Overview
This project has developed a robust method to improve processability of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) by integrating fractionation with hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) enabling high yield upgrading of organic components of MSW to produce a renewable fuel oil. Within the scope of this project researchers have developed, (in which UCR is responsible for tasks 1 and 5):
o Cost effective organosolv method to solubilize lignin in green waste in MSW (yard trimmings and wood) to recover a highly pure lignin product from biomass holocellulose
o Continuous flow HTL reactor that converts food waste, non-recyclable paper, and green waste sugars into bio-oil
o Catalytic HDN and HDO processes to increase oil C/O content, reject nitrogen, and increase heating value
o Demonstration of key technology steps using the Mainstream Engineering HTL pilot plant
o Techno-economic and life-cycle analysis, with specific emphasis on EROI and LCOE calculations.
UCR performs floatation and screening of locally sourced green waste to remove soil and inorganic contaminants from biomass in bulk. In addition to performing CELF reaction of isolated green wastes to fractionate lignin from holocellulose and removing the ash and other impurities. UCR evaluates and improves the densification of the input green waste stream to delignified product in order to enhance the conversion efficiency of downstream processes. Finally, UCR conducts a dynamically informed technoeconomic model with experimental data to evaluate economic feasibility of integrated approach and develop life cycle analysis via GREET model to determine carbon fate and emissions related to integrated approach.