Hydrothermal liquefaction for energy recovery from high-moisture waste biomass
type: CreativeWork
description: Hydrothermal liquefaction is promising technology for converting high-moisture waste biomass into energy dense “biocrude” oil that can be used for direct combustion or refined for transportation grade fuels. This study investigates the influence of biomass composition on the chemical characteristics of hydrothermal liquefaction biocrude oil, and the potential of algal biomass as a feedstock for combined wastewater treatment and bioenergy production. Hydrothermal liquefaction was examined for converting various types of waste biomass into biocrude oil to determine the effect of biomass composition on product yields and biocrude oil chemical characteristics. Feedstocks tested included Spirulina algae, swine manure, and digested anaerobic sludge. Bulk biocrude oil properties (e.g., oil yield, elemental analysis, higher heating value) and physico-chemical characteristics (e.g., molecular constituents, functional group allocation, proton and carbon speciation, molecular weight distribution, boiling point distribution) were compared for the varying feedstocks as well as with published results for petroleum crudes and tar sand bitumens. Results demonstrated that although the biocrude oils displayed similar higher heating values (32-35 MJ/kg), widely varying biocrude oil yields were observed, ranging from 9.4% with digested sludge to 33% with Spirulina. High total nitrogen and oxygen content was observed in the biocrude oils (19-23%), greatly differentiating them from petroleum crude oils which are typically less than 4% total. Detailed characterization also revealed significant differences in biocrude oil chemistry. Feedstock composition influenced the individual compounds identified in the low-boiling fraction of the biocrude oil as well as the functional group chemistry. Biocrude oil molecular weights tracked with the feedstock obdurate carbohydrate content and followed the order of Spirulina < swine manure < digested sludge. A similar trend was observed in the biocrude …
abstract: Hydrothermal liquefaction is promising technology for converting high-moisture waste biomass into energy dense “biocrude” oil that can be used for direct combustion or refined for transportation grade fuels. This study investigates the influence of biomass composition on the chemical characteristics of hydrothermal liquefaction biocrude oil, and the potential of algal biomass as a feedstock for combined wastewater treatment and bioenergy production. Hydrothermal liquefaction was examined for converting various types of waste biomass into biocrude oil to determine the effect of biomass composition on product yields and biocrude oil chemical characteristics. Feedstocks tested included Spirulina algae, swine manure, and digested anaerobic sludge. Bulk biocrude oil properties (e.g., oil yield, elemental analysis, higher heating value) and physico-chemical characteristics (e.g., molecular constituents, functional group allocation, proton and carbon speciation, molecular weight distribution, boiling point distribution) were compared for the varying feedstocks as well as with published results for petroleum crudes and tar sand bitumens. Results demonstrated that although the biocrude oils displayed similar higher heating values (32-35 MJ/kg), widely varying biocrude oil yields were observed, ranging from 9.4% with digested sludge to 33% with Spirulina. High total nitrogen and oxygen content was observed in the biocrude oils (19-23%), greatly differentiating them from petroleum crude oils which are typically less than 4% total. Detailed characterization also revealed significant differences in biocrude oil chemistry. Feedstock composition influenced the individual compounds identified in the low-boiling fraction of the biocrude oil as well as the functional group chemistry. Biocrude oil molecular weights tracked with the feedstock obdurate carbohydrate content and followed the order of Spirulina < swine manure < digested sludge. A similar trend was observed in the biocrude …
author: Vardon, Derek
language: en
keywords: hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis, algae, swine manure, digested sludge
date published: 2012-09-18T21:11:33Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:31Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34327