[Terrapreta] 200 tons per day Dynamotive plant in Missouri

[Gerald Van Koeverden]

Tom, I think you are correct.  At the near-by plant, though some of  
the bio-oil is sold for use in food enhancement, most is used to  
drive an electrical generator to feed into the main power grid -  
which buys the power for $.11/kw.


On 7-Dec-07, at 6:11 PM, Tom Miles wrote:

> 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
> To: 'Sean K. Barry' ; 'Gerald Van 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 Van Koeverden
> To: Sean K. Barry
> 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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