United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-00/092 December 2000
of a to
to
Fuel
Joseph M. Norbeckand Kent Johnson
The report describes numerous de-
sign considerations that were reviewed,
design modifications made, and prelimi-
nary results from operating a pilot-scale
facility to develop, demonstrate, and
evaluate the Hynol Process, a high-tem-
perature, high-pressure method for con-
verting biomass into methanol fuel. The
University of California, Riverside, Col-
lege of Engineering-Center for Environ-
mental Research and Technology
(CE-CERT) constructed a reactor ca-
pable of gasifying approximately 50 Ib/
hr of biomass. The design for the reac-
tor was developed for the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) by an
engineering consulting company under
a separate contract. Significant design
flaws were discovered and corrected
during the project.
This Project Summary was developed
by the National Risk Management Re-
search Laboratory's Air Pollution Pre-
vention and Control Division, Research
Triangle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
Producing methanol from biomass of-
fers significant environmental, energy, and
economic advantages over other liquid
fuel resources. Methanol is cleaner-burn-
ing than gasoline, so its widespread use
can contribute to air quality improvements
in urban areas. The fuel also can be pro-
duced from domestic renewable re-
sources, which brings advantages in
emissions of greenhouse gases, energy
security, local jobs, and fuel distribution.
The Hynol Process originated at the
Department of Energy's Brookhaven Na-
tional Laboratory as a method for increas-
ing the yield of fuel from conversion of
biomass. Originally conceived to operate
with a coal feedstock, the process has
been applied to coprocessing biomass
with fossil fuels, coal, oil, and gas at high
temperature and high pressure. The pro-
cess produces methanol, a liquid fuel that
can be used for transportation, industrial
processes, electrical power generation,
and military needs. Bench-scale studies
by others indicate that the Hynol Process
could be economically competitive with
petroleum because of its high carbon con-
version efficiency (-87%).
The Hynol Process involves three
phases: (1) Reaction of biomass in a
hydrogasifier, also referred to as a
hydropyrolizer (HPR); (2) Steam pyrolization
of the resulting gas, which produces a
synthesis gas; and (3) Methanol synthe-
sis, which leaves a recycle gas that can
be returned to the HPR and waste heat
that can be returned to the steam pyrolizer.
In this project, the College of Engineer-
ing-Center for Environmental Research
and Technology (CE-CERT) at the Uni-
versity of California, Riverside, constructed
a pilot-scale Hynol Process facility ac-
cording to a design developed by an en-
gineering consultant to the EPA under a
separate project. CE-CERT discovered
numerous flaws in the design. These flaws
were evaluated and corrected, at sub-
stantial cost and with significant delays to the
original project plan. CE-CERT performed
some experiments with the reactor, but
additional modifications are recommended
before the pilot-scale facility can fulfill its
-------
original mission of demonstrating and
characterizing the Hynol Process with a
variety of renewable feedstocks.
Procedure
From the specifications for construction
of the Hynol Process facility, CE-CERT
discovered significant errors in numerous
systems, components, and processes, in-
cluding:
• Hydropyrolysis reactor refractory ma-
terial.
• Burner management system.
• Secondary air system.
• Low-pressure igniter.
• Burner vessel.
• Biomass feed system conveyor.
• Biomass feed system overflow
chutes.
• Feed system storage containers.
• Electrical controls.
• Gas supply and measurement system.
• Steam flow metering.
• Nitrogen pulse heater.
• Bed height measurement methodol-
ogy.
• Flow calculation methodology.
• Cooling system.
• Solenoid valves.
• Exit flare stack.
• Heat exchanger.
• Sample system.
CE-CERT conducted experiments and
tests on systems, components, and sub-
systems. When a system, component, or
subsystem was found to be deficient for
any reason, CE-CERT investigated pos-
sible remedies and implemented the
choice that would provide for maximum
safety, performance, and cost-effective-
ness. Modifications were completed in
December 1999, and the first full-scale
gasification experiments took place in
January 2000. White oak wood chips
were used as the biomass for these ex-
periments.
Results and Discussion
The first gasification experiments were
impaired by alkali problems and agglom-
eration of sand, which was mixed with
the biomass in the fluidized bed. Changes
to materials injected with the biomass
solved these problems.
Gasification was achieved, but steady-
state operation was not. Modifications
to the heating system and a review of
the material used as refractory may be
necessary to achieve steady-state opera-
tion.
Overall carbon conversion efficiency
was not calculated because the gasifier
did not achieve steady-state operation.
Conclusions
Further research, and possibly a rede-
sign of some components and materials,
is necessary before the Hynol Process
can be demonstrated at the pilot scale
with a variety of feedstocks.
J. Norbeck and K. Johnson are with the University of California, Riverside, River-
side, CA 92521-0434.
Robert H. Borgwardtis the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Evaluation of a Process to Convert Biomass to
Methanol Fuel," (Order No. PB2001-101231; Cost: $51.00, subject to change) will
be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: (703) 605-6000
(800) 553-6847 (U.S. only)
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711-0001
-------
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
CenterforEnvironmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
EPA/600/SR-00/092
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
------- |