2005 OBP Bi-Annual Peer Review

Summary of Feed Processing & Handling Effort

John Jechura, NRELThermochemical Platform

November 14, 2005

Overview

Budget (K)

NRELPNNL

Partners

Work Objective:Evaluate feedstock variability and resulting unit operation requirements required to concentrate, consolidate, & convey feedstock into the front-end of the Thermochemical process

050

100150200250300350400

2004 2005 2006 (planned)

Industrial Partners Core R&D

Relevant Pathways: Agricultural Residues, Energy Crops, Forest Products, Pulp and Paper, Corn Mill Improvements

3.0Thermochemical Platform R&D

3.1 Feed Processing and Handling 3.2 TC Processing 3.3 Cleanup and

Conditioning3.5 TC Platform

Analysis

3.1.1.2.Feed Improvement

3.2.1.Biomass Gasification

3.2.2.Pyrolysis and BioOils

3.2.3Black Liquor Gasification

3.2.4Innovative Gasification

3.3.1. Cleanup and Conditioning Core R&D

3.3.2. Cleanup and Conditioning Partnerships

3.5.1. TC Platform Analysis

3.5.2. BLG for Fuels/Chemical in at Kraft Mills

Thermochemical Platform

Feed Processing & Handling

Thermochemical Processing

Clean-Up & Conditioning

Fuels & Chemicals

Heat & Power

Biomass ResiduesDedicated Crops

BiorefineryResidues

Fuels Production

Sensors & Control

Addressing technical barriers:• Feed handling – this work will look at both the

technical and costs barriers

Technical Barrier Areas

ThermochemicalR&D

FeedstockR&D

BiochemicalR&D

ProductsR&D

IntegratedBiorefinery

Corn Wet Mill Improvements

Corn Dry Mill Improvements

Agricultural Residue

Processing

Energy Crops

Pulp & Paper Mill

Improvements

Forest Products Mill

Improvements

Corn

Other Grains

Corn StoverWheat StrawRice Straw

Perennial GrassesWoody Crops

Mill WastesWood

Mill WastesWood

Fiber Conversion

DDG Conversion

Biomass & Lignin Gasification

Biomass & Lignin Gasification

Black Liquor, Biomass, & Lignin Gasification

Biomass Gasification& Pyrolysis

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to

improve corn wet milling facilities using corn grain feedstock by

2008

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to

improve corn dry milling facilities using corn grain feedstock by

2008

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to

utilize agricultural residue feedstocks in existing or new

facilities by 2009

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to

utilize perennial crops in existing or new facilities by 2012

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to

improve pulp & paper mill facilities and/or produce

additional products from wood by 2012

Systems-level demonstration & validation of technologies to improve forest products mill

facilities and/or produce additional products by 2012

Strategy and Pathways –Intermediate to Long Term

Technical Barriers Addressed

• Obtain feedstocks for the Thermochemical PDU gasification runs• Corn stover• Lignin-rich residues

• Determine hardware requirements to use lignin-rich fermentation residues from NREL’s Biochemical PDU

• Analyze feedstock property variations for corn stover and biorefinery residues – composition & physical properties

Initial Feedstock Property Comparison

Higher Heating Value

(Btu/lb) Volatiles Nitrogen

(%) Sulfur

(%) Chlorine

(%)

Ag Residues 7,243 - 8,094 70.2 - 81.8 0.59 - 1.0 0.05 - 0.1 0.12 - 0.66

Corn Stover Fermentation

Residues 9,273 60.2 2.2 0.19 0.029

Stage Placement & Portfolio Alignment Review

DOE Office of the Biomass Program FY05 Thermochemical Portfolio Alignment Review

June 7-8, 2005“Stage placement” of all new and existing projects (16) in the Thermochemical Platform.

Evaluations based on: Program Relevance, Approach, Progress, Success Factors, and Future Plans

• 7 core R&D projects (NREL, PNNL) primarily focused on developing biomass gasification and gas clean-up technology that can applied many different biomass feedstocks.

• 9 subcontracted industrial/cost-shared R&D projects selected by competitive solicitations or directed by Congress to develop/commercialize gas cleanup technology, black liquor gasification, and other thermochemical processes.

Reviewers• Professor Robert Brown, Iowa State University• Professor Esteban Chornet, Université de Sherbrooke• Viorel Duma, Abengoa Bioenergy R&D, Inc.• John Scahill, DOE Golden Field Office• David Turpin, MeadWestvaco Research

Stage Placement & Portfolio Alignment Review

General Comments on Thermochemical Program• Thermochemical Program has clear goals which support the overall program• Technical barriers are clearly identified• R&D is good fit with the program and there is good balance• Funding may be inadequate to meet program goals

Specific Reviewer Comments on Feed Processing & Handling :• Pelletization issues: cost; necessary to regularly feed gasifiers? • Lignin-rich residue’s moisture may be an index to monitor• Be cognizant of property differences between wet & dry lignin-rich biomass

residues

• DOE responses:One year project to generate data on characteristics of feedstocks & their TC conversion. TEA-type data to be used for Integrated Biorefinery analysis.

Will change SOW to examine & tabulate physical properties & link to operational difficulties

Summary and Future Work

• Complete reports• “Preliminary design for system for feeding Biorefinery

residues into a Thermochemical process ”• “Preliminary specification of a system for pumping wet

Biorefinery residues into a Hydrothermal process”

• No new funding as an individual task in FY06• Work incorporated within other tasks