Systems and apparatus for production of high-carbon biogenic reagents

• US 10,167,437 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbon Technology Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: Carbon Technology Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Mennell, James A., Despen, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toomer, Cephia D
• Application Number:
  US15/180,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20170037334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/18 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/312 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/318 characterised by the starting materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 39/00 Cooling or quenching coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 39/02 Dry cooling outside the oven
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 41/00 Safety devices, e.g. signalling or controlling devices for use in the discharge of coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 43/02 Removing incrustations
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 45/00 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 47/30 in rotary ovens or retorts
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 49/02 with hot gases or vapours, e.g. hot gases obtained by partial combustion of the charge
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 53/02 of cellulose-containing material production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 57/02 Multi-step carbonising or coking processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 57/06 containing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 57/10 Drying
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0204 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/025 Halogen containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/02 Combustion or pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/06 Heat exchange, direct or indirect
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/08 Drying or removing water
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/145 : of air
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/28 : Cutting, disintegrating, shredding or grinding
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/30 : Pressing, compressing or compacting
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/50 : Screws or pistons for moving along solids
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/52 : Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/58 : Control or regulation of the fuel preparation of upgrading process
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/60 : Measuring or analysing fractions, components or impurities or process conditions during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/04 : Raw material of mineral origin to be used; Pretreatment thereof pretreatment of fuels of non-mineral origin C10L5/40
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/36 : Shape
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/363 : Pellets or granulates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/365 : Logs
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/366 : Powders
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/442 : Wood or forestry waste
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/447 : Carbonized vegetable substances, e.g. charcoal, or produced by hydrothermal carbonization of biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C21B 13/0066 : Preliminary conditioning of the solid carbonaceous reductant
• CPC Class Codes: C21B 5/007 : Conditions of the cokes or characterised by the cokes used
• CPC Class Codes: C21C 5/52 : Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces C21C5/005 takes precedence; electric heating per se H05B
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 4/02 : Light metals C22B4/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/04 : mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 : Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/143 : of methane [CH4]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 : Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 : the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/30 : Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into highcarbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects.

Claims

1. A high-carbon biogenic reagent production system, the system comprising:

(a) a material feed system configured to introduce a carbon-containing feedstock;

(b) an optional dryer, disposed in operable communication with the material feed system, configured to remove moisture contained within a carbon-containing feedstock;

(c) a multiple-zone reactor, disposed in operable communication with the material feed system or the option dryer, wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises at least one pyrolysis zone disposed in operable communication with a spatially separated cooling zone, and wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises an outlet to remove condensable vapors and non-condensable gases from solids;

(d) a cooler, disposed in operable communication with the multiple-zone reactor; and

(e) a carbon recovery unit, disposed in operable communication with the cooler.

2. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a preheating zone, disposed in operable communication with the at least one pyrolysis zone.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises the at least one pyrolysis zone, the cooling zone, and the preheating zone.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises the at least one pyrolysis zone, and further comprising a second multiple-zone reactor comprising the cooling zone, and a third multiple-zone reactor comprising the preheating zone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises the optional dryer.

6. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a purging means for removing oxygen from the system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the purging means comprises one or more inlets to introduce a substantially inert gas, and one or more outlets to remove the substantially inert gas and displaced oxygen from the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple-zone reactor comprises the cooler.

9. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising an additive feeder for introducing an additive into the system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the additive feeder is configured to combine the additive with the carbon-containing feedstock.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the additive feeder is interposed between the material feed system and the multiple-zone reactor.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the additive feeder is disposed in operable communication with the multiple-zone reactor and the cooler.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the additive feeder is interposed between the cooler and the carbon recovery unit and is disposed in operable communication with the carbon recovery unit.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple-zone reactor is configured with a first gas inlet and a first gas outlet.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first gas inlet and the first gas outlet are disposed in operable communication with the same or different zones.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the multiple-zone reactor is configured with a second gas inlet and a second gas outlet.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the cooling zone is configured with a gas inlet, wherein the pyrolysis zone is configured with a gas outlet, to generate substantially countercurrent flow of the gas phase relative to the solid phase, and the preheating zone is configured with a gas outlet, to generate substantially countercurrent flow of the gas phase relative to the solid phase.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the cooling zone is configured with a gas inlet, and wherein the preheating zone is configured with a gas outlet, to generate substantially countercurrent flow of the gas phase relative to the solid phase.

19. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a first reaction gas probe disposed in operable communication with the pyrolysis zone and with a gas-monitoring device.

20. The system of claim 19, the system further comprising a second reaction gas probe disposed in operable communication with the cooling zone and with the gas-monitoring device or a second gas-monitoring device.

21. The system of claim 19, the system further comprising additional reaction gas probes disposed in operable communication with the optional drying zone, and with the gas-monitoring device.