Biorefinery Demonstration Project Final Progress Report

Technical Report · Tue Oct 20 04:00:00 UTC 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1239555· OSTI ID:1239555

Lee, David ^[1]

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1. University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., Athens, GA (United States); University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

In this project we focused on various aspects of biorefinery technology development including algal-biorefinery technology, thermochemical conversion of biomass to bio-oils and biochar; we tested characteristics and applications of biochars and evaluated nutrient cycling with wastewater treatment by the coupling of algal culture systems and anaerobic digestion. Key results include a method for reducing water content of bio-oil through atomized alcohol addition. The effect included increasing the pH and reducing the viscosity and cloud point of the bio-oil. Low input biochar production systems were evaluated via literature reviews and direct experimental work. Additionally, emissions were evaluated and three biochar systems were compared via a life cycle analysis. Attached growth systems for both algal cultivation and algal harvesting were found to be superior to suspended growth cultures. Nutrient requirements for algal cultivation could be obtained by the recycling of anaerobic digester effluents, thus experimentally showing that these two systems could be directly coupled. Twenty-two journal articles and six intellectual property applications resulted from the cumulative work that this project contributed to programmatically.

• Research Organization: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., Athens, GA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (EE-3B)
• DOE Contract Number: EE0000410
• OSTI ID: 1239555
• Report Number(s): DOE-UGA--EE0000410; 7065425967
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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09 BIOMASS FUELS