The following scientific paper and conference presentations cover a large fraction of the BIOCTANE research results.
Research Paper
In order to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, also the growing aviation industry needs to take measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Various renewably sourced aviation fuels can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and most of them, except for example liquid hydrogen or LNG, can be used in the existing infrastructure without airport or aircraft modifications. As most of these renewably sourced fuel types are not (yet) produced at commercial scale, many technological assessment parameter (e.g. carbon or energy efficiency) are uncertain. Thus, the goal of this study is to compare two different process routes, both being based on biochemical and thermochemical conversion steps. The processes evaluated against conversion efficiency of the available raw feedstock and process energy requirements. The evaluation uses theoretical and biochemical carbon efficiency as well as energy efficiency as indicators. A steady-state flowsheet simulation for two biogenic process paths via biogas and bioethanol as intermediate products is carried out on the basis of literature data. In addition, the optional use of solid residue from the biotechnological process step by combustion for direct heat supply cases are studied. In the ethanol-based route, about 23% of the carbon in the feed can be recovered as kerosene, whereas this is only about 19% in the biogas route. Simultaneously, the ethanol-based route without the combustion of the residue has an energy efficiency of 28%, while the biogas route has an efficiency of 24%.
Conference presentations
- Electrofermentation : how to combine microbial electrochemistry and fermentation principles to optimize the production of biohydrogen and biobased molecules from waste
22-26 May 2023, Marseille, France - Hydrogen by biological processes
12-16 June 2023, Albi, France - Organic loading rate and pH as operating tools in dark fermentation to promote the coupling with microbial electrolysis cells for biohydrogen production
26-29 June 2023, Girona, Spain - Hydrodeoxygenation of cyclohexanone dimer for the production of high-density aviation fuels over Al2O3-Nb2O5-supported Ni/Re catalysts
4-7 June 2023, Toledo, Spain - Processing intermediates to jet fuel
23-24 May 2023, Bad Honnef, Germany