| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|
BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
3
R&D Challenges for Bio-Oil
Intermediates
Integration in Traditional
Refineries
•
Develop better catalysts or processes
for removing oxygen and other
impurities
Successfully integrating biomass
product streams for further processing
in traditional petroleum refineries would
provide refineries with a secure, domestic
feedstock. Researchers are investigating
compatibility criteria for crude bio-oils,
biofuel intermediates, and finished
hydrocarbon biofuels at various insertion
points. The goal is to produce biomass-
based feeds that are identical (at the
molecular level) to products now found
in the traditional petroleum refining
product chain.
•
•
Improve processes for stabilizing
bio-oils
Improve catalysts for upgrading bio-
oils into finished fuels.
Pathway to Diverse
Biofuels and Benefits
Thermochemical processing provides an
opportunity to produce advanced biofuels
that deliver diverse benefits to the nation.
These benefits vary by process and end
product, providing flexibility in meeting
market needs. Benefits include:
BETO research is helping to define
feedstock criteria and blending
formulas that will enable reliable
thermochemical processing.
For successful integration, the biomass
feed streams must be able to meet rigor-
ous criteria. More specifically, they will
need to be low in oxygen, blend well with
petroleum, and be free of contaminants
that could poison the refinery catalysts or
degrade the product.
Photo: Art Wiselogel/NREL/04195
•
Climate Change: On a life-cycle basis,
advanced biofuels produced via ther-
mochemical conversion could reduce
greenhouse gases by 50% or more,
relative to conventional gasoline.
One challenge to the successful use of
bioproducts in traditional refineries is the
need to track Renewable Identification
Numbers (RINs). These are the serial
numbers assigned to batches of biofuel,
as required by the Environmental
•
Infrastructure Compatibility:
Although bio-oils can be corrosive
prior to upgrading, the resulting
Protection Agency. Companies that
refine, import, or blend fossil fuels are
periodically required to submit a number
of RINs as evidence that they are doing
their part in meeting national biofuels
production targets. A system is needed
for reliability tracking RINs when inter-
mediate products are transferred between
biorefineries and traditional refineries.
advanced biofuels are generally com-
patible with the existing fuel delivery
infrastructure (pipelines, tanks, pumps,
blending facilities, vehicles, etc.).
BETO is working to better understand
the physical properties, reactivities,
and compatibilities of biofuel
intermediates for finishing in
traditional petroleum refineries.
Photo: David Parsons/NREL/05049
•
Energy Security: Domestic biofuels
diversify the energy portfolio and
decrease U.S. dependence on foreign
sources of energy. Biorefineries may
potentially serve as regionally inde-
pendent energy facilities, improving
energy security and resilience.
Researchers are defining criteria for the insertion of biorefinery intermediates into traditional refineries.
Page
Quick Jump
|