[Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

[Tom Miles]

Sean,

 

The product distribution listed is typical of Dynamotive or any of the other
pyrolysis systems. The fast pyrolysis systems tend to get higher yields of
useful oils which is their primary product. The market or use is not
altogether clear. Ensyn, for example, has built several bio oil plants that
are used for making food flavoring, liquid smoke. They have not yet built an
energy plant because the value of the oil is currently higher in the food
market. They use the energy in the gas and char to heat the pyrolysis
process. Both suppliers use the off gas, as mentioned below, to drive the
process. The amount of char available seems to depend on the energy needs of
downstream processing. The more heat required the more char would be
consumed. 

 

Dynamotive's IAI presentation suggests that in present market conditions the
char is worth more as energy than as a carbon offset. So they would use it
for energy rather than sell it as char. Having said that they are
participating in a 14 ton char trial in Iowa so they haven't closed off the
option.  I think the agronomic , i.e. crop and soil enhancement, value of
charcoal is greater in the long term but I can't prove it.  

 

You might ask why not just burn the biomass instead of making oil? I think
the answer is that they are in the business of selling a bio oil technology.


 

Tom

 

 

From: Sean K. Barry [mailto:sean.barry at juno.com] 
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 2:32 PM
To: 'Gerald Van Koeverden'; Tom Miles
Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

 

Hi Tom,

 

I know the process can be "tilted" as you describe it.  What is DYNAMOTIVE'S
plan?  They claim ... 

 

"Three products are produced: BioOil (60-75% by weight), char (15-20% wt.)
and non-condensable gases (10-20% wt.). Yields vary depending on the
feedstock composition. BioOil and char are commercial products and
non-condensable gases are recycled and supply a major part of the energy
required by the process. No waste is produced in the Dynamotive process."

 

So, they are turning back some of the energy content in those products back
into the process.  They also do not mention external inputs of energy
either.  I wonder what those are?  There is a product they have, too, called
intermediate Bio-oil, which has the char added back into the oil to increase
its BTU content.  The energy balances and energy fluxes in pyrolysis are
quite complex and to be honest I really do not see yet how char can be made
economically yet?

 

Regards,

 

SKB

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Tom Miles <mailto:tmiles at trmiles.com>  

To: 'Sean K. Barry' <mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>  ; 'Gerald Van
<mailto:vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>  Koeverden' 

Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org 

Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 11:48 AM

Subject: RE: [Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

 

Sean,

 

Another point to remember is that the process can be tilted.  You can "burn
out" the char by converting more of it to oil or gas depending on the
moisture in the fuel and the temperature of the reactor. In the absence of
char markets most processes plan to use the char as fuel to generate heat
for drying the fuel or for reheating the media  - sand, rocks, etc. - used
to heat and pyrolyze the fuel. 

 

Tom

 

 

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Sean K. Barry
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:48 PM
To: Gerald Van Koeverden
Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

 

Hi Gerrit,

 

Well that's impressive.  I did not think "fast-pyrolysis" was capable of
such a high yield in charcoal.  My reading on this has lead me to believe
that it produced large gas and liquid fractions, but little or no charcoal.
Apparently that is wrong?

 

Regards,

 

SKB

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Gerald <mailto:vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>  Van Koeverden 

To: Sean K. Barry <mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>  

Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org ; Shengar at aol.com 

Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:02 PM

Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

 

Here at Dynamotive's plant in West Lorne, they get about 18% yield of char. 

 

On 6-Dec-07, at 12:45 PM, Sean K. Barry wrote:





 

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