Biomass to liquid
Encyclopedia
Biomass to Liquid or BMtL is a multi-step process which produces liquid biofuel
s from biomass
:
The process uses the whole plant to improve the carbon dioxide
balance and increase yield.
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
s from biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
:
The process uses the whole plant to improve the carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
balance and increase yield.
- The Fischer–Tropsch process is used to produce synfuels from gasified biomass. Carbonaceous material is gasified and the gas is processed to make purified syngasSyngasSyngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Examples of production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy...
(a mixture of carbon monoxideCarbon monoxideCarbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
and hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
). The Fischer-Tropsch polymerizes syngas into diesel-range hydrocarbons. While biodieselBiodieselBiodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
and bio-ethanol production so far only use parts of a plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
, i.e. oilOilAn oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, starchStarchStarch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
or celluloseCelluloseCellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
, BtL production uses the whole plant which is gasified by gasificationGasificationGasification is a process that converts organic or fossil based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures , without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam...
. The result is that for BTL, less land area is required per unit of energy produced compared with biodieselBiodieselBiodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
or bioethanol. - Flash pyrolysisPyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
- producing bio-oil (pyrolysis oilPyrolysis oilPyrolysis oil is a synthetic fuel under investigation as substitute for petroleum. It is extracted by biomass to liquid technology of destructive distillation from dried biomass in a reactor at temperature of about 500°C with subsequent cooling. Pyrolytic oil is a kind of tar and normally contains...
), charCharChar is the solid material that remains after light gases and tar coal tar have been driven out or released from a carbonaceous material during the initial stage of combustion, which is known as carbonization, charring, devolatilization or pyrolysis.Further stages of efficient combustion are...
and gas at temperatures between 350-550°C and residence times < 1 second (also called anhydrous pyrolysis). - Catalytic depolymerizationDepolymerizationDepolymerization is the process of converting a polymer into a monomer or a mixture of monomers.Thioglycolysis, thiolysis and phloroglucinolysis are reactions used to study condensed tannins by means of their depolymerisation. Thioglycolysis is also used to study lignin....
— using heat and catalysts to separate usable diesel fuel from hydrocarbonHydrocarbonIn organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
wastes.
See also
- Bioconversion of biomass to mixed alcohol fuels
- BioliquidsBioliquidsBioliquids are liquid fuels made from biomass for energy purposes other than transport .Bioliquids are usually made from virgin or used vegetable and seed oils, like palm or soya oil. These oils are burned in a power station to create heat, which can then be used to warm homes or boil water to make...
- Coal to liquid
- Gas to liquid
- GasificationGasificationGasification is a process that converts organic or fossil based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures , without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam...
- NExBTLNExBTLNExBTL is a renewable diesel production process commercialized by the Finnish oil and refining company Neste Oil. Whether as an admixture or in its pure form, NExBTL is able to supplement or partially replace diesel fuel without problems...
- despite the name BtL, the feedstock is plant oil, not whole plants. - Non-food crops
- Thermal DepolymerizationThermal depolymerizationThermal depolymerization is a depolymerization process using hydrous pyrolysis for the reduction of complex organic materials into light crude oil. It mimics the natural geological processes thought to be involved in the production of fossil fuels...
- Vegetable oil refiningVegetable oil refiningVegetable oil can be used as feedstock for an oil refinery. There it can be transformed into fuel by hydrocracking or hydrogenation . These methods can produce gasoline, diesel, and propane. Some commercial examples of vegetable oil refining are NExBTL, H-Bio, and the ConocoPhilips process...
- DMF fuel2,5-Dimethylfuran2,5-Dimethylfuran is a heterocyclic compound with the formula 2C4H2O. Although often abbreviated DMF, it should not be confused with dimethylformamide. A derivative of furan, this simple compound is a potential biofuel, being derivable from cellulose.-Production:Fructose can be converted into...
External links
- "Synthetic Diesel May Play a Significant Role as Renewable Fuel in Germany" at USDAUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
FASForeign Agricultural ServiceThe Foreign Agricultural Service is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's overseas programs—market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information...
website - Enzymatic Hydrolysis at DOEUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
EERE website