I-Corps: Feasibility of a Novel Concept to Produce Biocoal for Power and Enhanced Bio-Oil.

该研究小组开发了一种将任何含碳材料转化为生物煤的烘焙方法，生物煤是一种与煤炭特性相似的材料。烘焙过程包括以下阶段：（1）生物质的预处理（切碎和干燥），（2）使用离心力进行快速热传递的快速预热，（3）使用放热相变进行自加热的烘焙反应器，（4）缩小尺寸阶段，（5）压实以产生适于物流、操作和安全的致密生物煤。通过控制烘焙过程（停留时间，温度），研究人员可以定制生物煤产品，以匹配给定的煤类型，如烟煤或次烟煤。通过这一过程，研究团队还能够在定制生物煤的生产和特定应用中生物煤性能的准确评估之间提供协同方法。该项目背后的想法是生产一种清洁的可持续煤炭替代品，从生物质-生物煤-作为所有煤炭应用中的直接燃料：来自热解的液体运输燃料，通过燃烧主要用于发电的能量，以及通过气化的化学品。在10-15年内，美国的潜在市场总量约为10亿吨，价值1500 - 3000亿美元。该技术被称为烘焙，这是在没有氧气的情况下在200-300摄氏度的温度下对生物质进行热处理。生物煤是一种受环境法规驱动的产品，符合可再生能源的要求。如果成功实施，这项技术可以使制造商为客户的特定系统定制生物煤，减少许多具有高成本影响的风险因素。

The research team has developed a torrefaction approach for converting any carbonaceous material into biocoal, which is a material similar in its characteristics to coal. The torrefaction process comprises of the following stages: (1) pretreatment of the biomass (shredding and drying), (2) fast preheating that uses centrifugal forces for fast heat transfer, (3) a torrefaction reactor that uses exothermic phase transition for self-heating, (4) a downsizing stage, (5) compaction to produce densified biocoal suitable for logistic, operational, and safety. Through control of the torrefaction process (residence time, temperature) researchers can customize a biocoal product to match a given coal type such as bituminous or sub bituminous coals. Through this process the research team is also able to offer a synergistic approach between the production of customized biocoal and an accurate assessment of the biocoal performance in a specific application.The idea behind this project is to produce a clean sustainable replacement for coal, from biomass - biocoal - as a drop-in fuel in all coal applications: liquid transportation fuel from pyrolysis, energy through combustion mostly for power generation, and chemicals through gasification. The total addressable market is about 1 billion ton in the US in 10-15 years at a value of $150-300 billion. The technology is called torrefaction which is a thermal treatment of the biomass at temperatures of 200-300 degrees Celsius in absence of oxygen. Biocoal is a product that is driven by environmental regulations and meets Renewable Energy Portfolios. If successfully implemented, this technology may enable manufactures to customize biocoal for a customer's specific system, reducing a number of risk factors with high cost implications.