Analyzing Potential Failures and Effects in a Pilot-Scale Biomass Preprocessing Facility for Improved Reliability

Rachel M. Emerson (), Nepu Saha, Pralhad H. Burli, Jordan L. Klinger, Tiasha Bhattacharjee and Lorenzo Vega-Montoto ()
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Rachel M. Emerson: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Nepu Saha: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Pralhad H. Burli: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Jordan L. Klinger: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Tiasha Bhattacharjee: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Lorenzo Vega-Montoto: Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: This study demonstrates a failure identification methodology applied to a preprocessing facility generating conversion-ready feedstocks from biomass meeting conversion process critical quality attribute (CQA) specifications. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was used as an industrially relevant risk analysis approach to evaluate a logging residue preprocessing system to prepare feedstock for pyrolysis conversion. Risk evaluations considered both system-level and operation unit-level assessments considering process efficiency, product quality, cost, sustainability, and safety. Key outputs included estimations of semi-quantitative risk scores for each failure, identification of the failure impacts, identification of failure causes associated with material attributes and process parameters, ranking success rates of failure detection methods, and speculation of potential mitigation strategies for decreasing failure risk scores. Results showed that deviations from moisture specifications had cascading consequences for other CQAs along with process safety implications. Failures linked to fixed carbon specifications carried the highest risk scores for product quality and process efficiency impacts. As increased throughput can be inversely related to meeting product quality specifications; achieving throughput and other material-based CQAs simultaneously will likely require system optimization or prioritization based on system economics. Ultimately, this work successfully demonstrates FMEA as a risk analysis approach for other bioenergy process systems.

Keywords: biomass; preprocessing; high-temperature conversion; failure analysis; quality attributes; risk analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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