Fuel from hydrothermal liquefaction of waste in solar parabolic troughs

Abstract

Reducing production costs of thermo-conversion of waste to fuel technologies depends upon an integrated approach to heat utilisation, nutrient recycling and complete by-product valorisation. Hydrothermal liquefaction is a proven laboratory technology with much recent research interest, though yet to be widely deployed as a commercial technology for third generation biofuels. Notwithstanding increased applied research efforts into hydrothermal liquefaction, energy inputs into waste to fuel formulation remain high, and originate from non-renewable heat sources. The technical approach presented is the field testing of an integrated set-up of concentrated solar power and hydrothermal liquefaction system and bio-crude output compositional analysis. Concentrated solar power is integrated with hydrothermal liquefaction technologies into the conversion process to improve the energy efficiency and the economic case for scaling waste to bio-crude production. This paper presents the hydrothermal liquefaction bio-oil formation and product analysis at a pre-pilot field scale. Waste valorisation and commercial strategy is discussed with reference to post-reactant hydrothermal liquefaction outputs on experimental work carried out in India.