The BioCentury Research Farm brings together scientific expertise to address biomass production systems; harvest, storage, transportation logistics of biomass supply; and advanced biofuel and bioproduct processing. Researchers study systems to turn a variety of biomass feedstocks into bio-oil or synthesis gas using thermochemical technologies, and ethanol and industrial chemicals by fermentation, integrated systems using thermochemical and fermentation technologies, or plant fractionation and biomaterials manufacturing.
Digital Agriculture | Biomass Supply Chain Management | Biomass Feedstock Preparation | Long-term Assessment of Miscanthus Productivity and Sustainability (LAMPS) | Autothermal Pyrolysis | Biomass Gasification and Syngas Cleaning | Solvent Liquefaction | Biochemical Processing | Bio-Polymer Processing Facility | Algae Technologies for Water Quality
Digital agriculture research is focused on the development and integration of technology to provide information to support agricultural decisions. Specifically, the program focuses on a continuous improvement approach for crop production and risk mitigation. The BioCentury Research Farm provides researchers with access to facilities for technology development as well as access to crop production demonstration plots to verify data-driven solutions. The research farm is a hub for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research at Iowa State University and serves as both a development platform for UAV technology as well as a training station to educate producers on the uses of UAVs. Researchers are also actively engaged in the development of new crop sensing technology to precisely measure grain yield. Increased grain yield accuracy supports precise variable rate management plans, which can simultaneously increase profitability and environmental stewardship. The outcomes have been enhanced by the strong public-private partnerships developed with Iowa companies involved in agricultural technology.
The biomass supply chain management program focuses on sustainable and efficient methods of corn stover production for cellulosic biofuels. Researchers explore a range of topics including advanced harvesting machinery development, storage and quality preservation techniques for biomass feedstocks, machinery fleet management optimization and incorporation of biomass harvesting into a sustainable crop management plan. The BioCentury Research Farm provides the team a wide range of research tools including the high-capacity biomass analysis lab, data analytics tools, industrial-quality storage-testing facilities and instrumented machinery for analyzing biomass production operations. An integrated extension and outreach program supports the direct transfer of research results to the public and has served a critical role in increasing the knowledge of Iowans involved in the bioeconomy. The outcomes of this program have been enhanced by the strong public-private partnerships developed with Iowa companies.
Biomass feedstocks can be dried, ground and sized in the Biomass Storage and Pretreatment Building at the BioCentury Research Farm. Various dryers, grinders, mills and sieves are available to process biomass for biofuels and biochemical projects. The building also features a fine particle biomass preparation lab that is used for fine grinding, sieving, pelleting, milling, briquetting and particle size distribution determination. The lab is designed to accommodate 12 independent equipment stations. The BioCentury Research Farm is one of the few facilities in the nation capable of grinding and sizing large quantities of research quality biomass feedstocks while still accommodating small-quantity projects.
Cropping systems that are profitable for farmers and balance societal needs for food, feed, fuel, energy, clean air and water are the focus of Iowa State University’s Long-term Assessment of Miscanthus Productivity and Sustainability project (LAMPS). Miscanthus has received widespread attention as a biomass crop in Europe where it is used primarily for combustion in power plants. It is desirable for this use because of its low water and ash contents and high-energy output to input ratio. The plant also uses nitrogen efficiently and is a perennial crop. Miscanthus is being investigated as a biomass crop for bioenergy and biofuels.
The fast pyrolysis process development unit (PPDU) located at the BioCentury Research Farm has been in operation since 2009 and serves as a test bed for pilot-scale deployment of technology developed within the Bioeconomy Institute. The PPDU is able to process a wide variety of feedstocks including both woody and herbaceous material into higher-value bio-oil intermediates using fluidized bed technology and a novel stage fractionation collection system. The pilot system can process 22 kilograms of biomass per hour continuously. Development of the stage fractionation process has resulted in several breakthroughs in the utilization or targeted upgrading of specific stage fractions into fuels, chemicals and products.
Bioeconomy Institute engineers are conducting research to convert biomass into clean syngas using gasification. A pilot-scale 25 kilograms per hour fluidized bed gasifier and syngas cleaning system was built at the BioCentury Research Farm. The reactor vessel incorporates a novel guard heating system to simulate near-adiabatic operation of industrial gasifiers, and is effective for gasification temperatures up to 900°C and operating pressures up to 1 atmosphere. The system features continuous online sampling of both contaminants and gas species and a state-of-the-art control system. The cleaning system downstream of the gasifier removes the contaminants using several techniques: oil scrubbing is used to remove tars, sulfur compounds are removed via solid-phase adsorption and ammonia is removed by water scrubbing. The primary gasification feedstock is switchgrass, but other possibilities include corn stover, wood fiber, corn fiber and red oak.
The pilot-scale solvent liquefaction system (1 kilogram per hour capacity) was an Iowa State University partnership with Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV) that demonstrated solvent liquefaction as a pathway to produce low cost drop-in transportation fuels. The solvent liquefaction system mixed a proprietary solvent with woody or herbaceous biomass which was extruded into a reactor and split into an upper stream that handled gases and vapors and a lower stream that handled liquids and small amounts of solids. Each stream had a series of filters and separators that recovered products that included bio-oil, small amounts of biochar and solvent for recycling. CTV hydroprocessed the bio-oil into refinery compatible biocrude and fuel blendstocks. The pilot plant test results were used to conduct a techno-economic analysis and develop a demonstration plant design. This work was done because continuous pilot-scale production and recovery of these materials is critical to demonstrate the commercial viability of solvent liquefaction for the production of drop-in hydrocarbon transportation fuels.
Biochemical processing research will further develop industrial fermentation and downstream processing strategies to enable successful commercialization of various bioprocessing technologies. Industry and faculty use the facility to scale‐up new biotechnology products and processes for crop seed technologies through finished consumer products. In addition, the BioCentury Research Farm is equipped to replicate the entire dry‐grind ethanol process at large pilot scale, allowing researchers to develop new technologies to reduce water and energy consumption in grain ethanol production.
The Bio-Polymer Processing Facility converts fats and vegetable oils into plastics. The facility allows Iowa State University engineers to research and develop their process for producing biopolymers. It also “de-risks” technologies for companies that could be interested in producing tons of biopolymers each year. The facility can make about 1,000 pounds of biopolymers per day, and will be used for evaluation in several different industries including asphalt paving, adhesives, coatings and packing materials.
Algae are being explored as an option to remove pollutants from industrial and municipal wastewater. The algae biomass requires nitrogen and phosphorus for growth, which can be supplied by industrial and municipal wastewater. Iowa State University is conducting research using biofilm-based algal reactors to scale up new algal biomass production technologies for wastewater treatment. One technology developed is the rotating algal biofilm (RAB) system, a series of serpentine belts that alternate between the wastewater and the air. The algal biomass grown can be manufactured into fertilizer, bioplastics and other products depending on the wastewater source. The team also has developed a portable RAB system that can be transported to industrial and municipal sites to treat wastewater.