Wood +

Solution

GC sampling

Gas volumeGas phase

Liquid phase

Hydrochar

Gas

Biocrude

HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION A PATHWAY TO PRODUCE WOODY BIOMASS BIOFUELSCarmina Reyes Plascenciaa,b, Nestor Tancredia,b

aFacultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; bÁrea de Energías Renovables, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Pando, Uruguay

carmina@fq.edu.uy; nestor@fq.edu.uy

Rationale & ObjectivesWhat is Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL)?Thermochemical process which takes place in aqueous medium and allows to produce biofuels from biomass1.

Energy EfficiencyMethodology

HTL Results

Acknowledgements

Conclusion

HTL Process

Why use HTL?Robust method in terms

of feedstock.Since the reaction

medium is water, the biomass does not need to be dried.Why use Pine?High biomass availability in Uruguay. Expected output in 20182:Bush waste: 83 784 tonSawdust waste: 91 133 tonTotal: 174 917 ton

Main objetive

Specific objetives

To produce liquid biofuels from woody biomass

• To study the effect of the most significant process variables in product distribution. • To study the use of K2CO3

and KHCO3 as catalysts.• To determine the energy feasibility of the process.

Study variables

Temperature 300 and 350 °C

Time 0 and 15 min

Solution:Biomass 1:1 and 6:1

Solution Water, 1M K2CO3 and 1M KHCO3

Bibliography

• Atmosphere: N2

• P= P water + P products• Wood mass = 15 g (Mesh < 8 mm)

Hydrochar

yH

ydro

char

(%

)

Biocrudey

Bio

cru

de

(%)

Atomic ratio O/C

Ato

mic

rat

io H

/C

Solution:Biomass 1:1 Solution:Biomass 6:1

yG

as (

%)

yG

as (

%)

Yield improved:- Without catalyst- Solution:Biomass 1:1

O/C Ratio decreases to near to charcoal values

Yield improved:- With catalyst, both K2CO3

and KHCO3

- Solution:Biomass 6:1

O/C Ratio decreases to similar values to peat or lignite

Gas composition changes according to the parameters studied, producing in all cases: CO, CO2, H2 and C1-C4

Yield improved:- Solution:Biomass 1:1 for water and K2CO3

- With KHCO3

- At 350 °C

Water Catalyst

LHV

(M

J/kg

)

2

1

02

52

22

1

60

30

53

urface Plot of PC Hydrochar vs Solución/Biomasa, CaS alizadort

LHV

(M

J/kg

)

Hydrochar

ProductPCI

(kJ/kg)Yield (%)

Energy (kJ)

Hydrochar 26620 3.69 14.73

Biocrude 28470 32.6 139.22

Gas 1387 22.73 0.47

Energy Balance Test: 15min, 300°C , KHCO2

Solution:Biomass 6:1

Energy produced (15 g wood): 154.42 kJ Energy consumed by reactor: 3933.56 kJ

01

20

25

30

0

0

5

0

12

666

30

35

LHV

(M

J/kg

)

Biocrude

Study parameters Influence Hydrochar Biocrude Gas

Temperature Important - - 350 °C

Reaction time Not important - - -

Solution:Biomass Very important 1:1 6:1 1:1

Catalyst use Very important Water Catalyst KHCO3

Study parametersParameters to improve product yields

• Chair of physical chemistry• Prof. Juan Bussi• Chem. Mauricio Musso

Product yields & LHV

LHV Pine: 17.31 MJ/kg LHV Pine: 17.31 MJ/kg

Maximum hydrochar yield: 51.8% at 300 °C, 0 min, water & Solution:Biomass 6:1

Maximum biocrude yield: 42.9% at 300 °C, 0 min, KHCO3 & Solution:Biomass 6:1

Maximum gas yield: 36.24% at 350 °C, 15 min, KHCO3 & Solution:Biomass 6:1

Hydrochar & Biocrude LHV are higher than Pine

Biocrude & Hydrochar LHV is improved at 350 °C and Solution:Biomass 6:1 because decarboxylation is favored at these conditions.

1 Pandey, A., Bhaskar, T., Stöcker, M. & Sukumaran, R. Recent Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass. (Elsevier, 2015).

2 Faroppa, C. Evaluación de la disponibilidad de residuos o subproductos de biomasa a nivel nacional. (2010).

Low Heating Value (LHV)

Gas

PetroleumFuel 2Heavy Fuel Oil Pine

Biomass

PeatLignite

Anthracite

Char

Ato

mic

rat

io H

/C

Biomass

PinePeat

LigniteChar

Anthracite

Charcoal

H2OH2O

K2CO3K2CO3

KHCO3

KHCO3

S/B 1 S/B 6S/B 1 S/B 6 S/B 1 S/B 6

H2OH2O

K2CO3K2CO3

KHCO3

KHCO3

S/B 1 S/B 6S/B 1 S/B 6 S/B 1 S/B 6

Atomic ratio O/CTemperature: 250 to 370 °CPressure: 3 to 30 MPa Time: 0 to 1 h