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Abstract: Oxymethylene ethers (OMEs) are important diesel additives because of their ability to reduce soot loading, particulate matter (PM) emissions, and NOx emissions. Some research has been undertaken on the feasibility of producing OMEs from biomass but there is no techno‐economic assessment of OME production from biomass. In this study, we estimate the unit cost to produce OMEn (n = 1–8) from three different biomass types common to western Canada: whole‐tree woodchips, forest residues, and wheat straw. The techno‐economic model uses the OME production simulation results for 500 MT day−1 of dry biomass. The simulation results show that 97.70, 98.86, and 99.80 MT day−1 of OME1–8 can be produced from whole‐tree woodchips, forest residues, and wheat straw, respectively. The costs of producing OME per liter over 20 years of production are $1.93 ±0.15/L, $1.68 ±0.14/L, and $1.66 ±0.13/L, respectively, at a 95% confidence level for whole‐tree woodchips, forest residues, and wheat straw biomass. The sensitivity analysis results show that the internal rate of return, OME yield, capital cost, and biomass delivery cost significantly influence OME unit price. The production price versus capacity profile reveals that the optimum minimum price can be obtained at a plant capacity of 4000 MT day−1 of biomass; beyond this, the increase in capacity does not result in any appreciable decrease in production price. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent progress regarding the production of alternative liquid fuels is described with a focus on catalyst development. Fuels for spark ignition engines as well as diesel fuels are considered and their potentials regarding the reduction of harmful emissions are addressed. Two main strategies are described. The first implies production of synthesis gas from renewables or CO2 and subsequent synthesis of methanol or dimethyl ether. Both can be further converted to a series of valuable fuels, e.g., high‐quality gasoline or oxymethylene ethers. The second strategy comprises the production of ethanol and its conversion to gasoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oligomeric oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OME n, CH3(OCH2) nOCH3, n = 1 - 5) are promising diesel fuels for the reduction of harmful emissions. If OMEs are produced from dimethoxymethane and trioxane, the resulting OME mixtures usually contain residual trioxane which appears, after rectification, in the OME2 fraction. To circumvent this obstacle, substoichiometric amounts of trioxane have been employed in OME synthesis. Thus, OME2 samples with high purity could be prepared. Physicochemical and fuel data of high purity OME2 and higher OMEs have been determined to supplement previously reported data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of biomass for the production of liquid fuels can help reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are predominantly generated by the combustion of fossil fuels. Oxymethylene ethers (OMEs) are a series of liquid fuel additives that can be obtained from syngas, which is produced from the gasification of biomass. The blending of OMEs in conventional diesel fuel can reduce soot formation during combustion in a diesel engine. In this research, a process for the production of OMEs from woody biomass has been simulated. The process consists of several unit operations including biomass gasification, syngas cleanup, methanol production, and conversion of methanol to OMEs. The methodology involved the development of process models, the identification of the key process parameters affecting OME production based on the process model, and the development of an optimal process design for high OME yields. It was found that up to 9.02 tonnes day −1 of OME 3 , OME 4 , and OME 5 (which are suitable as diesel additives) can be produced from 277.3 tonnes day −1 of wet woody biomass. Furthermore, an optimal combination of the parameters, which was generated from the developed model, can greatly enhance OME production and thermodynamic efficiency. This model can further be used in a techno-economic assessment of the whole biomass conversion chain to produce OMEs. The results of this study can be helpful for petroleum-based fuel producers and policy makers in determining the most attractive pathways of converting bio-resources into liquid fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]