5 research outputs found
Pilot Scale Production of Mixed Alcohols from Wood
An
integrated thermochemical biomass to ethanol process was demonstrated
at the pilot scale at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
A total of 233 h of pilot scale mixed alcohol production was achieved,
comprising 81 h of continuous operation in methanol-derived syngas
followed by 152 h of continuous operation in biomass-derived syngas.
During this period the system generated 20 L of mixed alcohol product.
The fully integrated biomass to mixed alcohol process was comprised
of a solids feeder, fluidized bed indirect steam gasifier, thermal
cracker, char collector, fluidized bed steam reformer, packed bed
polishing steam reformer, scrubber, pressure-swing CO<sub>2</sub> adsorber,
and gas-phase continuously stirred tank gas-to-liquid reactor (CSTR).
Additional pumps, compressors, and blowers were used to convey gases,
solids, and liquids. Tars and methane were reformed using sequential
steps: first in a fluidized bed using an NREL-developed Ni-based catalyst
followed by a fixed bed reactor loaded with pelletized, precious metal
catalyst developed by Johnson Matthey. Mixed alcohols (a mixture of
methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, etc.) were produced using a metal sulfide
catalyst developed at NREL. Under steady state conditions, the steam
reformers converted >99.9, 97.0, and 86% of tars, benzene, and
methane,
respectively, in the producer gas. A simulated partial recycle of
carbon dioxide to the gasifier was used to reduce the H<sub>2</sub>:CO ratio of the reformed syngas to 3:1 without adding water gas
shift reactors to the process or coking the reforming catalysts. When
operating on biomass-derived syngas in a CSTR, the fuel synthesis
catalyst produced as much as 31 g of EtOH·kg of catalyst<sup>–1</sup>·h<sup>–1</sup> at a CO<sub>2</sub>-free
ethanol selectivity of 27% at 2000 psi, 300 °C, and 27% CO conversion.
A bench scale packed bed reactor operated under analogous conditions
produced 39 g of EtOH·kg of catalyst<sup>–1</sup>·h<sup>–1</sup> at a CO<sub>2</sub>-free ethanol selectivity of 28%
showing reasonable parity between bench scale and pilot scale