Hydrothermal liquefaction pathways for low-nitrogen biocrude from wet algae
- SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); SRI International
- SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Our SRI International (SRI) team has developed a new two-step hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process to convert wet algal biomass into biocrude oil. The first step in the process (low-temperature HTL or HTL1) yields crude oil but, most importantly, it selectively dissolves nitrogen-containing compounds in the aqueous phase. Once the oil and the aqueous phase are separated, the low-nitrogen soft solids left behind can be taken to the second step (high-temperature HTL or HTL2) for full conversion to biocrude. HTL2 will hence yield low-nitrogen biocrude, which can be hydro-processed to yield transportation fuels. The expected high carbon yield and low nitrogen content can lead to a transportation fuel from algae that avoids two problems common to existing algae-to-fuel processes: (1) poisoning of the hydro-processing catalyst; and (2) inefficient conversion of algae-to-liquid fuels. The process we studied would yield a new route to strategic energy production from domestic sources.
- Research Organization:
- SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (EE-3B)
- Contributing Organization:
- University of Dayton Research Institute; Los Alamos National Laboratory
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0006635
- OSTI ID:
- 1336268
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-SRI--06635-1; DE-FOA-0000812
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Impact of heterotrophically stressed algae for biofuel production via hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrotreating in continuous-flow reactors
Techno-Economic Uncertainty Quantification of Algal-derived Biocrude via Hydrothermal Liquefaction