ash content in the hydrochar. The characterization results suggest the hydrochar is suitable for soil amendment and solid fuel applications; its low surface area hinders its use as an adsorbent or for energy storage. This study thus demonstrates the potential of integrating hydro-transportation with HTL, offering a pathway to recover, manage, and use hydrochar for various applications. | Publication | 2025-09-12 | Omex Mohan, Olugbenga Fakayode, Amit Kumar |
| Quantitative estimation and comparative assessment of particle morphological features and energy requirement during hammer milling of softwood chips and wheat strawThe valorization of agricultural and woody residues into higher quality fuels is an attractive pathway and can contribute to decarbonizing the energy system. One essential step for the conversion of these residues to fuels is comminution through commercial mills. This study aimed to investigate the effects of feedstock, input feed size, and milling screen size on particle size and shape, as well as to validate the reliability of existing comminution laws for predicting energy requirements during hammer milling of agricultural and wood biomass. Additionally, the study proposed a new empirical correlation for comminution energy prediction, taking two-dimensional size reduction descriptors into consideration. A machine vision-based image processing method was used to estimate particle size, particle size distribution (PSD), and particle shape factors. The aspect ratio of wheat straw particles was 1.3 to 1.5 times larger than softwood particles, suggesting they are more fibrous. The shapes generated during hammer milling were estimated, with rectangular shapes being predominant. The specific energy requirement (SER) estimated for the hammer milling of softwood chips and wheat straw at different mill screen sizes (4, 8, and 12 mm) was found to be in the range of 153.2–25.5 kJ kg-1 and 38.5–16.1 kJ kg-1, respectively. The validity of existing comminution laws to predict the SER during hammer milling of softwood and wheat straw was tested at a fixed feed rate of 45 kg hr-1, and an improvement in SER prediction for softwood was achieved by formulating a new empirical correlation factoring size reductions in length and width. Further, the correlation developed for the SER for wheat straw was found to lack statistical significance. The findings of this study can be applied to improve the effectiveness of the comminution process, a critical precursor to numerous thermochemical conversion methods used for transforming biomass residues into valuable fuels. | Publication | 2024-07-16 | Omex Mohan, Vinoj Kurian, "Priyabrata Pradhan", Amit Kumar |
| Rheology of fiber suspension flows in pipeline hydro-transport of biomass feedstock | Publication | 2020-12-16 | Ali Faghania Faghania Ali, "Samya Sen", Mahdi Vaezi, Amit Kumar |
| Synergistic effect of water and co-solvents on the hydrothermal liquefaction of agricultural biomass to produce heavy oilHydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) was performed on Alberta’s agricultural biomass, corn stover and wheat straw, at an operating temperature of 300°C, initial reactor pressure of 600 psi and zero min retention time. Effects of adding Co-solvents (Methanol, Ethanol, and 2-Propanol) on yield and quality of heavy oil has been studied. 2-Propanol exhibited to be a promising Co-solvent that has improved the quality of heavy oil. HTL of corn stover using water-2-propanol mixture produced heavy oil having oxygen content of 18.8 wt.%, Higher Heating Value (HHV) of 32.0 MJ/kg and Total Acid Number (TAN) value of 81.74 mg KOH/g oil. HTL of wheat straw using water-2-propanol mixture produced heavy oil showing an oxygen content of 17.99 wt.% and HHV of 32.86 MJ/kg. | Publication | 2022-01-06 | Snehlata Das, Ankit Mathanker, Deepak Pudasainee, "Khan M", Amit Kumar, Raj Gupta |
| The development of a cost model for two supply chain networks of the decentralized pyrolysis system to produce bio-oil | Publication | 2020-02-19 | Madhumita Patel, Adetoyese Oyedun, Amit Kumar, John Doucette |
| The development of empirical correlations to understand the frictional behavior of aqueous biomass slurry flows in vertical pipesLarge-scale biofuel production at levels equivalent to conventional oil refineries using long-distance pipeline hydro-transport of biomass can be a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels when it comes to economics and traffic congestion associated with the overland transportation of biomass. The transport of aqueous slurries of several saturated mass concentrations (5%-40%) and four-particle sizes (from <3.2-19.2 mm) of two types of agricultural residue biomass (ARB) feedstock (corn stover and wheat straw) was studied through a vertical test section of a 29 m long, 50 mm diameter closed circuit pipeline facility, and frictional pressure drops were recorded at different flow rates (0.5-4.3 m s-1). A framework was developed in RStudio (4.0.5) to analyze the experimentally obtained frictional pressure drops of biomass slurries through a multiple linear regression approach using a backward elimination method and Akaike information criterion. An empirical model was proposed to predict slurry frictional pressure drop in terms of slurry velocity, slurry solid mass concentration, particle aspect ratio, and feedstock type. The model satisfactorily predicted the frictional pressure drops of both feedstocks of biomass-water slurry flows through pipes within a 95% confidence interval. The correlations introduced for onset velocities of drag reduction in terms of slurry solid mass concentrations seemed helpful to interpret the transition points of the corresponding slurries in vertical upward flows through pipes. The empirical correlation developed in this research could help select biomass slurry pumps and pipe dimensions when designing a typical long distance pipeline network for biofuel production at the commercial level. | Publication | 2023-06-05 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| The effect of particle size and concentration on the frictional behavior of vertical upward flows of wheat straw aqueous slurries | Publication | 2022-09-01 | Kashif Javed, Vinoj Kurian, Amit Kumar |
| Hydrothermal torrefaction of high moisture content biomass | Publication | 2021-05-03 | Amit Kumar |
