Operation of bio-aviation fuel manufacturing facility via hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids process and optimization of fuel property for turbine engine test

Abstract

Bio-aviation fuel to satisfy ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) specification was prepared through the stable operation of bio-aviation fuel manufacturing facility scale-expanded up to the production of bio-aviation fuel for turbine engine test. First, powder-typed 1.0 wt% Pt/Al2O3 and 0.5 wt% Pt/zeolite catalysts, respectively applicable to the hydrotreating and upgrading processes, were prepared and then their performance was evaluated in laboratory scale reactor. Thereafter, pellet-shaped 1.0 wt% Pt/Al2O3 and 0.5 wt% Pt/zeolite catalysts were prepared and applied to a bench-scale hydrotreating process and an upgrading process reactor, applied in the catalytic processes to prepare bio-aviation fuel. At this time, reaction characteristics under various operating conditions were investigated along with their catalytic performance evaluation. Stable long-term operation based on optimal reaction conditions, obtained in bench-scale reactor was performed using the hydrotreating process and the upgrading process reactors in a pilot-scale bio-aviation fuel manufacturing facility to continuously operate during a long time under optimal reaction conditions controlled, and then synthetic bio-crude oil including bio-aviation fuel composition was prepared. Through the separation and purification process that can selectively obtain bio-aviation fuel components, bio-aviation fuel conforming to ASTM specification standards was produced from the synthetic bio-crude oil obtained through combined hydrotreating-upgrading process.