{"id":{"repo_id":"sdstate","oai_identifier":"oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2585"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sdstate/oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2585","repository":{"repo_id":"sdstate","name":"South Dakota State University","base_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels","abstract":"

The thermo-chemical conversion of biomass to hydrocarbons has been investigated for decades as an alternative to using petroleum-derived fuels. Equipment and feedstock have improved, but, biomass conversion efficiency and bio-oil quality still remain challenges. This study aims to investigate the conversion paths of biomass to raw bio-oil and raw bio-oil to upgraded fungible biofuels. The goal is to design and evaluate the new paths and reactors on biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading. A proprietary fast pyrolysis reactor was used to carry out the study of thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to raw bio-oil. This reactor converted biomass to bio-oil at a rate of 1 to 2 kilograms per hour. Corn stover and pine sawdust were the feedstocks used for this study. The bio-oil produced was also characterized. Bio-oil produced from pine sawdust had better qualities than that produced from corn stover in moisture content (47.04 wt % versus 54.88 wt %), energy content (13.81 MJ/kg versus 10.19 MJ/kg), and viscosity (9.8 cP versus 3.2 cP). Upgrading the aqueous fraction of raw bio-oil (light bio-oil) was performed using a high pressure fixed-bed reactor (HPF). Catalysts and process conditions were varied and compared. The upgraded light bio-oil had a carbon content of ~ 80 wt %, and an oxygen content of ~ 9 wt %. Heavy bio-oil fraction (viscosity greater than 5000 cP) was upgraded using an autoclave. Catalyst Ru/AC and HZSM-5 were used as catalyst. Process condition named H250+C400 (Hydrotreating at 250°C for 4 hours than instantly cracking at 400°C for 1~2 minutes) was observed the most effective for the heavy bio-oil upgrading. Viscosity of the upgraded heavy bio-oil was reduced from 8710 cP to 70 cP, and the oxygen content decreased from 33.90 wt % to 9.48 wt %. Upgraded heavy bio-oil’s properties were improved significantly and can be easily further refined to fungible drop-in fuels.

","abstract_html":"<p>The thermo-chemical conversion of biomass to hydrocarbons has been investigated for decades as an alternative to using petroleum-derived fuels. Equipment and feedstock have improved, but, biomass conversion efficiency and bio-oil quality still remain challenges. This study aims to investigate the conversion paths of biomass to raw bio-oil and raw bio-oil to upgraded fungible biofuels. The goal is to design and evaluate the new paths and reactors on biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading. A proprietary fast pyrolysis reactor was used to carry out the study of thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to raw bio-oil. This reactor converted biomass to bio-oil at a rate of 1 to 2 kilograms per hour. Corn stover and pine sawdust were the feedstocks used for this study. The bio-oil produced was also characterized. Bio-oil produced from pine sawdust had better qualities than that produced from corn stover in moisture content (47.04 wt % versus 54.88 wt %), energy content (13.81 MJ/kg versus 10.19 MJ/kg), and viscosity (9.8 cP versus 3.2 cP). Upgrading the aqueous fraction of raw bio-oil (light bio-oil) was performed using a high pressure fixed-bed reactor (HPF). Catalysts and process conditions were varied and compared. The upgraded light bio-oil had a carbon content of ~ 80 wt %, and an oxygen content of ~ 9 wt %. Heavy bio-oil fraction (viscosity greater than 5000 cP) was upgraded using an autoclave. Catalyst Ru/AC and HZSM-5 were used as catalyst. Process condition named H250+C400 (Hydrotreating at 250°C for 4 hours than instantly cracking at 400°C for 1~2 minutes) was observed the most effective for the heavy bio-oil upgrading. Viscosity of the upgraded heavy bio-oil was reduced from 8710 cP to 70 cP, and the oxygen content decreased from 33.90 wt % to 9.48 wt %. Upgraded heavy bio-oil’s properties were improved significantly and can be easily further refined to fungible drop-in fuels.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Qu, Wangda"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis - University Access Only","degree_discipline":"Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lin Wei"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:15Z","subjects":["Architectural Engineering"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1578","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lin Wei"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Qu, Wangda"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-16T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - University Access Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Architectural Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1578"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["

The thermo-chemical conversion of biomass to hydrocarbons has been investigated for decades as an alternative to using petroleum-derived fuels. Equipment and feedstock have improved, but, biomass conversion efficiency and bio-oil quality still remain challenges. This study aims to investigate the conversion paths of biomass to raw bio-oil and raw bio-oil to upgraded fungible biofuels. The goal is to design and evaluate the new paths and reactors on biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading. A proprietary fast pyrolysis reactor was used to carry out the study of thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to raw bio-oil. This reactor converted biomass to bio-oil at a rate of 1 to 2 kilograms per hour. Corn stover and pine sawdust were the feedstocks used for this study. The bio-oil produced was also characterized. Bio-oil produced from pine sawdust had better qualities than that produced from corn stover in moisture content (47.04 wt % versus 54.88 wt %), energy content (13.81 MJ/kg versus 10.19 MJ/kg), and viscosity (9.8 cP versus 3.2 cP). Upgrading the aqueous fraction of raw bio-oil (light bio-oil) was performed using a high pressure fixed-bed reactor (HPF). Catalysts and process conditions were varied and compared. The upgraded light bio-oil had a carbon content of ~ 80 wt %, and an oxygen content of ~ 9 wt %. Heavy bio-oil fraction (viscosity greater than 5000 cP) was upgraded using an autoclave. Catalyst Ru/AC and HZSM-5 were used as catalyst. Process condition named H250+C400 (Hydrotreating at 250°C for 4 hours than instantly cracking at 400°C for 1~2 minutes) was observed the most effective for the heavy bio-oil upgrading. Viscosity of the upgraded heavy bio-oil was reduced from 8710 cP to 70 cP, and the oxygen content decreased from 33.90 wt % to 9.48 wt %. Upgraded heavy bio-oil’s properties were improved significantly and can be easily further refined to fungible drop-in fuels.

"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lin Wei"],"dc:creator":["Qu, Wangda"],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-16T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["

The thermo-chemical conversion of biomass to hydrocarbons has been investigated for decades as an alternative to using petroleum-derived fuels. Equipment and feedstock have improved, but, biomass conversion efficiency and bio-oil quality still remain challenges. This study aims to investigate the conversion paths of biomass to raw bio-oil and raw bio-oil to upgraded fungible biofuels. The goal is to design and evaluate the new paths and reactors on biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading. A proprietary fast pyrolysis reactor was used to carry out the study of thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to raw bio-oil. This reactor converted biomass to bio-oil at a rate of 1 to 2 kilograms per hour. Corn stover and pine sawdust were the feedstocks used for this study. The bio-oil produced was also characterized. Bio-oil produced from pine sawdust had better qualities than that produced from corn stover in moisture content (47.04 wt % versus 54.88 wt %), energy content (13.81 MJ/kg versus 10.19 MJ/kg), and viscosity (9.8 cP versus 3.2 cP). Upgrading the aqueous fraction of raw bio-oil (light bio-oil) was performed using a high pressure fixed-bed reactor (HPF). Catalysts and process conditions were varied and compared. The upgraded light bio-oil had a carbon content of ~ 80 wt %, and an oxygen content of ~ 9 wt %. Heavy bio-oil fraction (viscosity greater than 5000 cP) was upgraded using an autoclave. Catalyst Ru/AC and HZSM-5 were used as catalyst. Process condition named H250+C400 (Hydrotreating at 250°C for 4 hours than instantly cracking at 400°C for 1~2 minutes) was observed the most effective for the heavy bio-oil upgrading. Viscosity of the upgraded heavy bio-oil was reduced from 8710 cP to 70 cP, and the oxygen content decreased from 33.90 wt % to 9.48 wt %. Upgraded heavy bio-oil’s properties were improved significantly and can be easily further refined to fungible drop-in fuels.

"],"dc:identifier":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1578"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

"],"dc:subject":["Architectural Engineering"],"dc:title":["Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - University Access Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:15Z"}