Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks

Weber, Robert S.; Holladay, Johnathan E.

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.012

Title: Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks

Abstract

Here, we have adapted and characterized electrolysis reactors to complement the conversion of regional- and community-scale quantities of waste into fuel or chemicals. The overall process must be able to contend with a wide range of feedstocks, must be inherently safe, and should not rely on external facilities for co-reactants or heat rejection and supply. Our current approach is based on the upgrading of bio-oil produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of carbon-containing waste feedstocks. HTL can convert a variety of feedstocks into a bio-oil that requires much less upgrading than the products of other ways of deconstructing biomass. We are now investigating the use of electrochemical processes for the further conversions needed to transform the bio-oil from HTL into fuel or higher value chemicals. We, and others, have shown that electrochemical reduction can offer adequate reaction rates and at least some of the necessary generality. In addition, an electrochemical reactor necessarily both oxidizes (removes electrons) on one side of the reactor and reduces (adds electrons) on the other side. Therefore, the two types of reactions could, in principle, be coupled to upgrade the bio-oil and simultaneously polish the water that is employed as a reactant and a carrier inmore »« less

Authors:: Weber, Robert S.; Holladay, Johnathan E.

Publication Date:: Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1564371

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1439098; OSTI ID: 1509980

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-131136; PNNL-SA-135520
Journal ID: ISSN 2095-8099; S2095809917306860; PII: S2095809917306860

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

Resource Type:: Published Article

Journal Name:: Engineering

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Engineering Journal Volume: 4 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2095-8099

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: China

Language:: English

Subject:: 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Reducing generation and discharge of pollutants; Chemical engineering

Citation Formats


                    Weber, Robert S., and Holladay, Johnathan E. Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks.  China: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.012.

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                    Weber, Robert S., & Holladay, Johnathan E. Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks.  China.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.012

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                    Weber, Robert S., and Holladay, Johnathan E. Fri .  
"Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks".  China.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.012.

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@article{osti_1564371,

  title        = {Modularized Production of Value-Added Products and Fuels from Distributed Waste Carbon-Rich Feedstocks},

  author       = {Weber, Robert S. and Holladay, Johnathan E.},

  abstractNote = {Here, we have adapted and characterized electrolysis reactors to complement the conversion of regional- and community-scale quantities of waste into fuel or chemicals. The overall process must be able to contend with a wide range of feedstocks, must be inherently safe, and should not rely on external facilities for co-reactants or heat rejection and supply. Our current approach is based on the upgrading of bio-oil produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of carbon-containing waste feedstocks. HTL can convert a variety of feedstocks into a bio-oil that requires much less upgrading than the products of other ways of deconstructing biomass. We are now investigating the use of electrochemical processes for the further conversions needed to transform the bio-oil from HTL into fuel or higher value chemicals. We, and others, have shown that electrochemical reduction can offer adequate reaction rates and at least some of the necessary generality. In addition, an electrochemical reactor necessarily both oxidizes (removes electrons) on one side of the reactor and reduces (adds electrons) on the other side. Therefore, the two types of reactions could, in principle, be coupled to upgrade the bio-oil and simultaneously polish the water that is employed as a reactant and a carrier in the upstream HTL. Here, we overview a notional process, the possible conversion chemistry, and the economics of an HTL-electrochemical process.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.012},

  journal      = {Engineering},

  number       = 3,

  volume       = 4,

  place        = {China},

  year         = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018},

  month        = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018}

}

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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1: A skid-mountable HTL unit developed at PNNL. The carboy pictured at front right has a volume of about 1 m³.

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