Centia process efficiently yields bio-gasoline similar to unleaded gasoline
Diversified Energy Corporation announced that its Centia process, during a recent demonstration, produced a bio-gasoline fuel very similar to traditional unleaded gasoline. Centia is an advanced biofuels production process that takes any renewable oil input source (e.g. oils derived from agriculture crops, algae, animal fats, waste greases, etc.) and produces transportation fuels that are 1-for-1 replacements for petroleum jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline.
Fuels produced from Centia could be operated in engines, stored, and distributed in an identical manner to fossil fuels today. The process (graph, click to enlarge) was developed in 2006 by North Carolina State University (NCSU) (previous post) and has been licensed exclusively by Diversified Energy.
The tests were conducted at NCSU using demonstration reactors, operated under temperature and pressure with a proprietary catalyst developed specifically for the Centia bio-gasoline process. Starting with an input mimicking what would have originated as soybean oil, the process generated a fuel closely resembling the carbon number profile and molecular composition of unleaded gasoline. A mass conversion efficiency in excess of 90% was achieved.
Further development, optimization, and testing activities are being planned, including an end-toend Centia system demonstration to make bio-gasoline, Jet A-1/JP-8 (jet fuel), and renewable diesel.
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: ethanol :: vegetable oils :: bio-gasoline :: glycerol :: efficiency ::
Next, continued development work has occurred on various steps in the process to show that the fundamental chemistry works regardless of renewable oil input source. Also, a bench-scale hydrolysis reactor (used for the first step in the process) has been fabricated in preparation for the end-to-end system demonstration.
Lastly, Diversified Energy has formed relationships with other engineering companies to provide expertise in commercialization activities such as large-scale process design and construction and catalyst regeneration and recovery.
Diversified Energy is also the developer of the HydroMax gasification process. Last month, the US Department of Defense selected the company and Velocys to design a portable synthetic fuel production system based on this gasification technology and Velocys’ advanced Fischer-Tropsch approach (more here).
References:
Diversified Energy Corporation: Centia Biofuels Process Produces Bio-gasoline Similar to Traditional Unleaded Gasoline - January 9, 2007.
Biopact: North Carolina State University develops biofuels for jet airplanes - March 02, 2007
Biopact: Diversified Energy wins DoD contract for portable renewable synfuel plant - December 12, 2007
Fuels produced from Centia could be operated in engines, stored, and distributed in an identical manner to fossil fuels today. The process (graph, click to enlarge) was developed in 2006 by North Carolina State University (NCSU) (previous post) and has been licensed exclusively by Diversified Energy.
The tests were conducted at NCSU using demonstration reactors, operated under temperature and pressure with a proprietary catalyst developed specifically for the Centia bio-gasoline process. Starting with an input mimicking what would have originated as soybean oil, the process generated a fuel closely resembling the carbon number profile and molecular composition of unleaded gasoline. A mass conversion efficiency in excess of 90% was achieved.
Further development, optimization, and testing activities are being planned, including an end-toend Centia system demonstration to make bio-gasoline, Jet A-1/JP-8 (jet fuel), and renewable diesel.
The team is extremely encouraged with the bio-gasoline results generated to date. With over 243 million vehicles on U.S. roads (with a majority using gasoline), finding an affordable renewable drop-in replacement would be a major achievement. While additional development work is still required, these results emphasize the potential of Centia to produce a variety of 2nd-generation biofuels. - Dr. Henry Lamb, NCSU Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, lead investigator on the bio-gasoline workIn addition to the bio-gasoline results, a number of other Centia achievements have occurred in the last year. First, the team has completed the construction and demonstration of a glycerol burner that will safely burn the glycerol byproduct from Centia and provide an energy source back into the process. This same burner could make productive use of the crude glycerol generated from traditional transesterification-based biodiesel plants:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: ethanol :: vegetable oils :: bio-gasoline :: glycerol :: efficiency ::
Next, continued development work has occurred on various steps in the process to show that the fundamental chemistry works regardless of renewable oil input source. Also, a bench-scale hydrolysis reactor (used for the first step in the process) has been fabricated in preparation for the end-to-end system demonstration.
Lastly, Diversified Energy has formed relationships with other engineering companies to provide expertise in commercialization activities such as large-scale process design and construction and catalyst regeneration and recovery.
Diversified Energy is also the developer of the HydroMax gasification process. Last month, the US Department of Defense selected the company and Velocys to design a portable synthetic fuel production system based on this gasification technology and Velocys’ advanced Fischer-Tropsch approach (more here).
References:
Diversified Energy Corporation: Centia Biofuels Process Produces Bio-gasoline Similar to Traditional Unleaded Gasoline - January 9, 2007.
Biopact: North Carolina State University develops biofuels for jet airplanes - March 02, 2007
Biopact: Diversified Energy wins DoD contract for portable renewable synfuel plant - December 12, 2007
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