Recipient Organization
OLIN PARTNERSHIP, LTD.
1617 JOHN F KENNEDY BLVD STE 1900
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19103
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Circular Economy for the Urban Forest project focuses on two main issues: handling excess wood waste from urban areas and improving the sustainability of soils used in Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). The project aims to address climate change and develop useful products from forest resources. Urban wood waste, often seen as useless, poses environmental and financial challenges. It is usually burned, releasing harmful greenhouse gases, or left to decay, producing methane. To tackle this, the project proposes turning wood waste into biochar, a valuable material, at a city scale. This approach not only helps the environment by reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions but also improves soil health and creates a new source of income for the city. Biochar, used as a soil amendment in horticulture, stores carbon, boosts plant growth, and lowers the need for fertilizers and water. The project aims to produce a set of guidelines and specifications for biochar production and use, conduct a techno-economic assessment, and develop a technical plan for producing biochar on a municipal scale. The project will serve as a model that can be replicated elsewhere, combining laboratory analysis, economic modeling, and open-source specifications.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
40%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
This project addresses two major concerns: managing an excess of urban forestry wood waste and increasing the sustainability of GSI soils. Our project aligns with Topic 8.1, specifically climate mitigation and the development of value-added products from forest resources. The specific objectives are to: (1) develop a manufacturer specification for biochar; (2) develop a trial design specification for biochar-amended GSI soil mix; (3) conduct a techno-economic assessment (TEA); (4) produce a technical planning package investigating different scenarios and production models.
Project Methods
This USDA SBIR Phase I project has four objectives: (1) developing a manufacturer specification for biochar; (2) developing a trial design specification for biochar-amended GSI soil mix; (3) conducting a techno-economic assessment (TEA); (4) producing a technical planning package investigating different scenarios and production models.Objective 1 focuses on screening slow pyrolysis conditions for production of biochar from urban forestry waste. Materials will be sampled from various batches of waste collected in Philadelphia. In the initial screening step, chipped forestry waste will be subjected to batch slow pyrolysis under a variety of different conditions. Process conditions to be studied include temperature, residence time, reaction atmosphere, and addition of inexpensive chemical additives. The forestry waste chips, and any necessary additives will be loaded into a stainless reactor fitted with an electric heater and gas inlet and outlet and heated to the prescribed pyrolysis temperature. The power usage from the heaters will be measured and logged throughout the reaction period. After the desired residence time, bio-char will be released into a rapid cooling chamber. After cooling, products will be weighed, and yield reported. Full characterization of the chemical and physical properties of the products will be evaluated by these instruments: thermogravimetric analysis, combustion elemental analyzer, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray fluorescence, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Bruanaur-Emmett-Teller analyzer.Objective 2 focuses on conducting laboratory and greenhouse analyses to develop a biochar-amended soil design specification. Soil mixes (min 4) will be prepared using standard green infrastructure soil (per PWD specifications), amended using various volumes of biochar samples produced through slow pyrolysis. Laboratory evaluations will be conducted to assess saturated hydraulic conductivity, particle size distribution, and soil chemical properties such as organic matter content, sodium, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, major cations, pH, and heavy metals levels. Based on material analysis findings, optimal soil mixes will be used in an 8-12 week growth trial performed at an ERRC greenhouse. Plants harvested at the end of the growth trial will be evaluated based on height and above- and below-ground biomass. Laboratory analysis and growth trial results will be used to develop a trial design specification.Objective 3 will focus on conducting a technoeconomic model to simulate the slow pyrolysis process as described in objective 1. For each unit operation, a material and energy balance calculations will be performed. The results will be used to estimate the capital and operating costs of producing biochar. The simulation results will also be used to assess the economic costs and feasibility of the process. The model will assess the value of the biochar with and without potential for sale into carbon markets depending on evaluation of its carbon stability properties.Objective 4 focuses on developing a technical planning package investigating different scenarios and production models. Interviews with public agencies and analysis of public data will be used to establish existing wood waste management processes, costs, and associated challenges. Pilot-scale biochar manufacturing programs from other cities will be reviewed (through public documentation and interviews) and lessons will be presented. Interview and case study findings will be combined with findings from the technoeconomic model to evaluate local and regional scenarios. Policy mechanisms and funding opportunities to facilitate urban forestry wood waste diversion and cost-sharing among city departments will be considered.