Conversion of Biomass to Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Abstract:
With society continuing to value environmental concerns, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from non-petroleum feedstocks is currently one of the only promising solutions to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the aviation industry. Although there are other alternatives such as hydrogen-powered or electric aircrafts, they face major challenges regarding safety and weight. This project aims to design an SAF production process that produces aviation grade fuel with lower lifetime carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel.
The proposed plant is in Cattaraugus County, New York, and involves converting woody biomass waste from industries such as the pulp and paper industry into synthetic paraffinic kerosene via the Fischer-Tropsch process (FT-SPK). This conversion was accomplished with a design of three main steps; gasification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and refining. The gasification stage involves converting woody biomass pellets into syngas, followed by purification and adjustment in a water-gas shift reactor. The syngas is then transformed into heavy FT liquid which is refined further in a hydrocracker and distilled into various products including SAF. The proposed production plant offers both profitability and potential emission reduction, with a Net Present Value (NPV) of $27.05 million suggesting viability for future iterations.
Students:
Natalie Connors, Kaitlyn Burghardt, Tayte Bowron, Sara Wiwatowski
