Quantitative Multiphase Model for Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algal Biomass

Optimized incorporation of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL, reaction in water at elevated temperature and pressure) within an integrated biorefinery requires accurate models to predict the quantity and quality of all HTL products. Existing models primarily focus on biocrude product yields with limited consideration for biocrude quality and aqueous, gas, and biochar co-products, and have not been validated with an extensive collection of feedstocks. In this study, HTL experiments (300 degrees C, 30 min) were conducted using 24 different batches of microalgae feedstocks with distinctive feedstock properties, which resulted in a wide range of biocrude (21.3-54.3 dry weight basis, dw%), aqueous (4.6-31.2 dw%), gas (7.1-35.6 dw%), and biochar (1.3-35.0 dw%) yields.