SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “batch versus continuous production”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

3 records

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2025

Decision-Model Supported Algal Cultivation Process Enhancement (DMSACPE) (Final Technical Report)

This project was proposed in response to the FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002029, Area of Interest Subtopic 1 (AOI1): Cultivation Intensification Processes for Algae. The main challenge identified by the FOA was “in translating results between laboratory research systems and larger-scale outdoor (or mass culture) systems. These difficulties limit reliable experimental durations, adequate and representative experimental volumes of material, and results that can be reproduced reliably. By overcoming the challenge in translating results between laboratory and mass cultures, the objective of AOI 1 is to increase the harvest yield, robustness, and quality of algae cultivation for biofuels and bioproducts”. This report marks the final technical deliverable of this project and reviews all the major findings of the research program.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Specialty chemicals production case study: Economic analysis of modular chemical process intensification versus conventional stick‐built approaches

Abstract The beneficial synergies of chemical process intensification and plant modularization present a unique step‐wise advancement opportunity for many chemical manufacturers, but economic case studies are needed to raise awareness of such opportunities. The primary objective of this case study is to better understand the business case economics of a specialty chemical plant using modular chemical process intensification (MCPI), by comparing it with that of a conventional stick‐built (CSB) plant that produces the same product at the same production capacity. When comparing MCPI against CSB approaches for a plant project strategy decision, analysts should thoroughly understand and model the differences and similarities in scope bases. The MCPI approach for this case study benefitted from dramatic reductions in capital expenditures (CAPEX). A sizeable reduction in plant spatial volume likely explains some of these reductions. Sizeable operational expenditure (OPEX) reductions with the MCPI plant appear to be associated with the reduced operator staffing required from converting a labor‐intensive batch process into an automated, continuous flow process. Traditional project investment economic measures strongly favored the MCPI case for the design, construction, and operation of the specialty chemical plant. The net present value for the MCPI case was nearly twice that for the CSB case over a ten‐year period, and the payback period for the CSB case was nearly five times longer than that of the MCPI case. The opinion‐based perspective of the study participant identified significant contributors to superior MCPI economic performance for this case study. With the two conditions of low MCPI CAPEX and high product profit margin, economic analysis indicates that incorporation of a backup MCPI train, for operational redundancy when downtime occurs, is a very beneficial strategy.

O'Connor, James T.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Kinetics Modeling for Design of Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to monomeric sugars continues to be a limiting step in cost-effectively producing sugar and fermentation-based biofuels from biomass. In particular, the high cost of enzymes coupled with the long time-scale of reaction pose challenges to economic viability. Performing enzymatic hydrolysis in a continuous mode with enzyme recycle may provide a path towards substantially reduced costs for sugar production, but design and analysis are complicated by a lack of suitable kinetics models. Computationally attainable models, such as fractal-based models, require knowledge of the reaction-history of the biomass, and are thus only suitable for describing the batch reactions from which they are derived. Fundamental models, while potentially more generalizable, are often too computationally intensive to use in process or reactor modeling. In this work, a phenomenological rate model is proposed based on a two-phase substrate representation. Good agreement is seen between batch and continuous enzymatic hydrolysis (CEH) experiment data, which validates the model and enables us to solve for reactor design parameters, such as CEH reactor size and stream flow rates, based on process variables like yield. This model is integrated with techno-economic analysis software to explore economic sensitivities. Important design optimizations and tradeoffs are identified and quantified, including the relative cost imposed by rate slowdown from sugar inhibition versus the cost to remove and concentrate sugars at a lower concentration. It also identifies, high-leverage avenues for further exploration, such as increasing the maximum feasible solids concentration, and sustaining high membrane flux and reliability.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗