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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #396718
Research Project: Improving the Production and Processing of Western and Long-Staple Cotton and Companion Crops to Enhance Quality, Value, and Sustainability

Location: Cotton Ginning Research

Title: Densification of agricultural residue for hydrothermal liquefaction

Author
item MADDIPUDI, BHARATHKIRAN - South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology
item SHENDE, ANURADHA - South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology
item AMAR, VINOD - South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology
item HUYNH, KHANG - South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology
item Tumuluru, Jaya Shankar
item SHENDE, RAJESH - South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2022
Publication Date: 6/29/2023
Citation: Maddipudi, B., Shende, A.R., Amar, V., Huynh, K., Tumuluru, J., Shende, R.V. 2023. Densification of agricultural residue for hydrothermal liquefaction. In: Tumuluru, J.S. editor. Densification Impact on Raw, Chemically and Thermally Pretreated Biomass. First Edition. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. p. 219-236. https://doi.org/10.1142/9781800613799_0008.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/9781800613799_0008

Interpretive Summary: Hydrothermal liquefaction is a thermal depolymerization process to convert wet biomass and other macromolecules into crude-like oil under moderate temperature and high pressure. The crude-like oil has a high energy density with a high heating value and low oxygen content similar like high quality coals such Anthracite. This chapter discusses how densified products such as pellets perform during hydrothermal liquefaction. In addition, this chapter discusses yields of bioproducts (bio-oil and hydrochar) and the parameters to consider in configuring an HTL-ready feedstock.

Technical Abstract: Crop harvest leaves behind agricultural waste with a significant amount of moisture content. Transporting high moisture agriculture waste biomass to a biorefinery is highly uneconomical. Achieving dry biomass (<10%) for subsequent thermochemical processing such as pyrolysis or gasification is cost-intensive. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology is more suited for agricultural waste conversion because it can accept high moisture feedstock to produce biofuels and bioproducts. HTL technology has demonstrated many more advantages over other thermochemical technologies at the laboratory scale. Yet, there is no commercial HTL plant to process agricultural residue or lignocellulosic biomass. Transporting wet biomass and making it HTL-ready are the two significant obstacles to commercializing the HTL technology. Biomass densification may reduce the transportation cost and allow processability at higher biomass loadings. Although densification via pelletization has been reported in the literature, currently, there is no understanding of the influence of densified biomass on HTL product distribution or yield. This chapter covers essential information on HTL technology, reported yields of bioproducts (bio-oil and hydrochar), and the parameters to consider in configuring an HTL-ready feedstock with emphasis on corn stover feedstock densification.