(133a) Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion Process for Production of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel From Biomass

Experimental results and a process design will be presented for an integrated process which uses hydropyrolysis plus hydroconversion to convert biomass into gasoline and diesel. The hydrogen needed for the hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion process is produced by reforming the light gases so that no external H2 is required. Finished hydrocarbon products with less than 2% oxygen are produced using this processing approach.

This design solves many of the problems associated with pyrolysis and subsequent upgrading. By having an integrated process, a fungible finished product is produced which has the oxygen removed and is ready for use. This eliminates the need for transporting high TAN, unstable, low BTU content pyrolysis oils. An integrated process also eliminates the problems associated with upgrading pyrolysis oils which were created in a hydrogen starved environment and therefore include high olefinic, polynuclear aromatics and free radicals which were not present in the original biomass. Pyrolysis oils require high pressure to convert because of the condensed ring aromatic structures present. Hydropyrolysis oils can be converted at moderate pressure. The initial hydropyrolysis step is done at moderate pressure and then feeds directly into the hydroconversion step run at almost the same pressure. The light gases from the hydroconversion then go to a small steam reformer where the H2 is made and the CO2 rejected. The H2 produced is recycled back to the hydropyrolysis step.

Initial data which shows the yields and product properties from experiments in pilot scale equipment will be presented and compared to results for traditional pyrolysis. Some economic analysis will also be done to show the advantages of integrated balanced hydropyrolysis + hydroconversion compared to traditional approaches.