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.

Pilot facilities validate industrial relevancy of lab scale research.

Catalytic upgrading of bio-oil in the vapor phase allows for the selection of higher value chemicals and oil products. The Thermal and Catalytic Process Development Unit contains a riser reactor system integrated with their half-ton-per-day pilot plant. This addition allows researchers to test new catalyst technologies on an industrially relevant scale and process.

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.

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.

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.

The Davison Circulating Riser 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. Our team tests 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 and chemical 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 Thermal and Catalytic Process Development Unit.

Condensation chain engineered for closed collection of upgraded chemical compounds.

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.

A female operator in a hard hat and lab coat controlling the system and performing char system maintenance.

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.