New technology converts wastewater to sustainable aviation fuel with potential 70% reduction in emissions

Produced from renewable supplies like biomass and agricultural waste, sustainable aviation gas has monumental potential to decarbonize the aviation trade. However widespread adoption has but to take off.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) makes up lower than 1% of the gas used within the aviation industrywhereas aviation gas contributes about 3% of world greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions. Producing SAF that’s extra power environment friendly, cheaper and cost-competitive with fossil-based jet gas is important to widespread industrial use.

Now scientists on the Argonne Nationwide Laboratory have developed a novel technology that creates a cost-competitive SAF that might cut back GHG emissions within the aviation trade by as much as 70%. Argonne’s life cycle and techno-economic fashions had been used to research the environmental impacts and financial viability of the SAF.

The research in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering exhibits that novel methane arrested anaerobic digestion (MAAD) know-how converts high-strength natural wastewater into unstable fatty acids, which could be upgraded to SAF.

As key precursors for SAF manufacturing, unstable fatty acids can play a important function in decarbonizing the aviation trade, mentioned Haoran Wu, an Argonne postdoctoral researcher.

“Volatile fatty acids from waste streams can make biofuel production more cost-effective and sustainable,” mentioned Wu. “Argonne’s novel technology uses a membrane-assisted bioreactor to enhance the production of volatile fatty acids.”

The analysis advances objectives outlined within the DOE’s Sustainable Aviation Gasoline Grand Problem which goals to extend the manufacturing of SAF to 3 billion gallons by 2030. The aim is to supply sufficient gas to fulfill 100% of economic jet gas demand by 2050.

Changing waste streams to biofuel

Biofuel is in demand to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors like aviation. Changing biomass to biofuel is a posh course of involving variables in natural supplies used as feedstock, in addition to conversion, separation and purification applied sciences to fulfill gas specs.

As an alternative of counting on extra standard sources like fats, oil and grease, scientists used carbon-rich wastewater from breweries and dairy farms as a feedstock for his or her progressive know-how. In a key development, the know-how strips organic carbon from these high-strength waste streams which are in any other case tough to deal with cost-effectively.

“Both wastewater streams are rich in organics, and it is carbon-intensive to treat them using traditional wastewater treatment methods,” mentioned research writer Taemin Kim, an Argonne power programs analyst. “By using our technology, we are not only treating these waste streams but making low-carbon sustainable fuel for the aviation industry.”

Argonne’s know-how additionally breaks new floor in changing these waste streams to SAF.

Anaerobic digestion is a longtime know-how for changing biomass to methane after which to biofuel. Developed by Meltem Urgun Demirtas, division supervisor of Sustainable Supplies and Processes at Argonne, the MAAD know-how as an alternative focuses on the manufacturing of unstable fatty acids (similar to butyric acid) and lactic acid.

Nevertheless, lactic acids restrict the manufacturing of SAF from unstable fatty acids. The Argonne MAAD know-how overcomes that limitation to extend unstable fatty acid yield.

“Lactic acid lowers the carbon efficiency when converting volatile fatty acids to SAF,” Wu mentioned. “Subsequently, shifting conversion away from lactic acid towards unstable fatty acid manufacturing is essential.”

In one other novel innovation, scientists developed an electrochemical separation methodology to reinforce the membrane-assisted MAAD know-how.

“We developed an in-situ product recovery process to increase retention time in the membrane-assisted digesters, which allowed resilient microbial communities with abundant butyric acid producers and increasing acid productivity and concentration, hence decreasing acid production cost and acid toxicity,” mentioned Urgun Demirtas, a principal investigator on the analysis.

Analyzing financial and environmental impacts

With the experimental datascientists used Argonne’s superior simulation and modeling instruments to design three doable waste-to-SAF pathways and in contrast them to traditional jet gas produced from fossil gas.

Utilizing the method fashions, scientists carried out a techno-economic and life cycle evaluation of the pathways. The life cycle evaluation was carried out utilizing Argonne’s R&D Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Vitality use in Applied sciences (R&D GREET) mannequin to judge GHG impacts from manufacturing to finish use.

Scientists say the waste-to-aviation gas pathway considerably reduce carbon emissions in comparison with standard jet gas. The research additionally expands the usage of lesser-used waste supplies at a time when demand for typical bio-feedstock for SAF leads to a scarcity.

Whereas analysis will proceed, in the end, scientists hope to commercialize the patent-pending course of and scale the know-how for widespread use.

“Designing a membrane-assisted technology that achieves a 70% reduction in greenhouse gases at a cost comparable with conventional jet fuel is a significant advancement,” Wu mentioned.

“We will continue working to enhance sustainability and begin exploring other feedstock materials to use with our technology.”

Pahola Thathiana Benavides Gallego, an Argonne principal power programs analyst, additionally served as a principal investigator on the analysis.