experience with hydrothermal processing to convert algae...

Title of SlideExperience with Hydrothermal

Processing to Convert Algae to Oil

Title of SlideTitle of Slide

Ramesh BhujadeRajaram Ghadge,

Pavan Konakandla, Ajit Sapre

James Oyler

Copyright © 2016 Reliance. All rights reserved.

Ø Reliance at a glance

Ø Algae To Oil (A2O) India project - Overview

Ø Hydrothermal Processing Pilot System (HPPS)Ø Challenges and success

Ø Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)Ø Lessons learned to address future challenges

Ø HTL technology readiness status for future

Ø HTL for wet biomass

Title of SlideTitle of Slide

2

Outline

Infinite possibilities, Reshaping the future of India

• Reliance, a Fortune 500 company & India’s largest pvt. sector company. Revenue: $ 44.7 bn and EBITDA of $ 7.2 bn in 2015-16

• Refinery Complex: Largest in the world.

• Petchem and Polyester: among the top 5 to 10 producers in the world

• Reliance Retail becomes the largest retailer in India by revenue in 2014

• Currently investing over $ 35 billion in various projects.

• RIL Jio, digital services business being rolled out

• Employs people from 19 nationalities. Total workforce over 24K.

• Started with textile and integrated back to O&G and to digital world

• Algae to Oil, major R&D initiative with long term vision

www.ril.com

It took millions of years to convert biomass to crude oil in the earth

HTL converts algal biomass into crude oil in minutes

Integrating backward, Racing forward: Innovation-led growth continues

Our reach spreads across the globe to fulfil aspirations everywhere


Title of SlideTitle of SlideReliance petro product portfolio

4

Exploration and ProductionRefiningPetrochemicals –PolymersPetrochemicals –Polymers & Fibre IntermediatesTextiles

Crude Oil

LPG Motor Spirit ATF High Speed Diesel Coke Sulphur Propane

Fuel Oil NaphthaNatural Gas

Ethane/ PropanePolypropylene

AcrylonitrilePropylene Ethylene Benzene

VCM EDC MTBE Ethylene Oxide Butene-1 PBR SBR

PVC DEG MEG TEG HDPE/LLDPE LDPE

Acetic AcidParaxylene

PTA

PET

Polyester Chip

Normal Paraffin

LAB

PFY PSF

Dyed Yarn Spun Yarn

Salt

Fabrics

Apparel

Oil and Gas

Chlorine Caustic Wool Viscose Silk Linen

Kerosene

Butadiene


Algae cultivation Harvesting Biomass Conversion Algal Bio-crude

A2O – Integrated facility

• Centrifugation• Membranes• Filtration• FlocculationPBR

WATER

OPEN PONDS PBR

Dryer Expeller

HTL+CHG

Bio-crudeWater

FertilizerHigh Value Products

Pipeline Utilities

RIL RefineryRIL A2O

Objective: Grow algae and produce oil at large enough scale to enable testing of novel technologies and develop environmentally sustainable and cost effective option to fossil fuel


Feed Tank

HTL Reactor

Solid Separator

Oil-water separator

HTL Section CHG Section

Hot Oil system

CHG Reactors

Hydrothermal Processing Pilot System (HPPS)

HPPS, first integrated hydrothermal processing facility for algae to oil in the world

HighPressurePump

PrecipitationVessel

PressureLetdownValve

Air-CoolerSeparationProcess

PressureLetdownValve

SeparationProcess

Bio-Oil

GaseousProduct

Aqueousphase*

MethaneRichgas

NutrientsRichWater

CHGMode

HTLModeCommonFacility

WetBiomass

*HTLAqueousphase

Heater

HTLReactorAir-Cooler

CHGReactorSulphurGuardbed

Solids

§ HPPS has HTL and CHG

§ Capacity: 1000 kg/day feed

§ Feed: 17.5% algae slurry

§ Equipped for safe operation with proper controls


Evaluation of HPPS

HPPS involved all aspects of engineering and project management, similar to complex refinery unit

§ Original goal of NAABB – CHG to convert lipid-extracted algae to methane. HTL was not part of original plan (2011)

§ HTL emerged as promising technology - No drying required. Bio-crude yield much higher than lipid in low-lipid algae. Recovers water and nutrients

§ HTL added to CHG and HPPS was born. Conceptualized by Reliance (as owner), Genifuel and PNNL

§ What capacity of HPPS ? Scaled-up by 30x

§ HTL Factory acceptance test (FAT) successful – major milestone in algae community

§ Management of this R&D project - a great learning for all partners

Ref:http://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2016/01/f28/naabb_genifuel_pilot_system_final_report.pdf

India

0

20

40

60 Lipid (%) Oil Yield(%)

Barreiro et al (2013)


HPPS, Mechanically Ready Aug 2014

VIP Day – DOE and Industry professionals visit HPPS

Oct 2014Team after successful FAT on

4th Sept 2015

HTL FAT – sharing experience

Valuable learning experience in scale up and testing of HTL system at such a larger scale

2-Apr-2013

FEEDPackage

HAZOPReview

OnlineModelReview Commissioning

Activity Pre- FAT

VIPDay

FATcompletedsuccessfully

HPPSdisassembled,packed&shipped

HPPScontainersarrivedinIndia

HPPSActivitiesstalled

HPPSKick-OffMeeting

2-Jul-2013

Dec-2016

16-Jan-2014 18-Mar-2014

16-Sep-2014

8-Oct-2014

6-Feb-2016

4-Sep-2015

17-Nov-2015

Feb-2015– Jul-15

HPPSTimeLine


HTL FAT Learning for scale up

Feed pump, heat exchanger, reactor and solid-liquid separators are critical equipment for smooth operation

§ HTL reactor:

§ Severe temperature/pressure conditions make reactor design critical for safe operation.

§ High pressure feed pump:

§ Life line of the process. Robust design necessary to handle abrasive material and non-Newtonian fluid

§ Energy efficiency: Pressure energy recovery, heat integration essential to be cost-effective.

§ Maximum recovery of oil, byproducts and nutrients, to make process economically competitive

§ Hazard assessment to make operation cost-effective and safe

HazardPotential

Low Moderate High

Pressure, barg < 1 7 to 14 > 14

Temperature oC < 100 100 - 200 > 200

Health Hazard 0, 1, 2 3, 4

Flammability 0, 1, 2 3, 4

Instability/Reactivity

0, 1 2, 3, 4

PNNL - 24219 (2015)


Sequential and catalytic HTL :potential to recover valuable products, oil, fertilizer and water at less severe conditions

HTL Innovations to reduce opex/capex

HTL20%wetbiomass

Conventionalhydrothermalprocess

• Methane• Water• Nutrients

CHG

MolecularpathwayofHTL

CatHTLHTL-1

Protein, Carbohydrate Recovery

Conversion to fuel

SequentialCatalyticHTL

Bio-crude

• Water• Nutrients20%wet

biomass

Bio-crude


HTL Reactor Design

RIL’s patented catalyst maximizes conversion & simplifies reactor design

CSTR in HPPS

PFR for New System

Gasket leakage

Graphite Gasket severely deformed at 160°C and 208 barg

Metal-1

Metal-2

After few successful runs, Gasket failed

Flawless operation with no leaks

Deformed Graphitegasket

𝑉 =𝐹𝐴0 ∗ 𝑋𝐴−𝑟𝐴

𝑉 = *𝐹𝐴0−rA

𝑑𝑋𝐴,-

.

§ Sealing problem of the mixer into the CSTR

§ Dead zones in the CSTR

§ Higher productivity for same volume

§ Better temperature Profile.

§ No moving parts


Scale-up aspects for commercial plant

Lab/Pilot Demo/Commercial

ReactionseverityHighTemp,HighPressure

Reactordesign, mixing,Materialofconstruction,safetyaspects

Microreactor,CSTR, PFR/Loop Reactor,CatalyticHTLtoreduceseverity

Feedpump Abrasivematerialinfeed,highviscosity

Singlestage,positivedisplacement

2-stagepumping,shearthinning/preheating

HeatExchangers Low heattransferrate/pluggingofHE

Tube inshell,tube-in-tube

Improved designtoenhanceHTandprovisionforcleaning

Maxoilrecovery Lossofoilinby-products Gravityseparation,Solventextraction

Process innovationtominimizewatersolublecomponents

Process technology and Engineering innovations necessary to commercialize the process

DesignParameter Scale-up Issue

Processsafety Material ofconstruction SS316 Cost-effectivematerialtoprovideinherentsafedesign


HTL – Technology readiness level

Description Stage Gate

TRL-1 Basic principles identified Scientific research to applied research

TRL-2 Technology concept formulated Complete process identified for a specific application area

TRL-3 Proof of concept Lab scale using realistic feedstock

TRL-4 Prelim technical evaluation System performance and integration studies in lab environment

TRL-5 Validation in representative environment Scaling from laboratory to pilot plant

TRL-6 End-to-end implementation in realistic environment

Pilot plant tested in relevant environment. Partially integrated with existing system

TRL-7 Demo in operational environment Near scale of the operational system

TRL-8 Commercialization Business model validated for production

TRL-9 Production capability Full scale plant operationalRef: Biofuels in general have taken between three and five years to progress by one TRL (source Arup URS, & E4tech. (2013)

Technology Demonstration

ACADEMIA INDUSTRY

Knowledge Development Technology Development Business Development

COLLABORATION

TRL 1 TRL 2 TRL 3 TRL 4 TRL 5 TRL 6 TRL 7 TRL 8 TRL 9

Basic Technology Research

Research to prove feasibility

Technology development and prototypes Pilot plant and Scale-

up

Market launch and commercialization

HTL at TRL-6. Ready for initiating commercialization

Technology Readiness Level of HTL


Summary

Hydrothermal processing plant at RIL – a major step in taking research from lab scale to pilot scale

• Success of HTL at pilot scale – a significant step towards commercialization

• HTL agnostic to feed stock. Conventional constraint of low lipid in algae has been overcome with HTL.

• RIL’s patented homogeneous catalytic HTL facilitates simpler reactor design and maximizes oil recovery

• Sequential HTL recovers high-value products and produces oil, without drying at less severe conditions

• HTL technology emerging as preferred process for wet biomass – converts biomass to fuel, recovers water and fertilizers

C, H > 70% in Oil

Nutrients in Water

47%54%


Raw materialFlexibility

CAPEX Efficiency

OPEXEfficiency

Fossil Renewable

Inclusive Innovations

HTL for wet biomass, emerging as sustainable solution to Climate-Energy-Water nexus

Sustainable Solution

Collective Mandate: Science for Solution, Technology for Transformation, & Innovation for Impact

“ I Would Prize

Every Invention

of Science Made

for the Benefit of

All ”

MAHATMA GANDHI

experience with hydrothermal processing to convert algae...

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