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Title: Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

Abstract

Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oil (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investmentmore » for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Maine Chemical and Biological Engineering and Forest Bioproducts Research Inst., Orono, ME (United States); United States Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA); Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI); United States Department of Transportation, Washington D.C. (United States); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1389700
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1423577
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-07ER46373; 2012-10008-20271; DTRT13-G-UTC43; 1230908
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Fuel
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Fuel Journal Volume: 193 Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0016-2361
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; Pyrolysis; Techno-economics; Forest residues

Citation Formats

Carrasco, Jose L., Gunukula, Sampath, Boateng, Akwasi A., Mullen, Charles A., DeSisto, William J., and Wheeler, M. Clayton. Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production. United Kingdom: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2016.12.063.
Carrasco, Jose L., Gunukula, Sampath, Boateng, Akwasi A., Mullen, Charles A., DeSisto, William J., & Wheeler, M. Clayton. Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.12.063
Carrasco, Jose L., Gunukula, Sampath, Boateng, Akwasi A., Mullen, Charles A., DeSisto, William J., and Wheeler, M. Clayton. Sat . "Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.12.063.
@article{osti_1389700,
title = {Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production},
author = {Carrasco, Jose L. and Gunukula, Sampath and Boateng, Akwasi A. and Mullen, Charles A. and DeSisto, William J. and Wheeler, M. Clayton},
abstractNote = {Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oil (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investment for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.},
doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2016.12.063},
journal = {Fuel},
number = C,
volume = 193,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.12.063

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Cited by: 84 works
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Works referenced in this record:

Two-step catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of fast pyrolysis oil to hydrocarbon liquid fuels
journal, October 2013


Techno-economic comparisons of hydrogen and synthetic fuel production using forest residue feedstock
journal, August 2014


Bio-oil and bio-char production from corn cobs and stover by fast pyrolysis
journal, January 2010


Estimating the higher heating value of biomass fuels from basic analysis data
journal, May 2005


Hydrodeoxygenation of fast-pyrolysis bio-oils from various feedstocks using carbon-supported catalysts
journal, July 2014


Chemical Composition of Bio-oils Produced by Fast Pyrolysis of Two Energy Crops
journal, May 2008

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