Abstract
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) uses heat and pressure to liquefy the organic matter in biomass/waste feedstocks to produce biocrude. When hydrotreated the biocrude is converted into transportation fuels including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Further, by liquifying the organic matter in wet wastes such as sewage sludge, manure, and food waste, HTL can prevent landfilling or other disposal methods such as anerobic digestion, or incineration. A significant roadblock to the development of a new route for SAF is the strict approval process, and the large volumes required (>400 L) for testing. Tier α and β testing can predict some of the properties required for ASTM testing with <400 mL samples. The current study is the first to investigate the potential for utilizing wet-waste HTL biocrude (WWHTLB) as an SAF feedstock. Herein, several WWHTLB samples were produced from food waste, sewage sludge, and fats, oils, and grease, and subsequently hydrotreated and distilled to produce SAF samples. The fuels (both undistilled and distilled samples) were analyzed via elemental and 2D-GC-MS. Herein, we report the Tier α and β analysis of an SAF sample derived originally from a WWHTLB. The results of this work indicate that the upgraded WWHTLB material exhibits key fuel properties, including carbon number distribution, distillation profile, surface tension, density, viscosity, heat of combustion, and flash point, which all fall within the required range for aviation fuel. WWHTLB has therefore been shown to be a promising candidate feedstock for the production of SAF.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralHydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of municipal and agricultural wastes combined with hydrotreating can produce sustainable and cost-effective fuel blendstocks, including gasoline, diesel, marine, and, most significantly, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) [1,2].Commercial aviation has always been reliant on liquid hydrocarbons, and it will continue to mostly rely on them for long-haul flights that are difficult to electrify [3]
By utilizing wet wastes such as sewage sludge, HTL ensures a stable supply of feedstock, and one which is obtained at a significant negative cost
The current study investigates the potential for upgraded wet-waste HTL biocrude (WWHTLB) to be utilized as an SAF
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralHydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of municipal and agricultural wastes combined with hydrotreating can produce sustainable and cost-effective fuel blendstocks, including gasoline, diesel, marine, and, most significantly, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) [1,2].Commercial aviation has always been reliant on liquid hydrocarbons, and it will continue to mostly rely on them for long-haul flights that are difficult to electrify [3]. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of municipal and agricultural wastes combined with hydrotreating can produce sustainable and cost-effective fuel blendstocks, including gasoline, diesel, marine, and, most significantly, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) [1,2]. National Laboratory (PNNL), is produced from the solids content of wet wastes without the need for energy-intensive drying processes (required for alternative technologies such as pyrolysis and gasification), expensive catalysts, or solvents [4,5,6,7,8]. By utilizing wet wastes such as sewage sludge, HTL ensures a stable supply of feedstock, and one which is obtained at a significant negative cost. The cost to urban municipalities for disposing of sewage sludge is USD 200–600 per dry ton
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