Publication Summary

The purpose of this project is to study potential energy production technologies for biomass feedstocks available in Washington State. The project includes four parts: 1). characterizing 42 feedstocks according to their chemical properties such as carbon content, protein content, fiber content, etc.; 2). identifying and grouping the feedstocks; 3). simulating the potential conversion processes such as thermal-chemical conversion, anaerobic digestion, and ethanol production on individual feedstock or their combinations; and 4). economic analysis of the processes from feedstock collection and distribution to energy production.

It is important both for the ensuing research and end-users of the research to know the characteristics of the feedstocks in order to select the proper conversion process to produce bioenergy products. Thus, the characterization of these 42 feedstocks has been conducted as the first effort to fulfill this project. A wide literature search for the available characterization data as well as fill-in gaps with laboratory analysis generated a detailed feedstock database that is configured by five categories (fiber/starch/sugar, ultimate analysis, elemental analysis, other parameters), and includes 33 parameters such as moisture, carbon, starch, cellulose, minerals, etc. The database could be used not only by the researchers to conduct the next steps of the project to identify and group the feedstocks and further simulate the conversion processes, but also by farmers and producers to know more about the agricultural and municipal residues they are producing or plan to utilize.

This work was completed under an Interagency Agreement No. C07600136 between the Department of Ecology and Washington State University. This agreement was established as a partnership to complete work on Waste to Fuel Technology, directed by the Washington State Legislature in Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill 6386 of the 59th legislature, 2006 regular session.