autothermal pyrolysis team members › ... · robert c. brown distinguished professor mechanical...

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Robert C. Brown Distinguished Professor Mechanical Engineering (515) 294-7934 [email protected] Lysle Whitmer Bioeconomy Institute Andrew Friend Bioeconomy Institute Jordan Funkhouser Bioeconomy Institute Brad Koenig Bioeconomy Institute Autothermal Pyrolysis The fast pyrolysis process development unit (PPDU) located at the BioCentury Research Farm has been in operation since 2009 and serves as a test bed for pilot-scale deployment of technology developed within the Bioeconomy Institute. The PPDU is able to process a wide variety of feedstocks including both woody and herbaceous material into higher-value bio-oil intermediates using fluidized bed technology and a novel stage fractionation collection system. The pilot system can process 22 kilograms of biomass per hour continuously. Development of the stage fractionation process has resulted in several breakthroughs in the utilization or targeted upgrading of specific stage fractions into fuels, chemicals and products. Accomplishments » Awarded a patent for multi-stage, online fractionation of bio-oil. » Completed ground up redesign and redeployment to integrate industry level automation, controls and data acquisition systems. » Successfully accomplished continuous processing of pretreated biomass and online recovery of sugars, phenolic oil and biochar from woody and herbaceous biomass. » Achieved autothermal pyrolysis using 100 percent air fluidization. » Developed process intensification through autothermal operation resulting in tripling the capacity of biomass throughput using the same reactor footprint. » Increase sugar yield from corn stover 15 times through successful pretreatment methods. » Became a test bed for ongoing research into material selection for corrosion resistance in thermochemical liquefaction environments. Current/Future Work » Pilot testing for a 50 ton per day modular Autothermal Py-Refinery with integrated biomass pretreatment and product recovery for the production of fermentable sugars, phenolics, and high porosity biochar. » Ongoing large volume production of bio-oil for internal and external R&D customers. 1327 U Avenue Boone, Iowa 50036 Phone: (515) 296-6300 Email: [email protected] Twitter: IowaStateBCRF www.biocenturyresearchfarm.iastate.edu 07-18-19 Team Members Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515 294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffi[email protected]

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Page 1: Autothermal Pyrolysis Team Members › ... · Robert C. Brown Distinguished Professor Mechanical Engineering (515) 294-7934 rcbrown3@iastate.edu ... » Successfully accomplished continuous

Robert C. BrownDistinguished Professor Mechanical Engineering

(515) [email protected]

Lysle WhitmerBioeconomy Institute

Andrew FriendBioeconomy Institute

Jordan FunkhouserBioeconomy Institute

Brad KoenigBioeconomy Institute

Autothermal Pyrolysis The fast pyrolysis process development unit (PPDU) located at the BioCentury

Research Farm has been in operation since 2009 and serves as a test bed for pilot-scale

deployment of technology developed within the Bioeconomy Institute. The PPDU is able

to process a wide variety of feedstocks including both woody and herbaceous material

into higher-value bio-oil intermediates using fluidized bed technology and a novel stage

fractionation collection system. The pilot system can process 22 kilograms of biomass

per hour continuously. Development of the stage fractionation process has resulted in

several breakthroughs in the utilization or targeted upgrading of specific stage fractions

into fuels, chemicals and products.

Accomplishments » Awarded a patent for multi-stage, online fractionation of bio-oil.

» Completed ground up redesign and redeployment to integrate industry level automation, controls and data acquisition systems.

» Successfully accomplished continuous processing of pretreated biomass and online recovery of sugars, phenolic oil and biochar from woody and herbaceous biomass.

» Achieved autothermal pyrolysis using 100 percent air fluidization.

» Developed process intensification through autothermal operation resulting in tripling the capacity of biomass throughput using the same reactor footprint.

» Increase sugar yield from corn stover 15 times through successful pretreatment methods.

» Became a test bed for ongoing research into material selection for corrosion resistance in thermochemical liquefaction environments.

Current/Future Work » Pilot testing for a 50 ton per day modular Autothermal Py-Refinery with integrated biomass pretreatment and product recovery for the production of fermentable sugars, phenolics, and high porosity biochar.

» Ongoing large volume production of bio-oil for internal and external R&D customers.

1327 U AvenueBoone, Iowa 50036

Phone: (515) 296-6300Email: [email protected]: IowaStateBCRFwww.biocenturyresearchfarm.iastate.edu

07-18-19

Team Members

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515 294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email [email protected]