Process design and evaluations for producing pyrolytic jet fuel

In this study, process simulation and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were conducted to evaluate the production of renewable jet fuel (RJF) through the pyrolysis-to-RJF process. The process model was developed based on experimental results for the renewable jet fuel production process using the fast pyrolysis of rice husk, hydro-processing of pyrolytic oil, and hydro-cracking / isomerization of hydro-processed oil. The mass and energy flows were input into the TEA model, which was established based on local conditions in Taiwan. The study included three parts: (1) the mass, energy and carbon balances – the major product, RJF, gave an energy yield of 26.8%, a mass yield of 9%, and a carbon yield of 21%; (2) an economic analysis – the MJSP of RJF for the pyrolysis-to-RJF process was $3.21/L, based on the plant capacity of 600 tonnes per day; (3) a sensitivity analysis: the impacts of the feedstock cost, catalyst life, co-product selling price, catalyst cost, hydrogen cost, and plant capacity were discussed. This study demonstrated the economic potential of locally developing a pyrolysis-to-RJF process to produce RJF from solid biomass.