Our current "top ten" favorites are cataloged below. This list will no doubt change from time to time, but we’ll keep you posted.

Notations

C: Conceptual Engineering
B: Basic Engineering & Design
D: Detailed Engineering & Design
O: Other Services

Cellulosic bioammonia
Commercial plant for making 150 tons per day (TPD) of ammonia fertilizer from corn biomass. Process includes an innovative fluidized oxyblown pressurized gasifier for converting feedstock into synthesis gas, an oxyblown catalytic auto-thermal reformer for removal-by-conversion of tars and volatiles, water gas shift, an air separation plant, hydrogen purification and an ammonia synthesis loop. Engagement -- C, B, O. Status – ongoing.

Cellulosic ethanol
Demonstration plant for making a high ethanol content alcohol mixture from biomass (30 kg/hr). The biomass is pyrolyzed and the synthesis gas is cleaned, compressed to 3,000 psig and fed into fixed bed catalytic reactors. Various alcohols are produced, and some of the species are recycled to maximize the ethanol output. Engagement – C, B. Status – completed.

Dimethylether (DME) from natural gas
Semi-works demonstration plant for producing 10 TPD of DME from natural gas via the direct route. Process includes oxyblown auto-thermal reforming for making synthesis gas, fixed bed boiling water type DME reactors, and cryogenic separation of reactants. Engagement -- C, B, D. Status – completed.

Corn ethanol technology breakthrough
Front end de-oiling process extracts food grade oil from the corn feedstock in a dry milling ethanol plant. Benefits: extra revenue stream, significant energy cost savings, increased product throughput and a higher quality byproduct – distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS). Net savings = $0.15-$0.30 per gallon. Partners: Growmark, Inc, EERC in North Dakota and Monsanto in St. Louis. Engagement – C, O. Status – ongoing.

Ultra low sulfur diesel (USLD)
Computer-controlled pilot plant (1 barrel/day) for oxy-desulfurization of diesel/VGO feedstocks. Novel technology includes co-production of peracetic acid to generate free radicals for enabling the desulfurization reaction. Engagement -- C, B, D, O. Status – completed.

DME from brown coal
Demonstration plant to make 1-2 TPD of dimethylether (DME) from Australian brown coal using an enhanced one-step direct route. Synthesis gas with a H2/CO ratio of one is reacted in a fluidized bed in the presence of a special catalyst. The process includes a novel liquid sorbent loop for segregating the produced CO2 and the other reaction products. Engagement – C, B, O. Status – ongoing.

Fuel cell hydrogen
First computer-controlled pilot plant in the world for making hydrogen from JP-8 fuel. System built for the US Army includes sulfur treatment and catalytic auto-thermal reforming. Mission: "quiet" electric power in the battlefield. Engagement -- C, B, D, O. Status – completed.

Other units designed and built for making fuel cell hydrogen from natural gas, propane, gasoline, naphtha and methanol for customers such as Reliant Energy, Clean Edge Power, Avista Labs, H2fuel and Argonne National Laboratory. Catalytic auto-thermal reforming followed by water gas shift, both steps integrated into a single reactor optimized for energy management. Engagements -- C, B, D, O. Status – all completed.

Methanol and DME from wood chips
Commercial plant for making 135 TPD of dimethylether (DME) using an indirect two-step method: 1) synthesis gas to methanol, and 2) methanol to DME. The feed material (450 TPD of wood chips) is converted into synthesis gas using a fluidized oxyblown pressurized gasifier. An air separation plant provides the oxygen. Following clean up, the hydrogen and carbon monoxide components are catalytically reacted to produce methanol, which is then dehydrated to make DME. Engagement – C, B. Status – completed.

Catalytic distillation
General purpose pilot plant for studying and evaluating a wide variety of catalytic distillation processes covering a range of feeds, operating conditions, catalyst formulations and desired end products. Flexible experimental platform designed for a nominal feed rate = 5 TPD. Engagement – C, B, D. Status – completed.

Industrial hydrogen
Auto-thermal system for reforming naphtha into 99% pure industrial grade hydrogen, 1,000 cubic meters per hour. Process includes oxygen as a reactant. The reformer effluents are subjected to sequential medium and low temperature water gas shift operations, followed by a final PSA purification step that has been specially modified for these low flow rates. Engagement – C, B, D. Status – completed.

Would you like more information about any of our "top ten"? Or, if you have another subject of interest, let’s talk.

 

"If an expert says it can’t be done, get another expert."
~ David Ben-Gurion