Development of a web-based design tool for forest biorefineries

• Grant number: 17/06149-7
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Adriano Pinto Mariano
• Grantee: Victor Teodoro Goraieb
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the early-stage design phase of biorefineries, many investment alternatives are created based on different combinations of products and processes. However, due to limited engineer man-hours and financial resources, in the early stage these options are assessed based on non-detailed calculations, aiming order-of-magnitude cost estimates. In this context, this work aims to make available for engineers, consultants, and students, the prototype of a web-based design tool. With this tool, users will generate block flow diagrams of forest biorefinery product-process options and develop preliminary economic analysis in a timeframe compatible (reduced) with early stages of design. To facilitate the analyses, the tool will count with a database of mass and energy yields of selected technologies. Moreover, results will be presented in user-friendly graphs for professionals with different degrees of experience in the subject. This project started last year by implementing the energy and mass balances of a kraft pulp mill in Excel spreadsheets. In this period, the concept (format and applications) of the web tool was also developed. In the current project, the concept and the balances of the mill will be transferred to the web environment, including an interactive block flow diagram, techno-economic analysis tools, and the database of biorefinery technologies. This project will be conducted in the domain of computer-aided design tools for chemical engineering and will count with the co-supervision of Dr. Heiko Horst Hornung (assistant professors in the Computer Science Institute - UNICAMP). Furthermore, this project will contribute for the objectives of the research program FAPESP 2015/07097-5/BIOEN (Development of a bioprocess with high energy efficiency for the flexible production of butanol/ethanol integrated to a Kraft pulp mill) managed by the supervisor of this proposal. (AU)