Download - Eco Monday Pyrolysis Presentation Feb09
Pyrolysis R&D Presentation
EcoMonday MeetingFebruary 2, 2009
Timothy McDonald PE, MBA
The Issues
• Green House Gases - Nitric Oxide, Methane, CO2• Climate change impact on food, water, temperatures• Nitrate pollution of aquifers (fertilizers / manure)• Forests - drought, beetles, fire, thinning projects and
management costs • Farms – waste, water, fertilizer and fuel • Municipalities - water, green wastes, sewage sludge• Farm and forest “Burn Pile” emissions• ACC Renewable Mandate to regulated electric utilities• CO2 Emissions Reduction Credits (future carbon tax)• Fuel availability and costs
Arizona Forests
Arizona CAFOs – ManureArizona CAFOs – Manure
• ~ 168 CAFO farm sites • ~ 600,000 cows & pigs• ~ 3,600,000 chickens• Manure is a limiting factor
on operations• Also a community issue
Arizona Biomass Summary
• Forest and woodland waste– 12 Million acres of forest and woodlands– 350,000 acres managed per year– 4.5 Million tons per year of waste
• Agriculture waste– Cotton gin trash, orchard residue, straw– 200,000 tons of material per year
• Urban green waste– Primarily from Phoenix and Tucson– 95,000 tons per year
Biomass Disposal Options
• Composting• Incineration / Landfill(?)• Aerobic / Anaerobic digestion (wet slurries)• Biomass derived pellets / briquettes• Direct combustion (ABITIBI biomass power plant) • Gasification (dried and chipped biomass)• Co-firing in utility power plants (charcoal / biooil)• Pyrolysis conversion (syngas, oils, char)
Biomass Conversion Issues
• Pre-processing and hauling costs • Air, Water and Solid Waste permits • Economies of scale w/ 50 mile radius fuel supply• Biomass waste materials have no intrinsic value• Waste biomass is typically just burned• Renewable power plant water and waste disposal• Renewable plant reliability and interconnection• Pyrolytic oil acidity and shelf-life stability
Cholla Biomass Co-Firing Analysis
50 Mile Radius for Potential Biomass Sites
AshforkCasa GrandeEagarFlagstaffGila BendHeberPrescottPhoenix MetroSan CarlosSnow FlakeStanfieldTucsonTusayanWhiteriverWilcoxWindow RockYuma
ABITIBI
Intro to Portable Pyrolysis Concept
• Portable system is moved to biomass location• Owned / operated by farm Co-ops, Communities,
and/or individual company(s)• Convert zero value waste biomass into higher
value liquid / solid feedstock materials • Stabilize oils for easier handling and processing • Char and oils shipped to centralized refinery(s)• Initial products: fertilizer supplement; oil for coal-
dust suppression; solids for co-firing w/ coal
½ TPD Portable Pyrolysis System
Pyrolysis System Feedstocks
• Sweet sorghum• Nut shells • Cotton harvest debris• Orchard debris• Salt cedar• Mesquite• Manures• Pinion and juniper• Small-diameter pines• Municipal tree trimming
green wastes…..
Dryer Hopper
Biomass Feed+ Wood Dust Sludge
Dryer/Grinder Vacuum Blower
Closed Cycle Cooling
Cyclone Separator
Dried Chips Drum ~1,000 lb/day
Venturi Scrubber
Excess AirCO2H2O N Wood Dust
Essential Oil H2O Wood Dust Sludge
Stack Emissions
Air
Waste Water
Pyrolysis Feed Hopper
300% AirPropane
Pyrolysis Reactor
Electric Heating Element
Vacuum Blower
Air
Air
Closed Cycle Cooling
Char Screen
Air
Enclosure
Char Auger Stabilization
Air Blower
Char Drum
Bio-Oil Drum
Venturi Condenser (Scrubber)
Air Filter
Air Exhaust Char Dust
Cyclone Separator
TAM v 450 12/30/08
Non-Condensable Gases
Hot Vapors
Water RecircBurner
Oil Recirc
ELECTRIC SERVICE 208/240 VAC 1ph 200A
1/2 TPD PYROLYSIS PROCESS & PRODUDUCTS
Pyrolysis Oil
• Dark brown viscous liquid• Strong smoky odor• Corrosive with acidic ph• Polymerizes into solid if reheated• Phase separation in container• “A” Phase: water & acids
– Organic acids for fertilizer• “B” Phase: cellulosic oils
– Phenols suitable for fuels and chemicals• “C” Phase: hemi-cellulosic oils
– Fuel and chemical feedstock• “D” Phase: lignin oils w/ char dust
– Polymerize into solid fuel– Binder for char granules / pellets (?)– Gasified for F-T into diesel fuel
“A” Phase ~15%
“B” and “C” Phases ~50%
“D” Phase ~35%
Pyrolysis Char
• Charcoal powder• Contains inorganic
minerals from biomass• Some oils from pyrolysis • Form granules or pellets
using “D” lignin-oil binder• Co-fire pellets w/ coal• Gasification - FT - Diesel• Activated carbon filters
(water, power plant stack) • Time-released nutrients• Basis for “Terra Preta” soil
Bio-Refinery
• Centralized location(s) • Multiple biomass sources
within 200 mile region• Economies of Scale• Co-gen processing plant• “Petroleum” type refinery• Adjacent to railroad,
freeway and CNG distribution pipeline
200 Mile Radius Bio-Refinery Opportunities
Holbrook Region Casa Grande Region
- “Centralized“ Bio-Refinery - “Portable” Pyrolysis Opportunities
Bio-Refinery Products
• Resins• Polymers / Co-polymers• Adhesives• Food flavorings• Fragrances• Chemical feedstocks• Synthetic methane• Liquid and solid fuels• Fertilizer(s) (Tera Preta?)
Terra Preta“Dark earth”
• Made by Amazon natives 2000 years ago
• Terra Preta soil is still active and viable
• Better crops than with chemical fertilizers
• Less water and fertilizer per crop cycle!!
• Soil can be “harvested” – will “regrow”!!
• Scientists not sure how Terra Preta made
Pyrolysis Project Vision/Objectives
• Carbon sequestration: CO2 credits• Meet ACC Renewables Mandate w/ biomass co-firing• New sources of biomass-based sustainable fuels• Rural economic development opportunities• Forest fuel thinning projects w/o subsidiary payments • Conversion of farm wastes into revenues • Reduce water and fertilizers needed per crop cycle• Squeeze every nickel of value out of waste biomass • Help resolve WATER / ENERGY / POLLUTION issues
50 TPD Portable Pyrolysis System
USFS$0.00/acre
Fuel Reductionsw/ Landing & Log-Yard
Slash
Saw-logsMicro-Mill@ Landing
DehumidificationLumber Kiln
Cutoffs, Bark, Chips,
Sawdust
DimensionLumber
Light VOC Oils
Chip, Screen, Dry, & Sort
Essential Oils& Bio-Refinery
Pyrolysis Reactor@ Landing
PyrolysisProduct
$ Lumber $
$ Fuels $
$ Chemicals $
$ MWH’s $ Needles, Bark,Mixed Slash
WoodChips
Water
$ Bio-Char Fertilizer $
PyrolysisProduct
Heat
TAM 3/27/08
Sawdust-Plastic Composites
$ Composites $
$ Pellets $
Pellet Mill
Bio-Refinery
Power Plant
Water
Water
The Alternative ………….
Q & A