Life cycle analysis of fuel production from fast pyrolysis of biomass

Jeongwoo Han; Amgad Elgowainy; Jennifer B. Dunn; Michael Q. Wang

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.141

Life cycle analysis of fuel production from fast pyrolysis of biomass

Jeongwoo Han^*, Amgad Elgowainy, Jennifer B. Dunn, Michael Q. Wang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

101 Scopus citations

Abstract

A well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis of pyrolysis-based gasoline was conducted and compared with petroleum gasoline. To address the variation and uncertainty in the pyrolysis pathways, probability distributions for key parameters were developed with data from literature. The impacts of two different hydrogen sources for pyrolysis oil upgrading and of two bio-char co-product applications were investigated. Reforming fuel gas/natural gas for H₂ reduces WTW GHG emissions by 60% (range of 55-64%) compared to the mean of petroleum fuels. Reforming pyrolysis oil for H₂ increases the WTW GHG emissions reduction up to 112% (range of 97-126%), but reduces petroleum savings per unit of biomass used due to the dramatic decline in the liquid fuel yield. Thus, the hydrogen source causes a trade-off between GHG reduction per unit fuel output and petroleum displacement per unit biomass used. Soil application of biochar could provide significant carbon sequestration with large uncertainty.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	421-428
Number of pages	8
Journal	Bioresource Technology
Volume	133
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.141
State	Published - Apr 2013

Keywords

Biofuels
Fast pyrolysis
Greenhouse gas emissions
Life-cycle analysis
Petroleum savings

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Bioengineering
Environmental Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Waste Management and Disposal

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.141

Cite this

@article{a3a924dbf032481daba758d651015538,

title = "Life cycle analysis of fuel production from fast pyrolysis of biomass",

abstract = "A well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis of pyrolysis-based gasoline was conducted and compared with petroleum gasoline. To address the variation and uncertainty in the pyrolysis pathways, probability distributions for key parameters were developed with data from literature. The impacts of two different hydrogen sources for pyrolysis oil upgrading and of two bio-char co-product applications were investigated. Reforming fuel gas/natural gas for H2 reduces WTW GHG emissions by 60% (range of 55-64%) compared to the mean of petroleum fuels. Reforming pyrolysis oil for H2 increases the WTW GHG emissions reduction up to 112% (range of 97-126%), but reduces petroleum savings per unit of biomass used due to the dramatic decline in the liquid fuel yield. Thus, the hydrogen source causes a trade-off between GHG reduction per unit fuel output and petroleum displacement per unit biomass used. Soil application of biochar could provide significant carbon sequestration with large uncertainty.",

keywords = "Biofuels, Fast pyrolysis, Greenhouse gas emissions, Life-cycle analysis, Petroleum savings",

author = "Jeongwoo Han and Amgad Elgowainy and Dunn, {Jennifer B.} and Wang, {Michael Q.}",

note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by the Office of Biomass Program in the US Department of Energy{\textquoteright}s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. We would like to thank Zia Haq and Kristen Johnson of the Office of Biomass Program for their support of this study. We are also grateful to Sue Jones and Lesley Snowden-Swan of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Mark Wright of Iowa State University, and David Hsu of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for their inputs in pyrolysis and upgrading processes to our WTW analysis.",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.141",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "133",

pages = "421--428",

journal = "Bioresource Technology",

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T1 - Life cycle analysis of fuel production from fast pyrolysis of biomass

AU - Han, Jeongwoo

AU - Elgowainy, Amgad

AU - Dunn, Jennifer B.

AU - Wang, Michael Q.

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by the Office of Biomass Program in the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. We would like to thank Zia Haq and Kristen Johnson of the Office of Biomass Program for their support of this study. We are also grateful to Sue Jones and Lesley Snowden-Swan of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Mark Wright of Iowa State University, and David Hsu of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for their inputs in pyrolysis and upgrading processes to our WTW analysis.

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - A well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis of pyrolysis-based gasoline was conducted and compared with petroleum gasoline. To address the variation and uncertainty in the pyrolysis pathways, probability distributions for key parameters were developed with data from literature. The impacts of two different hydrogen sources for pyrolysis oil upgrading and of two bio-char co-product applications were investigated. Reforming fuel gas/natural gas for H2 reduces WTW GHG emissions by 60% (range of 55-64%) compared to the mean of petroleum fuels. Reforming pyrolysis oil for H2 increases the WTW GHG emissions reduction up to 112% (range of 97-126%), but reduces petroleum savings per unit of biomass used due to the dramatic decline in the liquid fuel yield. Thus, the hydrogen source causes a trade-off between GHG reduction per unit fuel output and petroleum displacement per unit biomass used. Soil application of biochar could provide significant carbon sequestration with large uncertainty.

AB - A well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis of pyrolysis-based gasoline was conducted and compared with petroleum gasoline. To address the variation and uncertainty in the pyrolysis pathways, probability distributions for key parameters were developed with data from literature. The impacts of two different hydrogen sources for pyrolysis oil upgrading and of two bio-char co-product applications were investigated. Reforming fuel gas/natural gas for H2 reduces WTW GHG emissions by 60% (range of 55-64%) compared to the mean of petroleum fuels. Reforming pyrolysis oil for H2 increases the WTW GHG emissions reduction up to 112% (range of 97-126%), but reduces petroleum savings per unit of biomass used due to the dramatic decline in the liquid fuel yield. Thus, the hydrogen source causes a trade-off between GHG reduction per unit fuel output and petroleum displacement per unit biomass used. Soil application of biochar could provide significant carbon sequestration with large uncertainty.

KW - Biofuels

KW - Fast pyrolysis

KW - Greenhouse gas emissions

KW - Life-cycle analysis

KW - Petroleum savings

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Life cycle analysis of fuel production from fast pyrolysis of biomass

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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