Despite the disastrous effects of climate change, renewable energy sources are still neglected in favor of the more harmful alternative, fossil fuels. Hydrothermal liquefaction is a sustainable technology that allows for renewable energy to be produced from biomass. Conversion of biomass to useable and storable fuels, biogas and bio-crude provides a sustainable answer to humanity’s nonrenewable fuel crisis. This project utilizes hospital food waste as feedstock to the hydrothermal liquefaction process, in an effort to both produce sustainable renewable sources of energy and develop a sustainable, environmentally friendly waste management method. In this study we experiment with the solid loading percent and reaction time to decipher the optimal condition. Our findings highlight the conditions that produce the maximum amount of oil and the highest quality oil.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Fredrick-Ilekhuoba, Osasumwen
• Flaherty, Patrick
• Laukaitis, John
• Biando, Michael

Subject

• Energy
• Food
• Industry
• Project-Based Learning
• Sustainability
• Environment

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042822-132538
• 65391

Keyword

• fossil fuels
• carbon yield
• renewable energy
• hydrothermal liquefaction
• food waste
• sustainability

Advisor

• Timko, Michael T.

Year

• 2022

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
• 13 - Climate Action

Date created

• 2022-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Chemical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright