Biofuel Reinvented: Hydrothermal Liquefaction Explained
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) converts wet wastes into bio-crude oil under high temperature (250–375°C) and pressure (10–25 MPa). It processes diverse feedstocks like organic fraction of the municipal solid wastes (OFMSW), industrial wastes and wastewater, agricultural residues, micro/macroalgae, dairy wastes, digestates from anaerobic digestion, and sewage sludge without requiring prior drying to reduce the moisture levels.
HTL PROCESS
Our process follows a five-step approach that is more practical and optimized for engineering efficiency
Feedstock Preparation
Preparing feedstocks for processing by shredding and converting into slurry
Hydrothermal Processing
Feedstocks are processed at high temperature & pressure in the reactor
Products Separation
Separating bio-crude, aqueous and bio-char products
Products Upgradation
Upgrading the quality of bio-crude by hydro-deoxygenation
Application of products
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Upgraded products will be used for transportation and power generation
KEY INSPIRATIONS
The proposed process is sustainable over feedstocks, climate, location and environmental changes
Green house gas emissions can be reduced 5 times of the conventional waste to energy technologies
On a commercial scale, the cost of produced crude is 30-50% less than the commercial crude oil
The process consumes only 20-30% feedstock energy for bio-crude production
An Unique Process for Biomass and Waste Management
Algae and Seaweeds
20
60
Industrial Wastes
25
50
Food Wastes
35
55
Wood
25
50
Plastics
60
80
Sewage Sludge
30
55
Municipal Solid Waste
25
45
Agricultural Residues
20
50
Minimum bio-crude yield (%)
Maximum bio-crude yield (%)
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) processes diverse feedstocks like sewage sludge, food waste, industrial wastewater, agricultural residues, algae, and lignocellulosic biomass without requiring drying.
Organic wastes are transformed directly, while lignocellulosic materials may need minimal prep. Co-processing plastics with biomass enhances bio-crude quality, addressing both energy and waste challenges. HTL is a sustainable solution, recycling nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus while turning waste into renewable energy.
FEEDSTOCKS
