Unconventional Feedstock Processing

At SwRI, we engage in the process development and improvement for a variety of sustainable fuels and chemicals from lab to pilot scales. The applied research, development, testing and evaluation methods undertaken help bridge the gap between fundamental science and commercialization. The technologies developed include but are not limited to hydrogen production, CCUS, renewable fuels, chemicals and materials production and conventional thermos, photo and electro-chemical conversions. One such technology is the High Pressure Circulating Fluidized bed (HPCFB) reactors. HPCFB reactors have recently showcased itself as a promising technology for sustainable fuel and chemical conversions. These reactors have several advantages over conventional reactors, including higher rates of heat and mass transfer, improved mixing of reactants, and the ability to recycle catalysts with high recirculating solid flow rates for heat recovery. HPCFBs are particularly suitable for high-temperature, high-pressure processes such as gasification, pyrolysis, and hydrotreating. At SwRI, we have developed HPCFBs and the supporting infrastructure for practical applications, ranging from small-scale laboratory experiments to larger pilot-scale CFBs. These reactors can efficiently convert both renewable and petrochemical feedstocks into valuable end products. The reactor system has also shown promise for the one-step cracking, deoxygenation, and hydro-isomerization of biogenic feedstocks into specific fuels and chemicals.