Country Report -- USA

Presented at the

IEA Bioenergy Task 34 meeting

September 15, 2009

Doug Elliott

Outline

USA research groups

USA commercialization efforts

Biomass to End Use

Integrated Biorefineries

Thermochemical

Conversion

Feedstock Production

and Infrastructure

Demonstration & Deployment

Processing RD&D

Biofuels

Feedstock

Production

Feedstock

Logistics

Bioproducts

Biopower

Biofuels – rail, truck,

pipelines – blenders – fuel pumps

Vehicles CONVERSION

Biopower – transmission

lines

Bioproducts – rail, truck

DISTRIBUTION END USE

Chemicals,

Materials

Grid

Infrastructure

Biochemical

Conversion

Hydrotreating of Biomass Pyrolysis Oils

fast

pyrolyzer

HC

light

products

medium

products

heavy

products

hydrogen recycle and

byproduct gas reforming

char

byproduct

H2

biomass

HT

aqueous

byproduct

gas

byproduct

aqueous

byproduct

Laboratory Research and Development

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (DOE)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE)

Eastern Regional Research Center (USDA-ARS)

Iowa State University

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Maine

Washington State University-Pullman and Tri-Cities

Mississippi State University

Virginia Tech

University of Minnesota

University of Georgia

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Douglas Elliott, Alan Zacher

Fluidized-bed pyrolysis

1 kg/h, 2 in pipe

oil spray quench

feedstock assessment

Catalytic pyrolysis

Technoeconomic assessments

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Douglas Elliott, Todd Hart

Improved catalysts for bio-oil hydrogenation

ruthenium

palladium

Small batch testing of model compounds

acetic acid

guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol)

furfural

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Douglas Elliott, Gary Neuenschwander

Continuous-flow bench-scale reactor tests have been performed to test catalysts and processing conditions.

99 hydrotreater data sets

49 hydrocracking data sets

Recovered products are analyzed at PNNL and UOP to determine composition and value

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Stefan Czernik, Kristiina Iisa

Bio-oil neutralization and stabilization

Catalytic Pyrolysis

MBMS testing

Mild-hydrotreating batch reactor

Technoeconomic assessments

Integration into petroleum refinery

Hot-gas filtration (bio-oil stabilization DOE solicitation)

Eastern Regional Research Center-USDA ARS Akwesi Boateng, Charles Mullan

Pyro-probe GCMS

Bubbling fluidized-bed fast pyrolysis

2.5 kg/h, 3 in diameter

fractional product recovery with electrostatic precipitator

agricultural feedstock comparisons

Catalytic pyrolysis (DOE bio-oil stabilization solicitation)

Iowa State University Robert Brown

Fast pyrolysis research

micropyrolysis -- 500 g to ¼ ton/day PDU

fluidized beds, auger pyrolyzers, free-fall reactor

bio-oil recovery methods with fractionation

hot-gas filtration

Interdisciplinary studies

upgrading

plant ideotypes to affect bio-oil properties

carbon sequestration using bio-char

technoeconomic assessments

Bio-oil stabilization (DOE solicitation)

University of Massachusetts-Amherst George Huber

Catalytic fast pyrolysis

gasoline range aromatics directly from biomass

Upgrading of bio-oil by aqueous-phase processing

catalytic processing to hydrogen and alkanes

Bio-oil stabilization (DOE solicitation)

Fundamental kinetic model of pyrolysis

reactor engineering model

Virginia Tech Foster Agblevor

Fluidized-bed pyrolysis 100 g/h

hot gas filter

condensers and electrostatic precipitator

Chicken litter pyrolysis 5 ton/day

fluidized bed reactor

Fractional catalytic pyrolysis 2 kg/h

fluidized bed reactor

Bio-oil stabilization (DOE solicitation) Stable bio-oils that can be distilled into various fractions

Stable bio-oils will also be mixed with petroleum feedstock for processing

Mississippi State University Philip Steele

Extensive review of fast pyrolysis

Auger pyrolysis unit modified from ROI original design

1 kg/h

<1.5 sec to few sec vapor residence time

30 to 50 seconds solids residence time)

Bio-oil hydrotreating hydrocarbon products

University of Maine Clayton Wheeler, Brian Frederick, William DeSisto

Fluidized-bed fast pyrolysis

100 g/h

hybrid cyclone/hot gas filter

electrostatic precipitator

whole biomass and biomass fractions

Catalytic upgrading of bio-oil

fundamental study of HDO by model compound tests

novel catalyst synthesis

Washington State University Manuel Garcia-Perez, Hanwu Lei

Pullman Campus

Fundamental studies of of reactions

Pretreatment methods

Built a 2 kg/h auger pyrolyzer

Develop and validate new analytical methods

Tri-Cities Campus

Comparisons of microwave heating and bubbling fluidized-bed

University of Minnesota R. Roger Ruan

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis

up to pilot scale (70 kg/h) continuous-flow

Catalytic pyrolysis to produce stable bio-oil

Reach and maintain exothermic reactions

Low-cost distributed system for on-farm application

University of Georgia KC Das

Slow pyrolysis

batch reactors, 1 to 5L

Intermediate pyrolysis

auger reactor, 4 in diameter by 14 in long

1 ton/d auger unit operated by Eprida Inc.

Commercial process Research

UOP LLC

Envergent Technologies

Dynamotive

Renewable Oil International (ROI)

R&A Energy Solutions

UOP LLC Jennifer Holmgren, Rich Marinangeli

Formed a Renewable Energy and Chemicals division in November 2006

CRADA project with PNNL and NREL for petroleum refinery feedstock from biomass pyrolysis 2006-2009

Bio-oil stabilization project (DOE solicitation) with PNNL, NREL, ERRC, Ensyn and Pall 2009-2011

Distributed Pyrolysis and Centralized Bio-oil Processing

StabilizationPyrolysisBiomass

Mixed WoodsMixed Woods

Corn StoverCorn Stover

Deoxygenate

Gasoline

Diesel

Jet

ChemicalsOther

Refinery Processes

Biocrude

Ref

iner

y

P P

P P

P P

Ref

iner

y

P P

P P

P P

Holmgren, J. et al. NPRA national meeting, San Diego, February 2008.

Envergent Technologies Mark Reno, Geoff Hopkins

Joint venture 55/45 of UOP LLC and Ensyn

Near term commercialization of fast pyrolysis of biomass for heat and power

Longer term potential of upgraded fuels being evaluated

Dynamotive USA Tom Bouchard

Bio-oil production under contract West Lorne operated at 75% of 130 ton/d capacity

reached peak of 090% of nameplate

6-month contract for $260,000

18 shipments planned, August delivery completed

200 ton/day feed contract signed for Arkansas plant 220,000 green ton per year for 10 years

2-stage hydrotreating of bio-oil to hydrocarbons

Renewable Oil International Phillip Badger

Has built several auger pyrolysis units Florence, Alabama

University of Georgia

Mississippi State University

Boston, Massachusetts

Virginia

Small Business Industrial Research work

Mobile demonstration unit recently in Oregon

few hundred pounds per day

R&A Solutions Joel Keller

Slow pyrolysis auger kiln

Vapor products burned for power generation in integrated plant

Oil, char and aqueous byproducts all have uses

A wide range of biomass and waste can be processed

3 ton/day unit for the Army; 50 ton/day considered largest expected size

Conclusions

Biomass conversion to liquid fuels via pyrolytic processes and catalytic hydroprocessing is under development.

Interesting yields of hydrocarbon liquid products have been demonstrated at the bench-scale.

Improved understanding of process steps and product properties is developing.