Thermochemical Process Integration, Scale-Up, and Piloting

Our mission is to integrate, scale-up, and demonstrate biomass conversion technologies developed at the laboratory scale to an industrially relevant pilot scale.

On the left is a char passivation system diagram showing the large boxy multipoint thermocouple (multiple around different parts of the drum with 6 heights each) with a half inch stainless steel tubing leading into the thermocouple filled with char, leading from a half inch quick disconnect. A local exhaust system leads out of the thermocouple and a lid and drum body bonded and grounded to ground bar is shown in green. On the right is an example of passivation data in a line graph, showing the temperature increase of char passivated with 1% oxygen, with temperature in degrees Celsius on the y-axis ranging from 20 to 50 or 60 and elapsed time in hours on the x-axis ranging from 0 to 8. Four blue lines (from top to bottom) show: 8.5 inches off bottom at a steady 30 degrees Celsius over 8 hours; 6 inches off bottom starting at 30 degrees Celsius, peaking at 40 degrees Celsius at around 5 hours and decrease to around 35 degrees Celsius at 8 hours; 3.5 inches off bottom starting at 28 degrees Celsius, peaking at 1 hour at about 43 degrees Celsius, decreasing quickly in the next2 hours, and then slowly decreasing over 8 hours back to around 30 degrees Celsius; and 1 inch off bottom peaking at 20 minutes at about 38 degrees Celsius, decreasing quickly within the first hour, and then slowly decreasing over 8 hours to around 27 degrees Celsius.

Side-by-side photos of the NREL Research Gasifier. On the left is a full view showing a metal stand with a series of metal pipes, tubes, and coils. On the right is a close-up of the gasifier showing a base of black metal coils with a vertical metal pipe inside and sticking out the top with a shiny metal pipe and other pipes and tubes going out from the vertical pipe.

Flow diagram and a long narrow photo of the Davison Circulating Riser (DCR). The left side of the illustration lists Feedstocks in a green rectangle at the top; underneath it are three grey rectangles labeled (from top to bottom) Pyrolysis Hot Gas, Filtration, and Condensation, all sitting on top of a tan diamond labeled Pyrolysis Oil. Underneath this vertical flow chart and the left side of the riser photo is a bracket that leads to the label Biomass Pyrolyzer, 1-4kg/h biomass feed, 1-2 gal/day bio oil. Above the left side of the DCR photo is a tan rectangle labeled Vapor Feed to DCR with an arrow that leads right (and above the DCR photo) to two blue rectangles labeled (top to bottom) Vapor Phase Upgrading and Condensation that both sit on top of a blue diamond labeled Upgraded Oil. A bracket sits below this blue vertical flow chart and is labeled DCR Upgrading Reactor, 1.8 kg catalyst, ).1-5 liter hydrocarbon product.

Biomass-derived char has the unique property of self-heating upon exposure to oxygen. We designed and installed a novel char passivation system on the Thermochemical Process Development Unit (TCPDU) to controllably passivate the biochar, rendering it safe for transport and handling.

The NREL Research Gasifier (NRG) is an integrated gasification system that converts solid biomass to clean, compressed syngas (H2 and CO) in one convenient and compact system. The NRG typically operates between 3 and 5 m3/hour, and consists of a continuous biomass feeder, bubbling fluidized bed gasifier, cyclone char removal, hydrocarbon steam reformer, CO2 amine scrubber, and gas compression to provide high-pressure syngas (>2,000 psig) to any system.

The Davison Circulating Riser (DCR) small pilot-scale riser reactor is coupled with a biomass pyrolyzer and is focused on the catalytic deoxygenation of pyrolysis vapors to produce hydrocarbons and high-value oxygenates. We are testing ZSM-5 and modified zeolite catalysts for the production of BTX and other aromatic compounds from pyrolysis vapors.

Full Publications List

Flow diagram describing the major steps in three primary thermochemical pathways. The figure starts with a photo of a forest labeled "Biomass". The purple arrows of "Gasification" lead to "Syngas," represented by spheres of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, then to "Gas Cleanup, Solids Removal, Reforming, and Gas Scrubbing," and then on to "Fuel Synthesis" and finally "Fuels," represented by a gasoline dispenser nozzle. A green arrow of "Fast Pyrolysis" and blue arrows for "Catalytic Pyrolysis" lead to "Pyrolysis Oil," represented by a flask with brown liquid, then on to "Upgrading, Hot Gas Filtering, Vapor Phase Upgrading, Hydrotreating, and Distillation," and finally to "Fuels," represented by a gasoline dispenser nozzle

Variety of Pathways

Our pilot-scale systems are capable of testing multiple biomass-to-fuels pathways including gasification, fast pyrolysis, catalytic fast pyrolysis, and vapor phase upgrading. Our systems are flexible, allowing for modifications based on new technologies and research areas. To learn more about our systems, see Thermochemical Users Facility.

Side-by-side images of a recirculating riser reactor system in NREL’s Thermochemical Process Development Unit: on the left is a photo of a 3-D model and on the right is a process flow diagram. Both models show scaffolding and tubes in a tower format

Engineering and Scaled Design

Our engineers work with researchers, consultants, and partners to design reactors and other unit operations to overcome scaling effects and provide innovative solutions. Using our pilot-scale facilities, we can install and test the designs under real operating conditions.

Two side-by-side photos of Thermochemical Process Development Unit operators controlling the system and draining pyrolysis oil. The left shows a man in a hardhat working among a series of metal tubes and wires, pouring a dark liquid from a hose into a bucket; the right shows one man in a hardhat on a walkie-talkie and another man next to him, both are in front of several monitor screens in a large computer room.}

Technology Demonstrations

We demonstrate the current state-of-technology at the pilot scale and provide operational data for use in techno-economic analysis. In 2017, we will demonstrate three thermochemical pathways: (1) syngas upgrading to high-octane fuels and fuel additives, (2) fast pyrolysis followed by hydrotreating, and (3) pyrolysis vapor phase upgrading.

Technology Integration

We work closely with the lab-scale researchers to integrate their work together and provide real-world testing conditions for their feedstock, catalyst, and other discoveries. Data collected from pilot-scale testing is then provided back to the lab-scale research to inform future developments.