UBAUBB

Dynamotive Advanced Fuels

UBA
The first stage of upgrading process under development is the hyrdroreforming of raw BioOil and is designated as UBA. During the process, BioOil is hydro-reformed to stabilize product, render it miscible with hydrocarbons, cause phase separation of water in the BioOil, lower its viscosity, lower its corrosivity and lower oxygen content from ~50% to around ~10%. UBA is stabilized so it can be hydrotreated in a standard refinery without the risk of coke formation or blended with diesel fuels used in stationary heat and power applications and can be steered towards diesel/gasoline/jet fuel etc. based on selection of commercial hydrotreating catalyst and hydrotreatment process conditions.

UBB
Second stage of upgrading process involves a conventional hydrotreatment over a commercial catalyst to convert UBA into a product designated as UBB. Upgrading process uses conventional hydrotreatment equipment and process conditions for rapid implementation at pilot and commercial scale to produce transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline/diesel). Based on initial test and analysis, the Company currently estimates that it can deliver advanced (second generation) fuels from biomass at a cost of less than $ 2 per gallon of ethanol-equivalent fuel in facilities processing about 70,000 tonnes of biomass per annum (current scale of its 200 metric tonne per day plant).

UBA Results 

Temperature 330 °C
Pressure ~1800 psi
Weight Hourly Space Velocity ~1.5g BioOil/(g-catalyst-hr)
Catalyst xxxxxxxx
Yields (based on raw biooil)
(Mass balance closure ~ 98%)
UBA 45%
Total Gas (~80% CO2 + 20% CH4) 8.1%
Water content of Aqueous phase
(81% water)
37.9%
Organics dissolved in Aqueous Phase
(~ 38% Methanol + 62% Acetic Acid)
8.9%
H2 consumption + 1.4%
UBA Properties
Water Content 0.84%
Oxygen Content ~10%
HHV 39.5 MJ/Kg
Specific Gravity 0.97
TAN mg KOH/g 37
UBB Results 

Temperature 350 °C
Pressure ~1700 psi
Weight Hourly Space Velocity ~2.5g UBA/(g-catalyst-hr)
Catalyst Commercial Hyrdotreating Catalyst
Yields (based on UBA)
(Mass balance closure ~ 93%)
UBB 83%
Total Gas
(~43% CO2 + 27% CH4 + 30% CO, C2)
9.6%
Water content of Aqueous phase
(95% water)
8.6%
H2 consumption + 2%
UBB Properties
Water Content 0.05%
Oxygen Content ~1%
HHV 45 MJ/Kg
Specific Gravity 0.87
TAN mg KOH/g 0.9