J. Thiagarajan , P.K. Srividhya , E. Rajasakeran

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Periyar Maniammai University, Vallam, Thanjavur, India
Author    Correspondence author
Journal of Energy Bioscience, 2013, Vol. 4, No. 2   doi: 10.5376/jeb.2013.04.0002
Received: 06 Mar., 2013    Accepted: 12 Oct., 2013    Published: 21 Oct., 2013

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Srividhya et al., 2013, A Review of Thermo-chemical Energy Conversion Process of Non-edible Seed Cakes, Journal of Energy Bioscience, Vol.4, No.2 7-15 (doi: 10.5376/jeb.2013.04.0002)

In India, efforts were being made for using non-edible oils for production of bio-diesel on account of country’s potentiality in non-edible oil tree born seeds. Jatropha curcas (Jatropha) and Pongamia pinnata (Karanja) crops had been selected as major source of non-edible oils for production of biodiesel. Considering the future scenario of non edible oil seed’s utilization for biodiesel production, there is a need for efficient utilization of their cakes. The main focus of this review is about the options of energy conversions, for production of suitable fuel. The brief overview of energy conversion option on seed cake is presented by means of general background information available in literatures. From the solvent extracted jatropha seed cake and mechanically de oiled jatropha seed cake the quantity of biogas obtained by biomethanation process was 0.5 m³/kg and 0.6 m³/kg respectively with CH₄ content of 50% to 70%. By using pongaima seed cake as feed material the yield of average specific biogas over a 30-day retention time was 0.703 m³•day^-1•kg^-1 TS with 62.5% of CH₄ content. Faster conversion rate and using all the components of biomass includes cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin were the advantages of thermo chemical conversion process over biological conversion process. Energy production through gasification conversion route is suitable as the process of synfuels from biomass will lower the energy cost, waste management improvement and reduction of harmful emission. Experiments on non edible oil seed cake by gasification conversion route and analyzing for its characteristics are more essential for useful energy recovery and its use for thermal application and power generation.

Non edible oil seeds; Bio diesel; De-oiled cake; Bio mass gasifier