Upgrading
Biomass is the only renewable source of carbon for the manufacture of carbon based fuels. This simple fact implies that if alternative sources of such fuels are to be developed, some form of biomass is the only option.
The only current large scale technologies to produce motor bio-fuels are ethanol and biodiesel derived respectively from corn starch or sugar cane juice, and vegetable oils. Both require specialized crops and utilize only a fraction (typically <40%) of their total biomass. There have been intensive efforts over the last thirty years or so to extend the range of available biomass sources. The bulk of this effort has focused on utilizing cellulose as a source for production of ethanol. On the other hand several possible alternative cellulose based fuels have been recently commanding attention but all are, like ethanol, intrinsically based on hydrolysis of cellulose to sugars followed by subsequent conversion to various fuels.
Key Features of Upgrading Process
- Upgrading process uses conventional hydrotreatment equipment and process conditions for rapid implementation at pilot and commercial scale
- Net yield of mobile fuels (UBB) from whole biomass is ~ 25% which to our knowledge is the highest ever reported
- 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
- UBA is miscible with biodiesel in any concentration
- UBA can be steered towards diesel/gasoline/jet fuel etc. based on selection of commercial hydrotreating catalyst and hydrotreatment process condition
- Acetic acid and Biochar by-products are valuable and can be easily recovered during different stages of the production process
Attachments
BioOil Upgrading Report
Dynamotive Upgrading Presentation
Dynamotive & IFP BioOil Upgrading Press Release