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Title: Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process - Final Technical report

Abstract

This Final Technical Report describes the work and accomplishments of the project entitled, “Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process”. The main objective of the project was to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the GHGR-CBTL fuel-production technology from TRL 4 to TRL 5 by producing a drop-in synthetic Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) with a greenhouse-gas footprint less than or equal to petroleum-based JP-8 by utilizing mixtures of coal and biomass as the feedstock. The system utilizes the patented Altex fuel-production technology, which incorporates advanced catalysts developed by Pennsylvania State University. While the system was not fabricated and tested, major efforts were expended to design the 1-TPD and a full-scale plant. The system was designed, a Block-Flow Diagram (BFD), a Process-Flow Diagram (PFD), and Piping-and-Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) were produced, a Bill of Materials (BOM) and associated spec sheets were produced, commercially available components were selected and procured, custom components were designed and fabricated, catalysts were developed and screened for performance, and permitting activities were conducted. Optimization tests for JP-8 production using C2 olefin as the feed were performed over a range of temperatures, pressures and WHSVs. Liquid yields of between 63 to 65% with 65% JP-8 fraction (41-42% JP-8 yield)more » at 50 psig were achieved. Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) was performed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and a GHGR-CBTL module was added to the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET®) model. Based upon the experimental results, the plant design was reconfigured for zero natural-gas imports and minimal electricity imports. The LCA analysis of the reconfigured process utilizing the GREET model showed that if the char from the process was utilized to produce combined heat and power (CHP) then a feed containing 23 wt% biomass and 77 wt% lignite would be needed for parity with petroleum-based JP-8. If the char is not utilized for CHP, but sequestered in a land fill, 24 wt% biomass and 76 wt% lignite would be required. A TEA was performed on this configuration following DOE guidelines and using the ANL-developed GREET module that showed that the GHGR-CBTL TOC and ECO are 69% and 58% of those for the DOE FT-Liquids Baseline Case, respectively. This analysis shows that the economics of the GHGR-CBTL process are significantly better than a gasification/FT process. No technical barriers were identified. The lower costs and the detailed design that was performed under this project are being used by Altex to attract funding partners to move the GHGR-CBTL development forward.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Altex Technologies Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA (United States)
  2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Altex Technologies Corp., Sunnyvale, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1406969
Report Number(s):
DOE-ALTEX-23663
DOE Contract Number:  
FE0023663
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 10 SYNTHETIC FUELS; Coal; Biomass; CBTL; JP-8; LCA

Citation Formats

Lux, Kenneth, Imam, Thamina, Chevanan, Nehru, Namazian, Mehdi, Wang, Xiaoxing, and Song, Chunshan. Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process - Final Technical report. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.2172/1406969.
Lux, Kenneth, Imam, Thamina, Chevanan, Nehru, Namazian, Mehdi, Wang, Xiaoxing, & Song, Chunshan. Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process - Final Technical report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1406969
Lux, Kenneth, Imam, Thamina, Chevanan, Nehru, Namazian, Mehdi, Wang, Xiaoxing, and Song, Chunshan. 2017. "Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process - Final Technical report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1406969. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1406969.
@article{osti_1406969,
title = {Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process - Final Technical report},
author = {Lux, Kenneth and Imam, Thamina and Chevanan, Nehru and Namazian, Mehdi and Wang, Xiaoxing and Song, Chunshan},
abstractNote = {This Final Technical Report describes the work and accomplishments of the project entitled, “Green-House-Gas-Reduced Coal-and-Biomass-to-Liquid-Based Jet Fuel (GHGR-CBTL) Process”. The main objective of the project was to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the GHGR-CBTL fuel-production technology from TRL 4 to TRL 5 by producing a drop-in synthetic Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) with a greenhouse-gas footprint less than or equal to petroleum-based JP-8 by utilizing mixtures of coal and biomass as the feedstock. The system utilizes the patented Altex fuel-production technology, which incorporates advanced catalysts developed by Pennsylvania State University. While the system was not fabricated and tested, major efforts were expended to design the 1-TPD and a full-scale plant. The system was designed, a Block-Flow Diagram (BFD), a Process-Flow Diagram (PFD), and Piping-and-Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) were produced, a Bill of Materials (BOM) and associated spec sheets were produced, commercially available components were selected and procured, custom components were designed and fabricated, catalysts were developed and screened for performance, and permitting activities were conducted. Optimization tests for JP-8 production using C2 olefin as the feed were performed over a range of temperatures, pressures and WHSVs. Liquid yields of between 63 to 65% with 65% JP-8 fraction (41-42% JP-8 yield) at 50 psig were achieved. Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) was performed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and a GHGR-CBTL module was added to the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET®) model. Based upon the experimental results, the plant design was reconfigured for zero natural-gas imports and minimal electricity imports. The LCA analysis of the reconfigured process utilizing the GREET model showed that if the char from the process was utilized to produce combined heat and power (CHP) then a feed containing 23 wt% biomass and 77 wt% lignite would be needed for parity with petroleum-based JP-8. If the char is not utilized for CHP, but sequestered in a land fill, 24 wt% biomass and 76 wt% lignite would be required. A TEA was performed on this configuration following DOE guidelines and using the ANL-developed GREET module that showed that the GHGR-CBTL TOC and ECO are 69% and 58% of those for the DOE FT-Liquids Baseline Case, respectively. This analysis shows that the economics of the GHGR-CBTL process are significantly better than a gasification/FT process. No technical barriers were identified. The lower costs and the detailed design that was performed under this project are being used by Altex to attract funding partners to move the GHGR-CBTL development forward.},
doi = {10.2172/1406969},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1406969}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 03 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Nov 03 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}