BATTELLE DEVELOPS MOBILE BIO-OIL CONVERSION PLANT Battelle engineers and scientists have developed a mobile device that transforms unwanted biomass materials such as wood chips or agricultural waste into valuable bio-oil using catalytic pyrolysis. As currently configured, the Battelle-funded unit converts one ton of pine chips, shavings and sawdust into as much as 130 gallons of wet bio-oil per day. This intermediate bio-oil then can be upgraded by hydrotreatment into a gas-diesel blend or jet fuel. Conversion of the bio-oil to an advanced biofuel is a key element of Battelle’s research. Extensive testing of the bio-based gasoline alternative produced by Battelle suggests that it can be blended with existing gasoline and can help fuel producers meet their renewable fuel requirements. An alternative use of Battelle’s bio-oil is its conversion to a bio-polyol that can be substituted in chemical manufacturing for polyols derived from petroleum. Battelle’s bio-polyols have been validated by a third-party polyurethane producer as a viable alternative. Battelle is evaluating this one-ton-per-day system at its West Jefferson, Ohio, facility. The pilot-scale system is the culmination of the company’s second-stage development of the mobile pyrolysis technology. Currently, Battelle experts are using mainly pine waste in the unit, although The machine can be modified to use other types of agricultural field residue known as stranded biomass, including corn stover, switchgrass and Miscanthus. Because of its small size, the pyrolysis unit is installed on the trailer of a flat-bed 18-wheel truck, making it mobile and thus transportable to the waste products. This feature makes it ideal to access the woody biomass that is often left stranded in agricultural regions, far away from industrial facilities. The Battelle bio-oil created by the mobile pyrolysis unit is similar to naturally occurring fossil oils harvested from underground. The hydrotreated, upgraded fuel from machine meets the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. BANDIT RELEASES CHIPPING DRUM FOR BEAST XP-SERIES RECYCLERS " Bandit Industries now offers a chipping drum option that replaces the traditional Beast cuttermill. Designed for companies that want to chip exclusively with their Beast, the new drum essentially converts the Beast into a whole-tree chipper. A variety of screens can be paired with the drum, creating a screened end product that can be tailored to meet various specifications for nearly any biomass energy application. Chipping drums can be ordered on new Model 2680XP, 3680XP and 4680XP Beast Recyclers, or retrofitted to older units. For regular new product updates, visit www.canadianbiomassmagazine.com