2026-09-22T23:51:26Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129971 2025-10-25 col_2142_5131 col_2142_14770 com_2142_5130 com_2142_3518 com_2142_234

application/pdf en text Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms The student, Aaron Marszewski, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-21 at 12:05. The student, Aaron Marszewski, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-07-21 at 13:22. This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-07-22 at 09:21. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22677 on 2025-10-20 at 20:15:37 Modeling the national potential of pyrolytic biochar production from publicly owned treatment works Marszewski, Aaron 2025-07-22 Cusick, Roland D. Pyrolysis Biochar Potw Biosolids Carbon Sequestration Tea Lca Wrrf Biogenic Refinery Pfas Drying Energy eng Biochar production through pyrolysis of wastewater biosolids was modeled across major Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) in the United States. The model system boundary considered the deployment of a Biogenic Refinery (a commercially available pyrolysis omni-processor) at the end of current POTW solids handling pretreatment trains. An improved pyrolysis biochar yield model was developed to quantify the impact of sequesterable carbon and drying energy requirements based on reported biosolids pretreatment methods for each POTW. These improved metrics allow for a more holistic techno-economic analysis (TEA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA). Results show that pyrolysis could be a carbon negative solution to handling biosolids and producing biochar, especially when modeled with POTWs that are already air or heat drying biosolids. Global warming potential for the biogenic refinery system was modeled across four pretreatment methods that could impact biochar yield: anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, combined digestion, and no digestion, and we found that the biogenic refinery could operate with net negative emissions [-55.8 – -78.0 kg CO2eq/ton-biosolids-treated, varying across 2617 facilities]. The TEA showed that the lifecycle cost of biosolids pyrolysis [$145 – $2260 per ton of biochar produced] was sensitive to facility size and biosolids pretreatment methods, with larger facilities being significantly more cost-effective until economy of scale plateaued near 4,000 dry tons/biosolids-yr. No external energy would be needed for drying if facilities already are heat drying biosolids, and facilities that air dry were found to have a mean drying requirement of [3.7, 4.3] GJ/ton-dry-biosolids which is within the range of thermal energy that would be available to the system by considering the difference in biochar output energy and biosolids input energy. 2025-08 Text https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129971 Copyright 2025 Aaron Marszewski Civil & Environmental Eng Environ Engr in Civil Engr University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign M.S. Thesis