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Energy and Environment Directorate

Mike Thorson

Mike Thorson

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 371-6789

Biography

Michael Thorson is a Senior Research Engineer, and Project Manager within the Energy Processes & Materials Division (EP&MD) of the Energy and Environment Directorate (EED) at PNNL. Dr. Thorson joined PNNL in 2018 with Industrial Research experience from Dow Chemical. Dr. Thorson’s expertise is in reaction engineering, process development, and heterogenous catalysis. His current research work is focused on developing hydrothermal processing by advancing hydrothermal liquefaction for the conversion of wet wastes to fuels and chemicals, where he leads several projects. He has additional work focused on catalyst development to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. Dr. Thorson has research experience with multiple conversion processes in the fields of hydrogenation (e.g. acetylene hydrogenation, herbicide hydrogenation), hydrotreating (biocrudes and co-processing), oxidation (wet air oxidation, ethylene oxide), electrochemistry (CO2 reduction, and other commercially deployed reduction), ketonization, and oligomerization.

Research Interests

  • Hydrothermal liquefaction
  • Heterogeneous catalysis and process development
  • Reaction engineering
  • Sustainable processes for fuels and chemicals

Education and Credentials

  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
  • M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman

PNNL Patents

PNNL Publications

2024

  • Jiang Y., L. Ou, L.J. Snowden-Swan, H. Cai, S. Li, K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy, and A.J. Schmidt, et al. 2024. "Aqueous-phase product treatment and monetization options of wet waste hydrothermal liquefaction: Comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle GHG emission assessment unveiling research opportunities." Bioresource Technology 397, no. _:Art. No. 130504. PNNL-SA-186925. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130504
  • Kilgore U.J., E.N. Diaz, D.B. Spry, Y. Jiang, S. Li, A.J. Schmidt, and M.R. Thorson. 2024. "Solvent processing for improved separation of hydrothermal liquefaction products." Sustainable Energy & Fuels 8, no. 15:3279-3289. PNNL-SA-191683. doi:10.1039/D4SE00516C
  • Thorson M.R., A.J. Schmidt, and D.B. Spry. 2024. Integration of Autothermal Oxidation into Hydrothermal Liquefaction. PNNL-35534. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Integration of Autothermal Oxidation into Hydrothermal Liquefaction

2023

  • Daniel R.C., C. Burns, A.J. Schmidt, and M.R. Thorson. 2023. Rheology of a Wet Waste Feedstock. PNNL-33932. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Rheology of a Wet Waste Feedstock
  • Jiang Y., C.R. Mevawala, S. Li, A.J. Schmidt, J.M. Billing, M.R. Thorson, and L.J. Snowden-Swan. 2023. "Uncertainty Analysis for Techno-economic and Life-cycle Assessment of Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction with Centralized Upgrading to Produce Fuel Blendstocks." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11, no. 3:Art. No. 109706. PNNL-SA-180749. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109706
  • Kilgore U.J., D.M. Santosa, S. Li, P. Wang, S. Lee, M.R. Thorson, and K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy. 2023. "Desalting Biocrude for Improved Downstream Processing toward Marine Fuel Application." Sustainable Energy & Fuels 7, no. 11:2670-2679. PNNL-SA-181968. doi:10.1039/D3SE00189J
  • Kilgore U.J., S. Subramaniam, S.P. Fox, D.J. Cronin, M.F. Guo, A.J. Schmidt, and K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy, et al. 2023. "Wet air oxidation of HTL aqueous waste." Biomass & Bioenergy 176. PNNL-SA-175978. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2023.106889
  • Zhu Y., Y. Xu, A.J. Schmidt, M.R. Thorson, D.J. Cronin, D.M. Santosa, and S.J. Edmundson, et al. 2023. Microalgae Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading: 2022 State of Technology. PNNL-34032. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Microalgae Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading: 2022 State of Technology

2022

  • Li S., E. Tan, A. Dutta, L.J. Snowden-Swan, M.R. Thorson, K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy, and A. Bartling, et al. 2022. "Techno-economic Analysis of Sustainable Biofuels for Marine Transportation." Environment Science and Technology 56, no. 23:17206-17214. PNNL-SA-173450. doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c03960
  • Santosa D.M., L. Wendt, B.D. Wahlen, A.J. Schmidt, J.M. Billing, I.V. Kutnyakov, and R.T. Hallen, et al. 2022. "Impact of storage and blending of algae and forest product residue on fuel blendstock production." Algal Research 62. PNNL-SA-169550. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2021.102622
  • Snowden-Swan L.J., S. Li, M.R. Thorson, A.J. Schmidt, D.J. Cronin, Y. Zhu, and T.R. Hart, et al. 2022. Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels: 2022 State of Technology. PNNL-33622. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels: 2022 State of Technology
  • Snowden-Swan L.J., S. Li, Y. Jiang, M.R. Thorson, A.J. Schmidt, T.E. Seiple, and J.M. Billing, et al. 2022. Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels: 2021 State of Technology. PNNL-32731. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. doi:10.2172/1863608.Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels: 2021 State of Technology

2021

  • Addleman R.S., A.J. Schmidt, L.F. Pease, M.J. Minette, M.R. Thorson, W. Chouyyok, and S. Lee, et al. 2021. Hydrothermal Liquid Recovery of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Materials. PNNL-31328. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Hydrothermal Liquid Recovery of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Materials
  • Subramaniam S., D.M. Santosa, C.O. Brady, M.S. Swita, K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy, and M.R. Thorson. 2021. "Extended catalyst lifetime testing for HTL biocrude hydrotreating to produce fuel blendstocks from wet wastes." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 9, no. 38:12825-12832. PNNL-SA-161175. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c02743
  • Thorson M.R., D.M. Santosa, R.T. Hallen, I.V. Kutnyakov, M.V. Olarte, M.D. Flake, and G.G. Neuenschwander, et al. 2021. "SCALEABLE HYDROTREATING OF HTL BIOCRUDE TO PRODUCE FUEL BLENDSTOCKS." Energy and Fuels 35, no. 14:11346-11352. PNNL-SA-160510. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c00956

2020

  • Jones S.B., E. Tan, J. Dunn, L. Valentino, E.F. Barry, L. Edano, and P. Ignacio-Deleon, et al. 2020. Bioprocessing Separations Consortium: Three year overview - Technical Advances, Process Economics Influence, and State of the Science. PNNL-29822. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. doi:10.2172/1634769.Bioprocessing Separations Consortium: Three year overview - Technical Advances, Process Economics Influence, and State of the Science
  • Klinger J., D. Carpenter, V. Thompson, N. Yancey, R. Emerson, K. Gaston, and K.M. Smith, et al. 2020. "Pilot plant reliability metrics for grinding and fast pyrolysis of woody residues." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 8, no. 7:2793-2805. PNNL-SA-150427. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06718

Energy and Environment

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