Resarch & Development of

Bio-fuel in Japan

Dr. KATAYAMA Shusaku

National Agriculture and Food

Research Organization

Background (1)

Japan, with little domestic energy resources, depends 96% of her energy demands on imported fossil fuels.

We thus need to promote renewable energy in order to cope with global warming, and to ensure energy security.

In 2002, the Japanese Government launched the “Biomass-Nippon Comprehensive Strategy” and accordingly promoted biomass utilization ever since.

In 2006, the above strategy was revised to accelerate the promotion of biofuel.

Background (2) Japan’s food self-sufficiency is only 40%.

As large-scale cultivation of energy crops in Japan could easily reduce our food security, we need to focus more on employing underutilized agricultural and forestry residues and waste materials.

Biodiesel production from waste cook oil.

Bioethanol production from rice straw, rice husk, and left-over logs in forest.

Use of energy crops produced by employing fallow farmlands. (Fallow lands are projected to increase due to decrease of farming population.)

etc.

Policies on biofuel by MAFF

1. Promotion of standard technologies:

The “Biomass-town” projects

Full-scale demonstrative projects on bioethanol production

2. Development of innovative technologies:

Cascade utilization of biomass

Bioethanol production from ligno-cellulosic materials

New biodiesel production methods

R&D Program in JAPAN

Ethanol Production from Cellulosic Biomass

Biomass Ethanol Concentration Prosess

Liquid and Gas Fuel by Biomass Gasification from Waste and Wood

Bio-Diesel Fuel production

Hydrogen Fermentation

Methane Fermentation etc.

A new research project on

biofuelNARO launched a national research project on biofuel from 2007 to 2012, that was commissioned by the MAFF of Japan.

Main targets of the project:

low-cost production of energy crops such as sugarcane and sugar beat

an efficient collection & transportation system for underutilized biomass such as rice husk

efficient conversion processes into biofuel

cascade (multiple) uses of biomass (byproducts).

Gasification, heat/power co-generation & methanol production from ligno-cellulosic materials

This process can convert whole ligno-

cellulosic biomass, such as wood and rice

straw, into clean, high-calorie fuel gas (H2,

CO, methane), which is used to produce

electricity, heat and methanol.

触媒

触媒

触媒

catalyst

catalyst

catalyst

CH3OH

CH3OH

CH3OH

触媒

触媒

触媒

catalyst

catalyst

catalyst

CH3OH

CH3OH

CH3OH

Multistage methanol

synthesis unit

Fuel Gas

Electric

Power

Heat

Output

Wood

Grass

Wood

waste

Straw

Crashing

Powder

Chips

Air

Hopper

※Steam

Steam Reformer

Water

Smokestack

※Steam

Exhaust Gas

Boiler

Gas EngineCombustor

Fuel Gas Tank

Fuel Gas

Fuel Gas

Electric

Power

Heat

Output

Wood

Grass

Wood

waste

Straw

Crashing

Powder

Chips

Air

Hopper

※Steam

Steam Reformer

Water

Smokestack

※Steam

Exhaust Gas

Boiler

Gas EngineCombustor

Fuel Gas Tank

Fuel Gas

Gasification, heat/power co-generation & methanol

production from ligno-cellulosic materials

SUSPENSION/EXTERNAL HEAT TYPE HIGH-

CALORIE GASIFICATION; ENLARGED VIEW

Thermal Radiation

Reaction Tube(Metal Temp. of 850℃)

High Temp.

Gas Heating(950~1000℃)

Raw Material

of Powdered

Biomass

Superheated steam

(800℃)

Schematic Gasifying Phenomena

Biomass(Powder)

Clean High-Calorie Gas

Reaction Water

Exhaust

Gas

Heat

Recovery

Ash

Biomass

Combustion

Flue Gas

950~1000℃

Reduction of Tar and Soot

Reaction Water

Evaporizer

Reaction Time

of 0.3~0.7s

Secondary

Gasification

Breakdown of

Tar and Soot

Primary

Gasification

To Water Removal and Power Generation Processes

Biomass Powder

is Gasified Due

to Partial

Combustion

Powdered biomass is heated by an external source, and reacts with steam. Dioxin is not produced due to the absence of air.

Total

Reaction

Time =

2- 3 S

Power conversion efficiency

• Demonstrated at bench scale: 50 kWh/50 dry-kg biomass

• Full scale (estimated): 1000 kWh/1 dry-ton biomass (equivalent to electricity demands of 100 household for 1 day)

• If waste heat is recovered and utilized, comprehensive heat efficiency is estimated to be 70%.

• This is a collaborative research conducted by Nagasaki Inst. of Applied Science (energy & methanol production) and NARO

OCOR1

OCOR2

OCOR3

CH3OH

CH3OCOR1

OH

OCOR2

OCOR3

OH

OH

OCOR3

OH

OH

OH

CH3OH

CH3OCOR2

CH3OH

CH3OCOR3

Alcoholysis Reaction for Production of

Biodiesel Fuel from Vegetable Oils

+ + +

In conventional process, alkaline catalyst such as

NaOH and KOH are used to promote the reaction.

Fatty Acid Methyl Ester

GlycerolCH3OCOR1

OH

OH

OH

Triglyceride

(Vegetable Oil)

Methanol

Diglyceride Monoglyceride

Fatty Acid Methyl Ester

Glycerol

Biodiesel Fuel By-Product

Problems with Conventional Alkaline

Catalyzed Alcoholysis Reaction Process

Alkaline catalysts need to be removed from

products after reaction.

→ High Cost

Free fatty acids contained in raw material have

to be removed from waste edible oil prior to

reaction in order to maintain activity of the

alkaline catalysts.

→ Low Yield

Advantages of Non-catalytic Alcoholysis

Reaction for Production of Biodiesel Fuel

• Purification process to remove catalyst after reaction is not required.

→ Configuration of the total system can be simplified and the by-product (glycerol) can be directly utilized in other industry. Then, total cost for production of BDF will be reduced.

• Not only triglycerides but also free fatty acid might be converted into methyl ester.

→ Neutralization process for removal of free fatty acid is not required prior to the reaction process. Then, yield of the total system will be improved.

Reactor for Superheated Methanol Vapor Bubble Method

Vegetable

Oil

Methanol DehydrationColumn

Reactor (250 – 3500C)

Condenser

Gas PhaseSample

Liquid Phase Sample

Pump

Pump

Heater

Advantages of Superheated Methanol Vapor Bubble

Method for Production of Biodiesel Fuel

• Reaction can be conducted under atmospheric pressure condition.

• Therefore, both initial cost and running cost required for the process can be reduced.

→ High safety, Low cost

Pilot Scale Reactor for Superheated

Methanol Vapor Bubble Method

(Productivity: 40 L/d)

Simultaneous reaction of Transesterification and crackING

The Complex Reaction of

Transesterification, Pylolysis, Cracking, and Oxidation

treated in Supercritical Methanol

STING-process

Non-Catalytic Process

Improvement of the Fuel Characteristics

No Glycerin Production

Simultaneous Reactions

CH2OCOR1

CHOCOR2

CH2OCOR3

2CH3OH

CH3OCOR1

CH3OCOR3

CH2OH

CH2OH

CHOCOR2+

Oleic Acid

Methyle Ester

DecanolNonaic Acid Methyle Ester

Triacylglycerol

(Fat and Oil)

Methanol Monoacyglycerol Fatty Acid Methyl Esters

+

+

Transesterification

&

Thermal Cracking

Schema of STINGer

Oils and Fats Methanol

Biodiesel Fuel

Reactio

n T

ube

Colle

ctio

n o

f

the L

ow

er A

lcohol

over 300°C

over 20MPa

over 3min

1:2～2:1

(in volume)

below 50°C

below 250hPa

Gas Collection

Separator

STING Method

Triglycerides: Methanol = 2: 1 (v/v)

Supercritical Condition

(380℃, 40 MPa, 4 min)

Transesterification and Cracking

Removal of Methanol

Medium Chain Triglycerides

Medium Chain Diglycerides

Medium Chain Monoglycerides

Medium Chain Fatty Acid Methylesters

Higher Alcohols

Lower Alcohols

Other Hydrocarbons

Methanol

One Phase BDF

Iijma et al., Nougyogijyutsu, 60, 512-516(2005)

Recycle

Advantages of STING Method

Methylesterification + Cracking

Formation of No Glycerol → High Yield

Low Viscosity and Low Pour Point → High Quality

STINGer (BDF Processor)

Trial Condition

Production Ability：12 L/H

Reaction Press. :20 MPa

Oven Temp. :500 °C

Reaction Time: 3.5 min

BDF made from Lard in Chilled Condition

Coventional Meth.-BDFSTING-BDF

· The STING-process was applied

for BDF production from animal fat.

· Small size FAME was produced

by the STING-process.

· Kinetic viscosity could be lower than

that of conventional BDF.

· Solidification temperature became -2°C.

· Production cost was still high.

Enlargements of the plant are necessary.