Wood +
Solution
GC sampling
Gas volumeGas phase
Liquid phase
Hydrochar
Gas
Biocrude
HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION A PATHWAY TO PRODUCE WOODY BIOMASS BIOFUELSCarmina Reyes Plascenciaa,b, Nestor Tancredia,b
aFacultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; bÁrea de Energías Renovables, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Pando, Uruguay
[email protected]; [email protected]
Rationale & ObjectivesWhat is Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL)?Thermochemical process which takes place in aqueous medium and allows to produce biofuels from biomass1.
Energy EfficiencyMethodology
HTL Results
Acknowledgements
Conclusion
HTL Process
Why use HTL?Robust method in terms
of feedstock.Since the reaction
medium is water, the biomass does not need to be dried.Why use Pine?High biomass availability in Uruguay. Expected output in 20182:Bush waste: 83 784 tonSawdust waste: 91 133 tonTotal: 174 917 ton
Main objetive
Specific objetives
To produce liquid biofuels from woody biomass
• To study the effect of the most significant process variables in product distribution. • To study the use of K2CO3
and KHCO3 as catalysts.• To determine the energy feasibility of the process.
Study variables
Temperature 300 and 350 °C
Time 0 and 15 min
Solution:Biomass 1:1 and 6:1
Solution Water, 1M K2CO3 and 1M KHCO3
Bibliography
• Atmosphere: N2
• P= P water + P products• Wood mass = 15 g (Mesh < 8 mm)
Hydrochar
yH
ydro
char
(%
)
Biocrudey
Bio
cru
de
(%)
Atomic ratio O/C
Ato
mic
rat
io H
/C
Solution:Biomass 1:1 Solution:Biomass 6:1
yG
as (
%)
yG
as (
%)
Yield improved:- Without catalyst- Solution:Biomass 1:1
O/C Ratio decreases to near to charcoal values
Yield improved:- With catalyst, both K2CO3
and KHCO3
- Solution:Biomass 6:1
O/C Ratio decreases to similar values to peat or lignite
Gas composition changes according to the parameters studied, producing in all cases: CO, CO2, H2 and C1-C4
Yield improved:- Solution:Biomass 1:1 for water and K2CO3
- With KHCO3
- At 350 °C
Water Catalyst
LHV
(M
J/kg
)
2
1
02
52
22
1
60
30
53
urface Plot of PC Hydrochar vs Solución/Biomasa, CaS alizadort
LHV
(M
J/kg
)
Hydrochar
ProductPCI
(kJ/kg)Yield (%)
Energy (kJ)
Hydrochar 26620 3.69 14.73
Biocrude 28470 32.6 139.22
Gas 1387 22.73 0.47
Energy Balance Test: 15min, 300°C , KHCO2
Solution:Biomass 6:1
Energy produced (15 g wood): 154.42 kJ Energy consumed by reactor: 3933.56 kJ
01
20
25
30
0
0
5
0
12
666
30
35
LHV
(M
J/kg
)
Biocrude
Study parameters Influence Hydrochar Biocrude Gas
Temperature Important - - 350 °C
Reaction time Not important - - -
Solution:Biomass Very important 1:1 6:1 1:1
Catalyst use Very important Water Catalyst KHCO3
Study parametersParameters to improve product yields
• Chair of physical chemistry• Prof. Juan Bussi• Chem. Mauricio Musso
Product yields & LHV
LHV Pine: 17.31 MJ/kg LHV Pine: 17.31 MJ/kg
Maximum hydrochar yield: 51.8% at 300 °C, 0 min, water & Solution:Biomass 6:1
Maximum biocrude yield: 42.9% at 300 °C, 0 min, KHCO3 & Solution:Biomass 6:1
Maximum gas yield: 36.24% at 350 °C, 15 min, KHCO3 & Solution:Biomass 6:1
Hydrochar & Biocrude LHV are higher than Pine
Biocrude & Hydrochar LHV is improved at 350 °C and Solution:Biomass 6:1 because decarboxylation is favored at these conditions.
1 Pandey, A., Bhaskar, T., Stöcker, M. & Sukumaran, R. Recent Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass. (Elsevier, 2015).
2 Faroppa, C. Evaluación de la disponibilidad de residuos o subproductos de biomasa a nivel nacional. (2010).
Low Heating Value (LHV)
Gas
PetroleumFuel 2Heavy Fuel Oil Pine
Biomass
PeatLignite
Anthracite
Char
Ato
mic
rat
io H
/C
Biomass
PinePeat
LigniteChar
Anthracite
Charcoal
H2OH2O
K2CO3K2CO3
KHCO3
KHCO3
S/B 1 S/B 6S/B 1 S/B 6 S/B 1 S/B 6
H2OH2O
K2CO3K2CO3
KHCO3
KHCO3
S/B 1 S/B 6S/B 1 S/B 6 S/B 1 S/B 6
Atomic ratio O/CTemperature: 250 to 370 °CPressure: 3 to 30 MPa Time: 0 to 1 h