SUNFUEL: Conversion of waste biomass to biofuels

全球对建立包括生物能源和氢经济在内的可持续能源系统的认识和发展有所提高。 基于氢/生物能源的经济旨在用基于氢和基于生物燃料的系统取代目前基于化石燃料的能源系统。 氢将是来自其他资源，如水电、风能、太阳能和生物量的能量的载体。 这些资源是可持续的，它们不会在大气中产生温室气体。 氢经济将是一个通过化石燃料重整、生物质转化和电解分解水来生产氢的过程的连接网络。 氢可以储存起来，并通过燃料电池发电。 然而，氢经济受到几个障碍的影响。 其中一个主要障碍是高效制氢。 开发具有成本效益的制氢技术需要在基础研究和工程方面作出大量努力。 一种类似的方法涉及从可用的生物质原料生产生物燃料。 该项目提出了一种新技术，其中生物质作为可再生能源，通过气化转化为氢气，通过热解转化为生物油。 这些过程将在超临界水（SCW）中进行，从而通过消除对生物质干燥的需要而显着改善能量平衡。 该项目对培训高素质人员的最重要贡献是其多学科性质。

There is an increased global awareness and development toward establishing sustainable energy systems including bioenergy and a hydrogen economy. The hydrogen/bioenergy-based economy intends to replace the current fossil fuels-based energy systems with H2-based and biofuel-based systems. Hydrogen would be the carrier of energy from other resources such as hydropower, wind, solar and biomass. These resources are sustainable and they don't contribute to GHG in the atmosphere. The hydrogen economy will be a linked network of processes that produce hydrogen through fossil fuel reforming, biomass conversion, and electrolytic splitting of water. Hydrogen could be stored and used to generate electricity through fuel cells. However, the hydrogen economy suffers from several barriers. One of the major barriers is efficient hydrogen production. The development of cost-effective technologies to produce hydrogen requires intensive effort in both basic research and engineering. A similar approach concerns generation of biofuels from available biomass feedstock. This project proposes a new technology in which biomass, as a renewable energy source, is converted to hydrogen via gasification and to bio-oil via pyrolysis. These processes will be carried out in supercritical water (SCW), thus improving significantly the energy balance by eliminating the need for drying of biomass. The project's most important contribution to training of highly qualified personnel is its multidisciplinary nature.