National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Reports Success in Continuous Synthesis of Diesel Fuel from Wood.

Tokyo, Japan, Apr 18, 2006 - (JCN) - The Biomass Technology Research Center (BTRC) of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has succeeded in the continuous synthesis at the laboratory scale of diesel fuel from woody biomass through gasification, purification using activated carbon, and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

This new process removes the need for a cooling process, heat recovery, and compression of gas, which makes it attractive for application in compact and portable plants making use of widely available woody biomass.

The gasification process is carried out at high temperature (800-900 C) and high pressure (several MPa), removing the need for use of compressors or compression power. Gas cleaning is carried out through a dry refining process that uses active carbon, instead of the traditional wet method that utilizes water, increasing the gasification heat efficiency. As a result, it was possible to produce equipment with compact dimensions.

The main features of the equipment are the efficient use of heat which increases the energy efficiency, and the removal of the compression process which reduces the power requirements.

The Biomass Technology Research Center (BTRC) was established in October 2005 as a base for biomass research in the AIST. The two main research topics at the BTRC are developments of bio-ethanol production technology centered on saccharification of woody biomass, and of technology for liquid fuel synthesis through gasification.

In pursuing these two central research topics, the BTRC aims at developing practical biomass conversion processes that are sufficiently cost efficient to promote the substitution of fossil resources centered around petroleum and to contribute to the establishment of an energy recycling society.

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