(580b) The Model Biorefinery: A Case Study

Biomass based chemical refining represents many new opportunities in engineering and process design. The population of companies seeking to develop their technology is large and diverse, from pure liquid fuel producers to integrated multi-product refineries. A common flow sheet among many of these organizations shows a hybrid biochemical/thermochemical process, whereupon the carbohydrate values in a biomass are removed and the resultant lignin portion is utilized for co-products or process heat. As a company with capabilities in both areas, Hazen Research has conducted a number of experiments to generate data for a hypothetical hybrid process utilized for the biorefining of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta). The presentation will focus on the biochemical operations, biomass pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation, as well as thermochemical experiments including pyrolysis and gasification. A cost-benefits analysis will be presented that demonstrates the potential for the hybrid process operations model.