Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, solicits interest from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology.  License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use.  PNNL may also be available to licensee(s) to assist in further research and development of the technology under a SPP agreement, ACT agreement, or CRADA agreement.

THE TECHNOLOGY: A particular heat-exchanger configuration and process for heating the feedstock in a hydrothermal liquefaction system facilitates the conversion of organic matter or biomass into biocrude oils and gases at relatively lower capital cost. The configuration includes multiple pumps and heat exchangers that pressurize and heat a biomass slurry stream to a specified reactor temperature and pressure in a series of steps. For example, a hydrothermal liquefaction system can comprise a biomass slurry source, a first pump in fluid communication with the slurry source and configured to pressurize a biomass slurry stream from the slurry source to a first pressure, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the first pump to a first temperature, a second pump in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and configured to pressurize a slurry stream received from the first heat exchanger to a second pressure higher than the first pressure, a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the second pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the second pump to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and a HTL reactor configured to produce biocrude from a slurry stream received from the second heat exchanger.

For all inquiries, please reference Battelle IPID 31697.

NOTE:  THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT.  Any company interested in licensing this technology must respond with a letter of interest (may be submitted by e-mail) no later than thirty (30) days from the publication date of this Notice summarizing the company’s business and technical expertise and motivation for pursuing this opportunity.  Companies deemed appropriate will be provided with further information on the technology.  Such information may require an executed Nondisclosure Agreement.  Respondents wishing to enter into negotiations for a commercial license will be required to submit a business plan for the commercialization of the technology prior to licensee(s) selection and negotiations.  Please send letters of interest to the attention of the POC identified within this Notice, referencing Battelle IPID 31697