- Research and development activities at CRIP-Biorefinery revolve around these main axes :
- Biomass development and management :
- Supply management of biomass for pulp & paper industries.
- Biomass conversion technologies :
- Biomass densification and conditioning before and after conversion.
- High-Temperature processes for conversion of biomass :
- By gasification
- By pyrolysis
- By combustion
- Hydrothermal
- Optimized biological conversion of biomass :
- Yield of bioprocesses.
- Production of enzymes for breaking down complex plant sugars.
- Development of bacterial strains for hydrocarbon production.
- Modelling and simulation of biorefinery processes
- Utilization and integration of biorefinery processes in existing industries (mass and energy integration)
- Development of biorefinery integration in the pulp and paper industry (KRAFT).
- Evaluation of feasability and impact.
- Evaluation of material and energy impacts of biorefinery integration.
- Socio-economic and life cycle analysis.
- CRIP-Biorefinery (Ecole Polytechnique- Montreal) is a multi-disciplinary biorefinery research (CRIP-Biorefinery) at Ecole Polytechnique-Montreal, covers at least the four research themes:
- Feedstock Development:
- Pulp & paper industries feedstock management
- Conversion Technologies:
- Biomass densification and conditioning before and after conversion.
- High-temperature biomass conversion with focus on gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, and hydrothermal processes.
- Biological biomass conversion with focus on optimization of bioprocesses productivity, production of enzymes to deconstruct complex plant sugars, and development of microbial strains for bio-oil production.
- Process Modelling and simulation.
- Utilization & systems integration:
- Implementation of biorefining technologies in pulp & paper Kraft mills: Impact assessment and feasibility.
- Socio-Economic impacts and life-cycle analysis.
- The CRIP biorefinery research team has a particular emphasis on the systems analysis of biorefinery concepts, using process integration tools for evaluations.
- CRIP-Biorefinery is composed of 9 professors and 50 post-docs, PhDs, and masters students.
- All researchers receive annual financial support between $16,000 and $32,000.
- All researchers can expect around $1500 for purchasing a laptop.
- More sources of finance are available by agreement with supervisors.
- Researchers have access to state-of-the-art experimental facilities.
- A multi-disciplinary research environment.
- CRIP-Biorefinery offers engineering students the opportunity to receive hands-on training into industrial processes, equipment, and computer codes related to biorefinery integration into existing industrial systems. This is carried out in state-of-the-art research facilities such as the BioKrEn Project for integrating biorefinery in pulp and paper plants.
- The center is also involved in international exchange of students with EU countries, through the IAESTE program, to maintain and share a global grasp of biomass research and development.
