Tactical Biorefinery for Forward Fuel Production

The objective of this proposal is to research the feasibility of converting military waste into liquid and gaseous fuel in the forward battle-space. The fuel produced would be used to power contiguous stationary devices such as mess burners, generators, etc. This opportunity is presented as a product of recent advances in biotechnology, in particular our ability to engineer organisms and molecules to specific tasks, as well as improvements from research activities in biomass refinement, such as pyrolysis and gasification technologies. Equally important, is the recent advent of a commercially viable small biorefinery market that might be expanded to military applications. During Phase I, field military context will be evaluated to determine where the optimal conditions exist for employing military biorefineries. Based on this information, we will identify the optimal candidate bioprocessing technologies. Next, models and simulations of candidate biorefinery versions will be developed and used to evaluate candidate processes. Upon identification and down-selection of the best, or best set of feasible versions, conceptual diagrams will be produced at a level of detail to allow reviewers to evaluate these versions for phase II prototyping. During Phase II, recursive optimization of bioprocessing technologies will be conducted and working prototype tactical biorefinery created.