EUBCE 2026 - Md. Sanowar HOSSAIN - Integrated Pipeline Hydro Transport and Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Wheat Straw for Bioethanol Production

Integrated Pipeline Hydro Transport and Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Wheat Straw for Bioethanol Production

Short Introductive summary

Agricultural residues are widely available and renewable resources with strong potential for sustainable bioethanol production. However, their large-scale deployment continues to face transport, handling, and efficient conversion challenges. In this study, we will investigate the hydro transport of knife-milled wheat straw slurry with different nominal particle sizes (i.e., 3.2 mm – 19.2 mm) in a 59 m long, 100 mm diameter pipeline loop, focusing on pressure drop measurements at varying flow rates, slurry rheology analysis, and particle degradation during slurry circulation for prolonged pumping hours. The slurry collected at various pumping intervals will undergo hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in a 500 ml reactor at varying operating conditions, including temperature, pressure, and residence time. The resulting products will be distilled to recover ethanol-rich fractions. The novelty of this work lies in combining biomass logistics with thermochemical conversion and upgrading in a single framework, thereby providing new insights into how transport-induced changes in slurry rheology, particle size distribution, and structural integrity influence HTL yields and ethanol recovery.

M.S.. Hossain, University of Alberta, CANADA
O. Mohan, University of Alberta, Edmonton, CANADA
K. Javed, University of Alberta, Edmonton, CANADA
A. Kumar, University of Alberta, Edmonton, CANADA