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Analysis of Dynamotive Upgraded BioOil Confirms Gasoline, Jet, Diesel and Vacuum Gasoil Fractions
29 June 2009
Independent distillation analysis of upgraded BioOil samples from Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (earlier post) confirmed gasoline, jet, diesel, and vacuum gasoil fractions, establishing the potential for development of synthetic hydrocarbon mobile fuels, according to the company.
The Dynamotive process, developed by Dr. Desmond Radlein and his research team, involves pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to produce a primary liquid fuel, BioOil, which is then hydro-reformed to a Stage 1 gas-oil equivalent liquid fuel that can either be directly utilized in blends with hydrocarbon fuels for industrial stationary power and heating applications or be further upgraded to transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels in a Stage 2 hydrotreating process.
The samples analyzed were stage 2 upgraded BioOil (Upgraded BioOil B or UBB). Dynamotive further confirmed that it is actively continuing to optimize the upgrading process and will continue both internal and external independent testing.
The company has also initiated the design and engineering of a pilot plant to produce required quantities for testing in targeted mobile applications. It anticipates the pilot facility will have the flexibility to produce the desired fuel type in Stage 2 based on catalyst selection and hydrotreating process conditions.
Independent and internal analyses have determined the following characteristics of UBB samples.
UBB is a mixture of components similar to a crude oil fraction with an overall oxygen content of less than about 0.1% and a heating value of about 45 MJ/kg. Its main components are paraffins, olefins and aromatics in the range of C4 to C30.
Approximate distillation fractions:
- Gasoline: 20 %wt
- Jet: 30 %wt
- Diesel: 30 %wt
- Vacuum Gasoil: 20 %wt
Based on initial tests and analyses, Dynamotive currently estimates that it can deliver advanced (second generation) fuels from biomass at a cost of less than $2 per gallon of ethanol-equivalent fuel in facilities processing about 70,000 tonnes of biomass per annum (current scale of its 200 metric tonne per day plant).
June 29, 2009 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: Engineer-Poet | June 30, 2009 at 11:33 AM
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This is excellent. One of the biggest problems with biofuels is the burden of transporting biomass to processing plants. Bio-oil can be made in the field and carried in tankers, radically reducing the bulk and cost of this transport.
Now all we need is a carbon-free source of hydrogen for the treatment.