Design, installation, and operation of a lignocellulosic biomass-to-ethanol pilot plant

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have recently built a process development unit (PDU) to convert lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol. The one ton per day pilot plant, designed to process a variety of feedstock such as forestry and agricultural residues and waste paper, plays a key role in transferring technologies developed at NREL and other laboratories to industry. This paper reviews the PDU project goals; design and installation; and pilot plant commissioning, startup, and operational abilities.