Process Demonstration Unit Research Articles

ARCUS Process Demonstration Unit – Introduction of the First Commercial Plant for Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste in Germany

Chemie Ingenieur TechnikVolume 94, Issue 9 p. 1291-1292 Vortrag ARCUS Process Demonstration Unit – Introduction of the First Commercial Plant for Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste in Germany M. Tomasi Morgano, Corresponding Author M. Tomasi Morgano marco.tomasimorgano@arcus-greencycling.com ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanyCorrespondence: M. Tomasi Morgano (marco.tomasimorgano@arcus-greencycling.com), ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorM. Klatte, M. Klatte ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorD. Odenthal, D. Odenthal ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this author M. Tomasi Morgano, Corresponding Author M. Tomasi Morgano marco.tomasimorgano@arcus-greencycling.com ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanyCorrespondence: M. Tomasi Morgano (marco.tomasimorgano@arcus-greencycling.com), ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorM. Klatte, M. Klatte ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorD. Odenthal, D. Odenthal ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH, Leonberger Str. 30, 71638 Ludwigsburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 August 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.202255314AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume94, Issue9Special Issue: (Bio)Process Engineering – a Key to Sustainable Development: ProcessNet and DECHEMA-BioTechNet Jahrestagungen 2022 together with 13th ESBES SymposiumSeptember 2022Pages 1291-1292 RelatedInformation

Fast Pyrolysis of Wheat Straw—Improvements of Operational Stability in 10 Years of Bioliq Pilot Plant Operation

The bioliq process developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) aims at the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into synthetic biofuels and chemicals. The process follows a two-stage concept combining decentralized pretreatment of biomass via fast pyrolysis and centralized large-scale gasification and synthesis. The process was specifically designed to convert ash-rich biomass residues, such as wheat straw, requiring special design features at least in the upstream processes. The 2 MW fast pyrolysis pilot plant at KIT was operated with wheat straw from 2009 to 2018 and since then with miscanthus. A substantial increase from less than 5 tons of wheat straw converted per test run in 2012 to more than 50 tons in 2018 was achieved. In total, up to 2018, more than 260 tons of wheat straw were converted to pyrolysis products within a total of 500 h of steady operation. Representative results of the product yields and properties were presented for test campaigns from 2015 to 2018 and compared to a process demonstration unit of the same design but with a downscale factor of 50 (10 kg/h). Mass yields from both plants are in good agreement and consistent with literature data. Experience from longer-term operation and major technical modifications made to improve the operational stability of the plant are described.

Co-Production of Aromatics in Biomass and Waste Gasification

Climate changes will have a huge impact on society, one that cannot be truly predicted. However, what is known is that our dependence on fossil feedstock for energy, fuel and chemical production will need to shift towards more biobased and circular feedstock. This paper describes part of an important technology development that uses biogenic and plastic-containing waste streams for the co-production of aromatics with fuels and/or chemicals. This paper captures the first decade of this technology development from idea towards a large Process Demonstration Unit operated and validated within a large gasification R&D infrastructure. The scale-up was successful, with supporting tools to optimize and identify the limits of the technology. Benzene and toluene are directly removed from the product gas with 97% and 99% efficiency, respectively. The next steps will be to include this development in larger piloting and demonstrations for the co-production of aromatics from biomass gasification (biobased chemicals) or aromatics from plastic-containing waste gasification (circular chemicals).

Transient performance during start-up of a two-phase anaerobic digestion process demonstration unit treating carbohydrate-rich waste with biochar addition

The paper reports an experimental investigation into the transient performance during the start-up of a pilot-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion (TPAD) process demonstration unit (PDU) treating food waste with biochar addition. Hydrogen (H2) was produced in the first phase (R1) and methane (CH4) was produced in the second phase (R2). A fed-batch operation strategy was applied to the start-up of both phases, followed by semi-continuous operation. Production rates and yields of H2 and CH4 and volatile fatty acids (VFA) were measured while the pH and temperature were monitored throughout the process. Fed-batch operation allowed microbe enrichment and gradual VFA production in both phases, which was observed to be efficient in starting up the TPAD PDU. Under semi-continuous operation, R1 produced biogas with composition up to 49% of H2 and at a yield of 46 L H2.kg −1 VS. CH4 composition and yield reached up to 59% and 301 L CH4.kg−1 VS in the R2.

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids

BackgroundLignocellulosic biorefineries have tonnage and throughput requirements that must be met year round and there is no single feedstock available in any given region that is capable of meeting the price and availability demands of the biorefineries scheduled for deployment. Significant attention has been historically given to agriculturally derived feedstocks; however, a diverse range of wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), also have the potential to serve as feedstocks for the production of advanced biofuels and have not been extensively studied. In addition, ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment with certain ILs is receiving great interest as a potential process that enables fractionation of a wide range of feedstocks. Acid catalysts have been used previously to hydrolyze polysaccharides into fermentable sugars following IL pretreatment, which could potentially provide a means of liberating fermentable sugars from lignocellulose without the use of costly enzymes. However, successful optimization and scale-up of the one-pot acid-assisted IL deconstruction for further commercialization involve challenges such as reactor compatibility, mixing at high solid loading, sugar recovery, and IL recycling, which have not been effectively resolved during the development stages at bench scale.ResultsHere, we present the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6 vs 0.2 L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts toward developing a cost-effective IL-based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and IL recycling.ConclusionResults indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.

Scale-up and evaluation of high solid ionic liquid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of switchgrass

BackgroundIonic liquid (IL) pretreatment is receiving significant attention as a potential process that enables fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass and produces high yields of fermentable sugars suitable for the production of renewable fuels. However, successful optimization and scale up of IL pretreatment involves challenges, such as high solids loading, biomass handling and transfer, washing of pretreated solids and formation of inhibitors, which are not addressed during the development stages at the small scale in a laboratory environment. As a first in the research community, the Joint BioEnergy Institute, in collaboration with the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit, a Department of Energy funded facility that supports academic and industrial entities in scaling their novel biofuels enabling technologies, have performed benchmark studies to identify key challenges associated with IL pretreatment using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate and subsequent enzymatic saccharification beyond bench scale.ResultsUsing switchgrass as the model feedstock, we have successfully executed 600-fold, relative to the bench scale (6 L vs 0.01 L), scale-up of IL pretreatment at 15% (w/w) biomass loading. Results show that IL pretreatment at 15% biomass generates a product containing 87.5% of glucan, 42.6% of xylan and only 22.8% of lignin relative to the starting material. The pretreated biomass is efficiently converted into monosaccharides during subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis at 10% loading over a 150-fold scale of operations (1.5 L vs 0.01 L) with 99.8% fermentable sugar conversion. The yield of glucose and xylose in the liquid streams were 94.8% and 62.2%, respectively, and the hydrolysate generated contains high titers of fermentable sugars (62.1 g/L of glucose and 5.4 g/L cellobiose). The overall glucan and xylan balance from pretreatment and saccharification were 95.0% and 77.1%, respectively. Enzymatic inhibition by [C2mim][OAc] at high solids loadings requires further process optimization to obtain higher yields of fermentable sugars.ConclusionResults from this initial scale up evaluation indicate that the IL-based conversion technology can be effectively scaled to larger operations and the current study establishes the first scaling parameters for this conversion pathway but several issues must be addressed before a commercially viable technology can be realized, most notably reduction in water consumption and efficient IL recycle.

ICE‐thermochemical conversion of biomass to biofuels—process demonstration unit test results

AbstractTRI has constructed and commissioned a process demonstration unit (PDU) at Durham, NC. This integrated gasification and gas to liquids biorefinery plant is designed to process 4 dry tons per day of biomass, generate, clean up, compress and condition syngas, and catalytically convert it to Fischer‐Tropsch (F‐T) liquids. The gasification system uses TRI's proprietary indirectly heated gasification technology. The synthesis reactor is designed by Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT) and utilizes their proprietary cobalt catalyst to produce fuels and waxes. The PDU gasifier has been in operation for 7500 h, the primary gas cleanup for 3100 h, and the overall system with F‐T has operated in the integrated mode for 2800 h, all on woody biomass. F‐T liquids have been produced for a total of 4000 h with 2800 h on biosyngas and 1100 h on bottled syngas. The trials have demonstrated clean syngas production with stable H2 to CO molar ratio (∼1.9), 60+% CO conversion in the first stage of F‐T and the generation of high quality, sulfur‐free, 100% renewable fuels, i.e., pure white wax and water clear, medium fraction hydrocarbon liquids. Operation of the F‐T in the second stage mode has also demonstrated up to 65% CO conversion. System configuration details are provided and test results on performance, products, and emissions are presented. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2012

Catalyst deactivation in the H-Coal liquefaction process. 1. Catalyst residence time distribution

The internal age distribution of catalyst in the H-Coal 28-day Process Demonstration Unit (PDU) run no. 9 has been determined using /SUP/6/SUP/0Co-tagged CoMo catalyst. Standard incidence counting methods were employed to determine the external age distribution of catalysts from the reactor based upon the concentration of tagged catalyst in daily withdrawals and final dump of the reactor. Approximately 43% of the tagged catalyst remained in the reactor at the conclusion of the PDU run. The dimensionless Peclet number was determined to be 0.45 based upon an axial flow dispersion model. The internal age distribution of catalyst in the reactor was determined as a function of reactor operating time; the mean residence time of the catalyst in the reactor approached within 10% of its steady-stage value after approximately 90 days of simulated reactor operation.

Recovery of Uranium from Chattanooga Shale

A variety of methods for the recovery of uranium has been investigated. Hot countercurrent leaching and oxygen-pressure leaching have beenfound to be effec-tive, High-temperature chlorination, though not worked out, is another possible method of recovery. Countercurrent leaching at solid-to-liquid ratios in the range 0.5:2 with seven refluxing leach stages of one-half hour each and a sulfuric acid feed of 7.1% results in the extraction of 72% of the uranium. The effects of varying the number of states, the shale to product ratio, the particle size, the time per stage, and the acid feed were investigated. Oxygen-pressure leaching at elevated temperatures and pressure in the range of 150 to 175 deg C and 100 to 150 psia gave yields of 80% or better. The effects of leaching time, temperaturc, oxygen pressure, gas bleeding, and the ratio of shale to water and to recycled pregnant liquor were studied. A continuous process demonstration unit was set up and operated at a feed rate of 88 lb of shale per hour. The results thereof confirmed the batch-work data. Pregnant liquors contain only about 47 milligrams per liter of uranium. Those were processed by liquid-liquid extraction using 0.05 moles of 6-benzylamino-3,9-diethyltridecane in kerosene. This solventmore » shows low distribution coefficients for contaminant ions and a very high distrioution coefficient for uranium. Consequently it was possible to recover uranium at high aqueous to organic flow ratios. This combined with a high organic to aqueous flow ratio in sodium carbonate stripping made it possible to produce loaded strip solutious containing more than 18 grams per liter of uranium despite the low level uranium in the feed. Chlorination at temperatures in the range of 500 to 800 deg C with both retorted and roasted shale using a variety of chlorliating agents was investigated Roasted shale required carbon in the chlorinating -agent and was capable of 85% volatilization of uranium but required one to three hours. Retorted shale reached the same level of recovery in 15 seconds. Iron and aluminum and considerable quantitles of potassium were also volatilized. Whereas steady state chloride product streams were produced no steady state recovery system was developed. Such a system based on the passage of the chloride product stream through hot packed columns containing KCl/sub 3/-- AlCl/sub 3/ mixtures resulted in good uranium retention However, the columns were difficult to control and unstable. (auth)« less