New continuous reaction process can help turn plant waste into sustainable aviation fuel
image:
Joshua Heyne, director of the WSU Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, and research assistant Conor Faulhaber, examine swelling results from a material compatibility test related to sustainable fuels.
view more
Credit: WSU
RICHLAND, Wash. —Washington State University scientists successfully tested a new way to produce sustainable jet fuel from lignin-based agricultural waste.
Published in the journal Fuel Processing Technology, the team’s research demonstrated a continuous process that directly converts lignin polymers, one of the chief components of plant cells, into a form of jet fuel that could help improve performance of sustainably produced aviation fuels.
“Our achievement takes this technology one step closer to real-world use by providing data that lets us better gauge its feasibility for commercial aviation,” said lead scientist Bin Yang, professor in WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
A class of structural molecules that make plants tough and woody, lignin is derived from corn stover—the stalks, cobs and leaves left after harvest—and other agricultural byproducts.
The team developed a process called “simultaneous depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation,” which breaks down the lignin polymer and at the same time removes oxygen to create lignin-based jet fuel. At their Richland facility, the scientists introduced dissolved lignin polymer into a continuous hydrotreating reactor to produce the fuel.
Global consumption of aviation fuel reached an all-time high of nearly 100 billion gallons in 2019, and demand is expected to increase in the coming decades. Sustainable aviation fuels derived from plant-based biomass could help minimize aviation’s carbon footprint, reduce contrails and meet international carbon neutrality goals.
Lignin-based jet fuel could make sustainable fuels cleaner and more easily usable in jet engines. Thanks to their density, efficiency, and seal-swelling characteristics, hydrocarbons catalyzed from lignin could effectively replace fossil fuel-derived compounds called aromatics. Associated with contrails and climate impacts, aromatics remain in use because they enhance fuel density and help swell O-rings in metal-to-metal joints.
This research marked the team’s first successful test of a continuous process, which is more feasible for commercial production. The project also used a less processed, less expensive form of lignin derived from corn stover, dubbed “technical lignin,” contrasting similar research using extracted lignin bio-oil.
The team’s findings suggest lignin is a promising source of aromatic-replacing cycloalkanes and other useful fuel compounds.
“The aviation enterprise is looking to generate 100% renewable aviation fuel,” said Josh Heyne, research team member and co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute. “Lignin-based jet fuel complements existing technologies by, for example, increasing the density of fuel blends.”
Offering reduced emissions, lignin-based fuel could ultimately make sustainable aviation fuels fully “drop-in” capable, meaning they can be used with all existing engines, infrastructure and aircraft like existing fossil-derived aviation fuel.
“We’re working to create an effective, commercially relevant technology for a complementary blend component that can achieve the 100% drop-in goal,” Heyne said.
The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Advanced Refining Technologies LLC.
The team is now working to refine their process for better efficiency and reduced costs.
• Read the journal article, “A Simultaneous Depolymerization and Hydrodeoxygenation Process to Produce Lignin-Based Jet Fuel in Continuous Flow Reactor,” at the Science Direct website.
Journal
Fuel Processing Technology
Article Title
A simultaneous depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation process to produce lignin-based jet fuel in continuous flow reactor
Article Publication Date
26-Sep-2024
Chinese NGOs’ engagement in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer
Tsinghua University Press
image:
The roles of NGOs in the cross-border transfer of renewable energy have been ordered according to their level of involvement, ranging from weaker to stronger, and the complexity of their tasks, ranging from easier to more execution-oriented.
view moreCredit: Energy and Climate Management, Tsinghua University Press
Effective adoption of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is essential for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. As a leader in RETs, China has been pivotal in advancing trans-boundary technology transfer. Since launching the Green Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, China has expanded its renewable energy network to the global South by increasing climate finance and accelerating technology transfer. However, numerous challenges remain, including political, financial, legal, environmental, and cultural barriers.
To address these issues, Chinese Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have started to engage in RET transfers, collaborating with tech enterprises, recipient country governments, local communities, and other stakeholders. Researchers from Renmin University of China analyzed the roles of Chinese NGOs in this process through three case studies. Their findings were published in Energy and Climate Management on August 30, 2024.
“We aim to balance the studies on the roles of NGOs in trans-boundary technology transfer, as previous research has primarily focused on NGOs in the West. The engagement of Chinese domestic NGOs in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer is a recent phenomenon, accompanying the advancement of Chinese technologies and supplying capacities in this field, thus making it an emerging field of inquiry. This study is one of the early birds in this field, hopefully it will inspire future studies,” said Professor Lei Zhang, corresponding author of the paper, associate professor from the School of Ecology & Environment at Renmin University of China.
The team examined three distinct Chinese NGOs: Institution G, a comprehensive NGO that implements technology transfer pilot projects; Institution L, a think tank specializing in industry research and policy advocacy; and Institution M, a bridge organization that empowers local NGOs and fosters cooperation between social organizations and enterprises. These cases were chosen to represent different types of Chinese NGOs involved in trans-boundary RET transfers.
The team used rigorous methods to analyze the three cases, including semi-structured interviews with NGO experts and renewable energy firm representatives, supplemented by secondary data analysis from reports, articles, and documents. Researchers found that the combination of globalization, informatization, and the institutional push for green and low-carbon transformations driven by environmental and climate crises has led to a new grid-based technology transfer model involving multiple players. Within this framework, Chinese NGOs play various critical roles, such as coordinating stakeholders, offering technical assistance and policy guidance, creating technology information exchange platforms, monitoring the environmental and social responsibilities of overseas enterprises, conducting pilot projects, and providing professional advice to support renewable energy investments and financing.
Despite their growing importance, the involvement of Chinese NGOs in climate technology transfer remains limited. Their participation in trans-boundary RET transfers is still in its early stages and faces several challenges, including limited global integration, insufficient policy and institutional support, a lack of professional expertise, and inadequate funding.
The research team discovered the new roles of domestic NGOs engaged in RET transfer and expected the paper to inform policy and practice, enabling NGOs to take on a more engaged and impactful role in global environmental governance and promoting the inclusive growth of host countries. Professor Lei Zhang said, “Building on previous studies on NGOs and technology transfer, we explored how the uniqueness in terms of Chinese domestic NGOs and the policy context in which they operate would contribute to the knowledge pool. Standing between the North and the South, Chinese NGOs do play a dual role, yet face dual challenges. We trust that this study will shed light on the potentials and concerns of these NGOs through in-depth case studies.”
Other contributors include Anqi Zhu and Xu Pan from the School of Ecology & Environment, and Professor Minpeng Chen from the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, both at Renmin University of China.
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China [2018YFA0606503].
About Energy and Climate Management
Managing the changing climate and energy transition are two closely related scientific and policy challenges of our society. Energy and Climate Management is an open access, peer-reviewed scholarly, policy-oriented academic journal dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary scientific papers on cutting-edge research on contemporary energy and climate management analysis. The Journal is exclusively available via SciOpen and aims to incentivize a meaningful dialogue between academics, think tanks, and public authorities worldwide. Contributions are welcomed covering areas related to energy and climate management, especially policy, economics, governance, and finance. Online submission portal available at https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jecm.
About SciOpen
SciOpen is an open access resource of scientific and technical content published by Tsinghua University Press and its publishing partners. SciOpen provides end-to-end services across manuscript submission, peer review, content hosting, analytics, identity management, and expert advice to ensure each journal’s development. By digitalizing the publishing process, SciOpen widens the reach, deepens the impact, and accelerates the exchange of ideas.
Journal
Energy and Climate Management
Article Title
Chinese NGOs’ engagement in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer
No comments:
Post a Comment