Multi-Year Analysis Plan Page 42
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80Technical Barriers
Several technical barriers have been identified in the products MYTP. The major barriers include
improvements in fermentation, catalysis and separations. Specific barriers within each of the major barrier
areas have also been identified. In fermentation development, the need for more robust organisms, high
productivity and higher selectivity have been identified as critical technology barriers. In catalysis, more
robust, long-lived catalysts that afford high selectivity and conversion have been identified as critical
barriers. Separations include the need to develop low cost recovery and purification for both intermediate
building blocks and final products.
Analysis Plan
Although each project in the products platform will include its own analysis and planning work, a
crosscutting project is necessary. Products R&D is somewhat unique in the variety of products that can be
produced from biomass feedstocks. In the case of fuels and power, there are a limited number of potential
products – ethanol, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, biodiesel, hydrogen, and heat and electricity. But in the case
of chemicals and materials, there are hundreds of products that can be made. The key is to identify the
products that will allow OBP to help EERE meet its goals of reducing dependence on foreign oil and
helping to create the new, domestic bioindustry. These products are intended to provide an additional
economic driver for the biorefinery.
One of the major elements in the analysis for products is to develop a set of simple models that can
identify major cost barriers and therefore help facilitate the direction of research for the products area. A
series of preliminary models have already been developed in an excel spreadsheet format with the basis
being more robust tools such as ASPEN or ChemCad. The objective is to refine and validate these
models. The refinements will include ensuring capital costs and operating costs are accurate with current
industrial processes and that these models are valid over a broad range of inputs. These models will be
user friendly and broadly available. A series of models has been developed for aerobic fermentation,
anaerobic fermentation, oxidation catalysis, hydrogenation catalysis and separations such as distillation
and crystallization. Ultimately the information developed in these models will be used in the broader
biorefinery models.
Based on the results of the Top Ten analysis a series of relatively detailed process flow diagrams will be
developed for 3-5 specific processes. This will include, for example, developing a process for the
conversion of glucose to succinic acid and the subsequent conversion of succinic acid to 1,4-BDO. A
number of case studies will be developed based on current technology status and future scenarios
assuming specific technical hurdles can be overcome. These will be integrated into the biorefinery model.
Market studies are necessary to understand how higher-value products contribute to overcoming barriers
and achieving OBP program goals. Objectives include creating or defining metrics for Products R&D,
completing the Top Ten analysis and scope of oils R&D within OBP, examining other processing
opportunities of biomass resources to provide raw materials for potential biorefinery operations,
conducting market based analyses for bioproduct opportunities, working with other technical analysis
teams within the OBP program to address integration of biobased products within biorefinery scenarios,
and examining opportunities for other biomass components such as lignin, polysaccharides, and bio-oil
type products as sources of biobased products.
Although the goal is not to pick the best targets for DOE to pursue, some products must be chosen for
environmental and economic outcome estimation. As described in Section 4, value-added products will
not be used directly in environmental and economic outcome estimations. Instead they will alter supply
curves so that more of the high-impact model product can be produced with the value-added product than
without it.
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