How are international industries rising to the challenge of developing sustainable liquid fuels for the future of combustion engines?
“Electric vehicles are the future” or so we keep being told. Dolphin N2 have already investigated the need for a mixed & flexible view on ‘future fuels’. The CONCAWE report 2018 explored a three phase approach to future fuels with a mix of electric, liquid fuel (sustainable biofuels, ethanol, etc) & combination of electric & liquid fuel: the hybrid system.
Despite the need for cleaner air & with governments across the globe rolling out their ‘Clean Air Strategies’; there is still a need for lowering emissions/GHG/Co2 from the liquid fuels needed to sustain the existing combustion engine vehicles & the future advancements in combustion engine technology.
It is with this in mind that Dolphin N2 investigated some of the global developments in liquid fuel production & how these fit in to the global ‘Clean Air Strategies’.
Algae biofuel developments.
Biofuel sourced from algae is not a new commodity, however, the sources of new strains of algae & developments in the algae biofuel markets are. Algae’s naturally occurring oily base can be extracted and refined into biodiesel. This differs from ethanol & other alcohol-based liquid fuels produced by fermentation. Algae being usually cultivated in large tanks where carbon dioxide is injected to promote the growth of tiny, photosynthesizing organisms, has come up against some opposition when considered in a commercial capacity.
One of the main sticking points for the commercialisation of algae, has been the additional need for carbon dioxide sourced from coal burning to be added to the algae to complete the photosynthesizing process.
However, researchers at Montana State University’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering have discovered a strain of algae which could be cultivated using only the ambient carbon dioxide of the atmosphere. (1)
‘The algae, called SLA-04, was discovered by the project’s University of Toledo researchers in an eastern Washington lake containing high levels of carbonate minerals similar to baking soda. In the lake’s unique environment, these algae have been shown to metabolize ambient carbon dioxide very efficiently, Peyton said.
“In the past we’ve found some algae and tried them out (with making biofuel),” Peyton said. “Now we’re using state-of-the-art tools to move the technology forward. This is really quite advanced for a project on algae biofuel.” Brent Peyton, Professor of Chemical and Biological engineering and director of MSU’s Thermal Biology Institute (1)
With this breakthrough strain of algae now being tested by a research team with scientists from the University of Toledo, University of North Carolina & the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering; the potential for developing & naturally photosynthesizing the organisms within the algae, gives this form of base ingredient for biofuel a greater commercial & environmental opportunity.
Sustainable diesel production breakthrough
Diesel, still the ‘dirty’ word in liquid fuels, continues to be needed in the heavy haulage & marine fields due to it’s durability & power giving properties. Biodiesel is manufactured around the world, but the US hold a considerable stake in it’s production & development, with great advances in emission free biofuels.
However, innovations shared across the oceans are now utilising a new technology to convert biogas into a high-grade liquid fuel. UK-based technology companyRenovare Fuels, showcased their technology at the Alliance Dairies in Florida, showcasing how biogas from waste materials an be used as a direct replacement for fossil fuel.
“By using a specially developed Ficher Tropsch synthesis catalyst and advanced process engineering techniques, Renovare Fuels’ technology can efficiently turn biogas into middle distillate fuel. The feedstock is sourced locally to the site and classified as a waste product, so the production cycle is objectively carbon neutral.
“We estimated using the greenhouse gas methodology in the EU’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) that the entire logistical supply chain, from feedstock collection to storage and refuelling, would produce only three grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of biomass. This is only 3% of the 94 grams it would be using fossil fuels.” Devin Walker, CTO at Renovare Fuels. (2)
Renewable fuels in gas & diesel engines.
As previously mentioned, electric vehicles are not the only options for the automotive industry. The California Energy Commission has recently shared research to show how the mix of fuels & fuel systems has contributed to the lowering of emissions across the state.
‘According to the California Energy Commission, ten times as much C02 has been eliminated since 2011 from the use of biodiesel, renewable diesel fuel and ethanol than from the fleet of about 600,000 all-electric cars. The benefits of these biofuels show that an “all hands on deck” approach is one that is working for California and can work for other states. All-electric technologies can reduce emissions, and in Califronia they have reduce almost 3 million tons since 2011. Biofuels are also having an enormous benefit as measured by emission reductions. Policies that exclude benefits of biofuels are leaving millions of greenhouse gas emissions on the table.’(3)
Carbon Engineering, Canada, claims Co2 could be converted to carbon-neutral fuel.
Carbon Engineering based in Canada, have been pioneering a system of carbon capture, to facilitate a carbon-neutral fuel for existing vehicles. ‘The plant has been capturing 1 t-CO2/day using giant fans to draw air through an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) coupled to a calcium caustic recovery loop.’ (4) In addition, the Carbon Engineering has developed a process a process to transform the captured CO2 into hydrocarbon fuels such as petrol, diesel and jet fuel.(4)
“The carbon dioxide generated via direct air capture can be combined with sequestration for carbon removal, or it can enable the production of carbon-neutral hydrocarbons, which is a way to take low-cost carbon-free power sources like solar or wind and channel them into fuels that can be used to decarbonise the transportation sector,” said lead author David Keith, founder and chief scientist of Carbon Engineering and a professor of applied physics and public policy at Harvard University. (4)
Kew Projects end-of-life waste derived fuels.
Closer to home, the UK government have just published their latest report regarding investment into alternative fuels. Kew Projects utilise an advanced thermal conversion to optimise the use of end-of-life waste derived fuels.
Kew Projects deploy robust pressurised fluidised bed technology with high temperature treatment to produce a consistently high quality, hydrogen-rich syngas. (5)
The technology allows the valorisation of low grade biomass and waste into high value end products in a compact, cheap, low emission and modular configuration. (5)
Kew Projects processes based on the use of recyclates, has the potential to not only produce diesel, ethanol & aviation fuel; but their unique differentiator, can also produce a versatile energy product – a clean, pressurized gas vector with high Hydrogen content. (5)
This eclectic mix of companies are proving by design, development & research , that liquid fuels are ‘future fuels’ with advancements being made across the board from biomass recovery, to biofuel generation from sustainable planting, through to naturally occurring algae & end-of-life waste to fuel manufacturer; this is where the future of the combustion engine lies, in the development of clean eFuel.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason on behalf of Dolphin N2.