Techno-economic feasibility and life cycle assessment of dairy effluent to renewable diesel via hydrothermal liquefaction.
The economic feasibility and environmental impact is investigated for the conversion of agricultural waste, delactosed whey permeate, through yeast fermentation to a renewable diesel via hydrothermal liquefaction. Process feasibility was demonstrated at laboratory-scale with data leveraged to validate systems models used to perform industrial-scale economic and environmental impact analyses. Results show a minimum fuel selling price of $4.78 per gallon of renewable diesel, a net energy ratio of 0.81, and greenhouse gas emissions of 30.0g-CO2-eqMJ(-1). High production costs and greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to operational temperatures and durations of both fermentation and hydrothermal liquefaction. However, high lipid yields of the yeast counter these operational demands, resulting in a favorable net energy ratio. Results are presented on the optimization of the process based on economy of scale and a sensitivity analysis highlights improvements in conversion efficiency, yeast biomass productivity and hydrotreating efficiency can dramatically improve commercial feasibility.
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, 4130 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA.
Hailey M
HM
Summers
Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, 0300 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA.
Rhesa N
RN
Ledbetter
Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, 0300 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA.
Alex T
AT
McCurdy
Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, 0300 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA.
Michael R
MR
Morgan
Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, 0300 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA.
Lance C
LC
Seefeldt
Division of Atmospheric Science, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512, USA.
Umakanta
U
Jena
Division of Atmospheric Science, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512, USA.
S Kent
SK
Hoekman
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, 4130 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321, USA. Electronic address: jason.quinn@usu.edu.
Jason C
JC
Quinn
D056804:Biofuels / Q000191:economics; D018533:Biomass; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D003612:Dairying; D004777:Environment; D005285:Fermentation; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D007220:Industrial Waste; D018803:Models, Economic; D000067796:Whey; D015003:Yeasts / Q000254:growth & development*
D056804:Biofuels; D007220:Industrial Waste; D002245:Carbon Dioxide
Cryptococcus curvatus; Greenhouse gas emissions; Net energy ratio; Oleaginous yeast; Techno-economic assessment