Advances, challenges, and future directions in biomass gasification: A critical review of feedstock, reactor designs, and process optimization Muthu Dinesh kumar Ramaswamy, Mukilarasan Nedunchezhiyan, Senthil Sampath, Sathiyamoorthi Ramalingam, Thiruselvam Krishamoorthi, Kubilay Bayramoğlu Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 2026 • Comprehensive review of biomass gasification feedstocks and reactor designs. • Identifies key barriers in tar reduction, efficiency, and large-scale operation. • Evaluates pre-treatment, drying, and densification impacts on syngas quality. • Discusses thermodynamic and kinetic gasification models for process prediction. • Highlights biochar’s catalytic role in tar reforming and H 2 yield enhancement. • Outlines future directions for hybrid reactors and advanced syngas cleaning Biomass has recently gained recognition as a promising renewable energy resource with the potential to meet the growing global demand for continuous, clean power generation. Among thermochemical conversion technologies, gasification is considered one of the most viable approaches, offering cold gas efficiencies typically between 65% and 80%, depending on the feedstock and reactor design. Nevertheless, integrating producer gas into residential or commercial energy systems remains difficult due to technological and operational challenges. Critical issues include biomass supply chain management, pre-treatment and drying to achieve moisture content ideally below 15%, and effective gas cleaning and conditioning. Tar formation represents one of the most significant barriers, with levels commonly ranging from 2 to 10 g/Nm³, while for engine-grade applications, concentrations must be reduced to below 100 mg/Nm³. Similarly, particulates need to be controlled to less than 50 mg/Nm³, and alkali metals must be removed to prevent fouling and corrosion. Despite the development of various gasifier configurations, such as downdraft, fluidized bed, and plasma-assisted systems, an efficient and scalable design that achieves cold-gas efficiencies above 80% while maintaining tar concentrations below 0.1 g/Nm³ remains lacking. Recent research emphasizes that next-generation gasification systems integrated with advanced gas conditioning techniques—such as catalytic tar cracking, plasma reforming, and hot-gas separation—offer a pathway to overcome these obstacles. Such advancements would enable the production of high-quality syngas suitable not only for thermal power and combined heat and power (CHP) generation but also for hydrogen production.
Optimization and synthesis process of biodiesel production from coconut oil using central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology Rajesh Kannan, Sathiyamoorthi Ramalingam, Senthil Sampath, Mukilarasan Nedunchezhiyan, Damodharan Dillikannan, Ravikumar Jayabal Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering, 2025 In the transportation and power production industries, the use of renewable and environmentally friendly fuels has grown in importance. Biodiesel derived from coconut oil contains over 90% saturated fatty acids. Biodiesel was made using alkaline transesterification since coconut oil has a free fatty acid content of less than 2.5%. Enzymatic or chemical transesterification are both possible. For the synthesis of coconut biodiesel, the optimal processing conditions are 60 °C for 1 h, a 6:1 ratio, 1% potassium hydroxide and a 95% yield. According to the experiment, 55 °C was the ideal reaction temperature for using coconut oil to produce biodiesel. Sixty minutes was the ideal amount of time to extract biodiesel from coconut oil. The methanol-to-oil molar ratio raised yield from 6:1 to 8:1, a 95% increase. Significant amounts of an alkaline catalyst, which allows soap to develop under the influence of fatty acids, are responsible for the high yield response; it is concluded that 1 wt% would be an appropriate catalyst concentration for the present investigation. The central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of the response surface methodology method is used to optimize several process parameters, including temperature, reaction duration, methanol-to-oil ratio and catalyst concentration. The CCRD optimization approach produced better results. The following are the final, optimized results: coconut oil methyl ester ratio: 96.69%, temperature: 55 °C; duration: 59.2 min; catalyst concentration: 0.7; molar ratio: 6.4.
Enhancement of compression ignition engine performance and emission reduction using pyrolyzed waste plastic oil blended with aluminum oxide nanoparticles K. Thiruselvam, S. Ganesan, E. Vengadesan, S. Senthil Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, 2025 This research investigates the use of waste plastic fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines, focusing on two main objectives: producing pyrolysis plastic oil from waste plastic and reducing dependence on conventional CI engine fuels. The pyrolysis process involves heating low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) in a reactor at temperatures between 300°C and 500°C to generate plastic oil. Engine performance was evaluated using various blends of this oil, including 10%, 20%, and 30% mixtures with diesel. Additionally, 30 ppm of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles were mixed with 10% and 30% pyrolyzed waste plastic oil (WPO) to enhance fuel properties and engine performance. The study analyzed the impact of nanoparticles on engine efficiency and emissions, revealing that adding 30 ppm Al2O3 to all WPO blends improved overall performance compared to conventional diesel. Notably, the WPO 30 + 30 ppm Al2O3 blend significantly reduced emissions, with a 37.45% decrease in carbon monoxide (CO), a 22.5 ppm reduction in unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and a 33.23% reduction in smoke opacity. However, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions increased by 487 ppm compared to diesel.
Experimental investigation and machine learning modeling of PCM-integrated solar dryers for red chilli drying B Poorani, S Senthil, K Elangovan, RU Baig, S Javed, N Poyyamozhi, ... Journal of Energy Storage 165, 122314 , 2026 2026
Clean combustion approach for sustainable for emission mitigation and environmental protection in Diesel Engines using cocos nucifra biodiesel, green-synthesized nanoadditives … K Thiruselvam, A Kistan, S Senthil, K Muthukumar Energy, 141002 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Performance and emission characteristics of a CI engine fueled with hydrogen-enriched biodiesel A Velmurugan, K Bayramoğlu, TV Rajamurugan, C Rajaganapathy, ... International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 221, 154229 , 2026 2026
Advances, challenges, and future directions in biomass gasification: A critical review of feedstock, reactor designs, and process optimization MD Kumar, M Nedunchezhiyan, S Sampath, S Ramalingam, ... Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 101107 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Hybrid computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–experimental characterization of swirl-enhancing intake valve designs for improved combustion and reduced emissions VT Vimalananth, M Nedunchezhiyan, S Ramalingam, P Natesan, ... Applied Thermal Engineering, 129640 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Sustainable engine transformation: assessing hydrogen enrichment and CeO 2 nanoparticle effects on neat palm biodiesel-fueled CI engines K Thiruselvam, S Senthil, S Murugapoopathi, KTT Amesho Environment, Development and Sustainability 28 (1), 1481-1504 , 2026 2026 Citations: 13
Computational evaluation and thermal optimization of advanced heat sinks in proton exchange membrane fuel cells S Senthil, T Krishnamoorthi, N Poyyamozhi, S Ramalingam, ... Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 104199 , 2025 2025
Optimized injection strategy for hydrogen-waste transformer oil biodiesel dual-fuel engines: A novel waste-to-energy solution towards environmental protection SM Veeraraghavan, G Kaliyaperumal, S Sampath, R Jayabal, ... Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 107749 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
Enhancing Thermal Efficiency in Fluidized Bed Cooling Towers: An Experimental Approach to Bed Design M Nedunchezhiyan, R Jayabal, S Ramalingam Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi 45 (1), 111-118 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Enhancement of compression ignition engine performance and emission reduction using pyrolyzed waste plastic oil blended with aluminum oxide nanoparticles K Thiruselvam, S Ganesan, E Vengadesan, S Senthil Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 44 (4), e70008 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Hydrogen-rich syngas production from food waste via supercritical water gasification: Influence of gasification temperature and polyaniline and potassium carbonate (PANI-K2CO3 … K Muthukumar, T Loganathan, SS Kumar, P Prabhakar, S Vishnu, ... International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 141, 145-154 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
CFD-based optimization of solar water heating systems: Integrating evacuated tube and flat plate collectors for enhanced efficiency M Nedunchezhiyan, S Ramalingam, P Natesan, S Sampath Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 69, 106017 , 2025 2025 Citations: 18
Synergistic effect of nano additives for combustion and emission mitigation in a hydrogen-enriched CI engine using cocos nucifera oil methyl ester T Krishnamoorthi, K Rajesh, R Sathiyamoorthi, S Senthil, N Poyyamozhi International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 109, 1253-1265 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Comprehensive assessment of energy, exergy, and environmental impacts of lemongrass oil-diesel blend with dimethyl and diethyl ethers in agricultural diesel engines S Ramalingam, S Sampath, T Krishnamoorthi, M Saravanamuthu, ... Chemical Engineering and Processing-Process Intensification 209, 110187 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Critical review on various recycling methods of indium from flat panel displays S Murugapoopathi, R Sathiyamoorthi, S Senthil Metal Value Recovery from Industrial Waste Using Advanced Physicochemical … , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Sustainability improvement of spark-ignition engine performance enhanced with nanoparticles and hydroxy gas S Padmanabhan, N Punitha, N Poyyamozhi, S Senthil, D Damodharan, ... International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 96, 1171-1185 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
Optimization and synthesis process of biodiesel production from coconut oil using central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology R Kannan, S Ramalingam, S Sampath, M Nedunchezhiyan, D Dillikannan, ... Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 30
Comprehensive energy and enviro-economic performance analysis of a flat plate solar water heater with a modified absorber B Prabhu, E Vengadesan, S Senthil, T Arunkumar Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 54, 102848 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
Experimental analysis of hemispherical combustion geometry of diesel engine (neem oil) biodiesel with nano additives S Senthil, N Poyyamozhi, R Sathiyamoorthi, N Dilip Raja, M Muthukannan Interactions 245 (1), 258 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Combined influence of thermal barrier coating and nanoparticle on performance and emissions of DI diesel engine fueled with neat palm oil biodiesel: an experimental … T Krishnamoorthi, S Sampath, M Saravanamuthu, E Vengadesan, ... Process Safety and Environmental Protection 186, 274-288 , 2024 2024 Citations: 25
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Thermal performance improvement in solar air heating: an absorber with continuous and discrete tubular and v-corrugated fins E Vengadesan, T Arunkumar, T Krishnamoorthi, S Senthil Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 48, 102416 , 2024 2024 Citations: 45
Performance augmentation of solar air heater using absorber with multi-functional encapsulated PCM tubes E Vengadesan, V Dhinakaran, S Senthil, P Renugadevi, R Senthil Journal of Energy Storage 72, 108296 , 2023 2023 Citations: 37
Optimization and synthesis process of biodiesel production from coconut oil using central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology R Kannan, S Ramalingam, S Sampath, M Nedunchezhiyan, D Dillikannan, ... Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 30
Bio-degradable waste banana and neem fiber reinforced epoxy hybrid composites: characteristics study CB Priya, V Ravi Kumar, D Umamaheswari, R Venkatesh, ... Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology 38 (4), 1891-1896 , 2024 2024 Citations: 29
Combined influence of thermal barrier coating and nanoparticle on performance and emissions of DI diesel engine fueled with neat palm oil biodiesel: an experimental … T Krishnamoorthi, S Sampath, M Saravanamuthu, E Vengadesan, ... Process Safety and Environmental Protection 186, 274-288 , 2024 2024 Citations: 25
Effect of Cerium oxide nanoparticles derived from biosynthesis of Azadirachta indica on stability and performance of a research CI engine powered by Diesel-Lemongrass oil blends S Ramalingam, G Sankaranarayanan, S Senthil, RA Rohith, ... Energy & Environment 34 (4), 886-908 , 2023 2023 Citations: 25
Comprehensive energy and enviro-economic performance analysis of a flat plate solar water heater with a modified absorber B Prabhu, E Vengadesan, S Senthil, T Arunkumar Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 54, 102848 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
CFD-based optimization of solar water heating systems: Integrating evacuated tube and flat plate collectors for enhanced efficiency M Nedunchezhiyan, S Ramalingam, P Natesan, S Sampath Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 69, 106017 , 2025 2025 Citations: 18
Mechanical characterization of wire arc additive manufactured and cast Inconel 825: A comparative study TS Senthil, M Puviyarasan, SR Babu, S Senthil Materials Today: Proceedings 62, 973-976 , 2022 2022 Citations: 18
Analysis of performance and emission patterns of novel biofuel feedstock neat coconut fatty acid distillate (CFAD) fuelled single‐cylinder diesel engine K Rajesh, R Sathiyamoorthi, S Senthil, S Murugapoopathi, ... Heat Transfer 52 (5), 3732 - 3757 , 2023 2023 Citations: 17
Energy and exergy analysis of VCR engine fueled with rubber-seed oil methyl ester using response surface methodology SS S. Murugapoopathi, S. Surendarnath, T. Ramachandran, Kassian T.T. Amesho Energy 128238 , 2023 2023 Citations: 16
Sustainable engine transformation: assessing hydrogen enrichment and CeO 2 nanoparticle effects on neat palm biodiesel-fueled CI engines K Thiruselvam, S Senthil, S Murugapoopathi, KTT Amesho Environment, Development and Sustainability 28 (1), 1481-1504 , 2026 2026 Citations: 13
Optimized injection strategy for hydrogen-waste transformer oil biodiesel dual-fuel engines: A novel waste-to-energy solution towards environmental protection SM Veeraraghavan, G Kaliyaperumal, S Sampath, R Jayabal, ... Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 107749 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
Hydrogen-rich syngas production from food waste via supercritical water gasification: Influence of gasification temperature and polyaniline and potassium carbonate (PANI-K2CO3 … K Muthukumar, T Loganathan, SS Kumar, P Prabhakar, S Vishnu, ... International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 141, 145-154 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
Sustainability improvement of spark-ignition engine performance enhanced with nanoparticles and hydroxy gas S Padmanabhan, N Punitha, N Poyyamozhi, S Senthil, D Damodharan, ... International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 96, 1171-1185 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
Synergistic effect of nano additives for combustion and emission mitigation in a hydrogen-enriched CI engine using cocos nucifera oil methyl ester T Krishnamoorthi, K Rajesh, R Sathiyamoorthi, S Senthil, N Poyyamozhi International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 109, 1253-1265 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Comprehensive assessment of energy, exergy, and environmental impacts of lemongrass oil-diesel blend with dimethyl and diethyl ethers in agricultural diesel engines S Ramalingam, S Sampath, T Krishnamoorthi, M Saravanamuthu, ... Chemical Engineering and Processing-Process Intensification 209, 110187 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Influence of baffles in heat transfer fluid characteristics using CFD evaluation N Mukilarasan, R Karthikeyan, S Ramalingam, D Dillikannan, ... International Journal of Ambient Energy 43 (1), 7088-7100 , 2022 2022 Citations: 7
Experimental analysis of hemispherical combustion geometry of diesel engine (neem oil) biodiesel with nano additives S Senthil, N Poyyamozhi, R Sathiyamoorthi, N Dilip Raja, M Muthukannan Interactions 245 (1), 258 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Efficacy of performance and mitigate pollution of CI engine: Delonix regia biodiesel with n‐butanol and exhaust gas recirculation K Thiruselvam, S Ganesan, S Senthil Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, e14315 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3