SBIR Phase I: One-Step MembraneReactor-based Process for Conversion of Biomass Gasifier Off-gas to Syngas Ready for Alternative Fuel Syntheses

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种基于膜反应器的一步工艺，以清洁，浓缩和调节生物基合成气，使其适合下游加工成燃料或化学品。基于生物质的能源生产途径最近受到青睐，因为没有/最小的净CO2排放。最近进口原油价格飞涨，使国内可获得的生物质成为一种非常有吸引力的替代燃料和化学品来源。将生物质热化学转化为燃料和化学品已被认为是发展较好的生物基能源生产工艺之一。然而，如今，为了使生物质的热化学转化在减少我国对进口化石燃料的依赖方面发挥重要作用，在生物质气化期间产生的合成气必须（i）仔细清洁以去除痕量污染物（例如，焦油、H2S、NH3、HCl等），(ii)通过除去宽范围的稀释剂（例如，N2、O2、CH 4等），和（iii）调节到合适的比例以满足诸如用于燃料电池的氢或用于甲醇和高级醇合成以及用于通过费-托法生产烃的合成气等不同产品的原料要求。在本项目的第一阶段，将在一台具有合成进料的台式装置中演示基于所提议的一步概念的气体净化/浓缩/调节工艺。由此产生的实验和模拟结果将用于验证所提出的技术概念，并为最终用户参与的下一阶段技术和商业开发提供经济基础。该工艺的开发将在连接现有上游生物质气化技术与下游氢气或合成气使用技术方面发挥关键作用。2004年，使用现有技术的生产成本约为化石柴油成本的2至4倍。通过实施这项技术，根据初步成本分析，预计生物燃料成本将与目前的化石燃料价格一致。这一工艺的开发和商业化将在将现有上游生物质气化技术与下游合成气转化为燃料/化学品的技术联系起来方面发挥关键作用，并将以最小的温室气体净排放量增加国内能源供应。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a one-step membrane reactor-based process to clean-up, concentrate, and condition bio-based syngas to make it suitable for downstream processing into fuel or chemicals. The biomass-based energy production pathway has been favored recently due to no/minimal net CO2 emission. The recent skyrocketing prices of imported crude have made domestically available biomass a very attractive alternative fuel and chemical source. Thermochemical conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals has been considered one of the better developed bio-based energy production processes. However, today for thermochemical conversion of biomass to play a significant role in reducing our country's dependence on imported fossil fuels, the syngas generated during biomass gasification must be (i) meticulously cleaned to remove trace contaminants (e.g., tar, H2S, NH3, HCl, etc.), (ii) concentrated via removal of a broad range of diluents (e.g., N2, O2, CH4, etc.), and (iii) conditioned to the proper ratio to meet the feedstock requirements of such diverse products as hydrogen for fuel cells or syngas for methanol and higher alcohol synthesis and for hydrocarbon production via Fischer-Tropsch. During Phase I of this project, the gas clean-up/concentration/conditioning process based upon the proposed one-step concept will be demonstrated in a bench top unit with synthetic feeds. The experimental and simulation results thus generated will be used to validate the proposed technical concept and provide economic basis for the next phase technical and commercial development with an end user participant.The development of this process will play a pivotal role in linking the existing upstream biomass gasification technology with the downstream hydrogen or syngas use technology. The production cost using existing technology was about 2 to 4 times of the cost of fossil diesel in 2004. By implementing this technology, the projected bio-based fuel cost will be in line with current fossil fuel prices according to preliminary cost analyses. The development and commercialization of this process will play a pivotal role in linking the existing upstream biomass gasification technology with the downstream syngas to fuel/chemical conversion technologies and will boost the domestic energy supply with minimal net greenhouse gas emissions.