EAGER: Direct Upgrading and Stabilization of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil via Microwave-Induced Inverse Thermal Flux

生物质衍生的运输燃料和特种化学品的前景是基于这样一个前提，即容易获得的生物质中的复杂有机分子可以通过生物化学或热化学平台转化为更简单的分子构建块。然而，现实情况是，生物化学路线在商业市场上还没有竞争力，而传统的热化学路线，如热解，目前生产的是低质量的，高度氧化的生物油，由于存在反应性分子和高酸度而不稳定。为了开发先进的生物燃料和特种化学品，热解油需要升级和稳定，通常采用含有各种催化剂床的高温高压反应器。在改质过程中，不稳定的分子有很大的倾向重新结晶成更高分子量的化合物，导致催化剂不稳定和操作问题。路易斯安那州立大学的Dorin Boldor教授将测试一个假设，即具有良好控制的电磁场分布的高能量密度的微波加热系统，当与适当的改质催化剂结合时，通过催化剂床的直接体积加热，选择可显著提高反应速率并提高催化剂的可用寿命，与常规加热系统中获得的油相比，具有上级品质的油。为了为我们的社会开发可持续的、可再生的和可靠的能源，非常需要展示一种生物质处理平台来生产运输燃料。如果成功，拟议的研究将通过展示生物油升级的变革性技术来实现这一目标，该技术可以延长催化剂的使用寿命并降低运营成本。这是一个EAGER主题，因为没有数据表明拟议的计划将取得成功。微波技术可能对费率或升级影响不大。可以想象的是，再聚合在催化剂不稳定性更大的情况下被加速。该研究项目的成功完成将使Boldor能够获得数据，以证明或反驳成功的可能性。然后，这些数据将形成进一步研究计划的基础，以阐明在微波场的存在下，在气固界面增加过程性能背后的基本机制。来自一个代表性不足的群体。她将获得并掌握在竞争激烈的劳动力市场的21世纪世纪急需的技能。为了进一步增加研究的影响，开发的知识将被纳入？生物燃料和可再生资源的生物产品？该课程由PI教授，其中包括一个服务学习组件，学生展示在课堂上开发的项目（其中之一是通过热解生产生物油），学生就读于初中和高中科学课程。

The promise of biomass-derived transportation fuels and specialty chemicals is basedon the premise that complex organic molecules in readily available biomass can be converted via a biochemical or thermochemical platform into much simpler molecular building blocks. However, the reality is that biochemical routes are not yet competitive in the commercial markets, while conventional thermochemical routes such as pyrolysis currently produce a low-quality, highly oxygenated bio-oil that is unstable due to the presence of reactive molecules and high acidity. In order to develop advanced biofuels and specialty chemicals, the pyrolysis oil needs to be upgraded and stabilized, usually employing high temperature and pressure reactors containing various catalyst beds. In the upgrading process, the unstable molecules have a great tendency to re-polymerize into higher molecular weight compounds, leading to catalyst instability and operational problems.Professor Dorin Boldor of Louisiana State University will test the hypothesis that a microwave heating system of high energy density with a well-controlled electromagnetic field distribution, when coupled with the proper upgrading catalyst choice can significantly increase the reaction rates and increase the catalyst usable lifetime by direct volumetric heating of the catalyst bed and therefore producing a bio-oil of superior quality compared to that obtained in conventional heating systems.For the development of a sustainable, renewable and reliable source of energy for our society, it is highly desirable to demonstrate a biomass process platform to produce a transportation fuel. The proposed research, if successful, achieves this goal by demonstrating a transformative technology for bio-oil upgrading, which can increase the lifetime of the catalysts and reduce operational costs.This is an EAGER topic in that there is no data to indicate this proposed plan will be successful. The microwave technology may have little impact on rates or on upgrading. It is conceivable that repolymerization is accelerated with greater catalyst instability. The successful completion of this research project will allow Boldor to acquire data in order to prove or disprove the likelihood of success. This data would then form the foundation of a further research program to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms behind the increased process performance at the gas-solid interface in the presence of microwave fields.The project will train a current PhD student in the PI?s lab from an underrepresented group. She will gain and master skills critically needed in the competitive labor market of the 21st century. To further increase the impact of the research, the knowledge developed will be incorporated in the ?Biofuels and Bioproducts from Renewable Resources? course taught by the PI, which includes a Service-Learning component in which students demonstrate projects developed in class (one of which is production of bio-oil via pyrolysis) to students enrolled in middle and high school science courses.