TITLE: Indirect Thermal Liquefaction Process for Producing Liquid Fuels from Biomass.

AUTHOR: J. L. Kuester.

INST.  AUTHOR: Arizona State Univ., Tempe. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1980,  24p.

NOTES: 89. annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Portland, OR, USA, 17 Aug 1980.

ABSTRACT:

A progress report on an indirect liquefaction process to convert biomass type materials to quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels by gasification followed by catalytic liquid fuels synthesis has been presented. A wide variety of feedstocks can be processed through the gasification system to a gas with a heating value of 500 + Btu/SCF. Some feedstocks are more attractive than others with regard to producing a high olefin content.  This appears to be related to hydrocarbon content of the material. The H sub 2 /CO ratio can be manipulated over a wide range in the gasification system with steam addition. Some feedstocks require the aid of a water-gas shift catalyst while others appear to exhibit an auto-catalytic effect to achieve the conversion. H sub 2 S content (beyond the gasification system wet scrubber) is negligible for the feedstocks surveyed. The water gas shift reaction appears to be enhanced with an increase in pyrolysis reactor temperature over the range of 1300 to 1700 exp 0 F. Reactor temperature in the Fischer-Tropsch step is a significant factor with regard to manipulating product composition analysis. The optimum temperature however will probably correspond to maximum conversion to liquid hydrocarbons in the C sub 5 - C sub 17 range. Continuing research includes integrated system performance assessment, alternative feedstock characterization (through gasification) and factor studies for gasification (e.g., catalyst usage, alternate heat transfer media, steam usage, recycle effects, residence time study) and liquefaction (e.g., improved catalysts, catalyst activity characterization). (ERA citation 06:013557)

REPORT  NUMBER: CONF-800802-24

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AS02-76CS40202