Upgraded Pyrolysis Oil to Displace Petroleum for
Home Heating
Thomas Butcher, Deputy Chair, Sustainable Energy Technologies, Brookhaven
National Laboratory
ABSTRACT
Liquid fuels, derived from rapid pyrolysis of biomass offers the prospect of a low cost,
renewable fuel which can be used in stationary burner applications. Raw bio-oil,
however, is not miscible with hydrocarbon fuels such as heating oil and its direct use
requires a dedicated system. With upgrading through hydroprocessing, the oxygen
content and acidity of bio-oil can be dramatically reduced, leading to a fuel which could
be used broadly in heating systems as part of a blend with heating oil. In this work
questions of how much upgrade processing is required for bio-oils to be fully
compatible. Miscibility, storage stability, elastomer compatibility, combustion
performance, and air pollutant emissions are all critical end use areas which have been
addressed in this work.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Thomas Butcher is a Research Engineer at Brookhaven National Laboratory serving
as Deputy Chair of the Sustainable Energy Technologies Department and Head of the
Energy Conversion Group. His long standing research interests include oilheat
research, advanced concepts for building heating and cooling, and the application of
conventional and biomass fuels in stationary combustion applications. Dr. Butcher is a
Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning
Engineers.
2015 New York State Biotechnology Symposium • May 12 & 13, 2015
At Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY