Methods and devices for producing biodiesel and products obtained therefrom

• US 10,450,533 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Slade, David A, Ellens, Cody J, Albin, Bradley N, Winkel, Derek J, Downey, Jared A
• Primary Examiner(s): Carr, Deborah D
• Application Number:
  US15/935,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20190093048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 554174
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0476 Biodiesel, i.e. defined lower alkyl esters of fatty acids first generation biodiesel
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/026 for diesel engines, e.g. automobiles, stationary, marine
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/543 Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 13/00 Recovery of fats, fatty oils or fatty acids from waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 1/10 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 3/003 by esterification of fatty acids with alcohols C11C3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6458 by transesterification, e.g. interesterification, ester interchange, alcoholysis or acidolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/649 Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/74 Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes

Abstract

Methods and devices for economically producing a purified biodiesel product from feedstocks. Some embodiments of the methods comprise using at least one of a crude feedstock pretreatment process and a free fatty acid refining process prior to transesterification and the formation of crude biodiesel and glycerin. The crude biodiesel is then subjected to at least one biodiesel refining process which, in conjunction with feedstock pretreatment and free fatty acid refining produces a purified biodiesel product that meets multiple commercial specifications. A wide variety of feedstocks may be used to make biodiesel that otherwise would not meet the same commercial specifications, including corn oil, used cooking oil, poultry fats, fatty acid distillates, pennycress oil, and algal oils. The combination of feedstock refining and biodiesel refining processes is necessary to reduce problems associated with feedstocks having waxes, high free fatty acid levels, unacceptable color, high unsaponifiables levels, and high sulfur levels.

Claims

1. A method for producing a purified biodiesel from a first feedstock comprising:

a. removing free fatty acids from said first feedstock to produce a refined feedstock and free fatty acids;

b. transesterifying said refined feedstock to produce a first crude biodiesel;

c. distilling said first crude biodiesel to produce the purified biodiesel and a distillation bottoms; and

d. converting the free fatty acids to a second feedstock using a glycerolysis process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using a transesterification process to convert said second feedstock to a second crude biodiesel.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of combining the second crude biodiesel with the first crude biodiesel and refining the first crude biodiesel and second crude biodiesel together in step (c).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of combining the second feedstock with the refined feedstock and transesterifying the refined feedstock and second feedstock together in step (b).

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of pretreating said first feedstock to produce a pretreated feedstock before the free fatty acids are removed from said first feedstock and using the pretreated feedstock as the first feedstock in step (a).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first feedstock contains between about 0.2 wt % and about 30 wt % free fatty acids.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first feedstock comprises at least one of corn oil, palm oils, fatty acid distillates, distillation bottoms, brown grease, poultry fat, used cooking oil, pennycress oil, algae oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second feedstock comprises glycerides.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said purified biodiesel has a lower Acid Number than the first crude biodiesel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said purified biodiesel has a lighter color than the first crude biodiesel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said purified biodiesel has a lower wax content than the first crude biodiesel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said first purified biodiesel has a lower sulfur content than the first crude biodiesel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said purified biodiesel has a lower unsaponifiable impurities content than the first crude biodiesel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said purified biodiesel has a wax content of less than 0.1 wt %, an unsaponifiables content of 2 wt % or less, a soap content of 50 ppm or less, a sulfur content of 500 ppm or less, a monoglyceride content less than 0.6 wt %, a cold soak filtration test result of 360 seconds or less and a lighter color than the first feedstock.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing the distillation bottoms as a renewable fuel feedstock.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing the distillation bottoms as a fuel.

17. A method for producing purified biodiesel from a first feedstock comprising:

a. removing free fatty acids from said first feedstock to produce a refined feedstock and free fatty acids;

b. transesterifying said refined feedstock to produce a first crude biodiesel;

c. refining said first crude biodiesel to produce a first purified biodiesel; and

d. converting the free fatty acids to a second feedstock using a glycerolysis process.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said second feedstock is further processed to produce a second crude biodiesel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said second crude biodiesel is processed with at least one of the refined feedstock and the first crude biodiesel to produce the first purified biodiesel.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said first crude biodiesel is refined via at least one of a distillation process and a filtration process to produce the first purified biodiesel.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein a distillation bottoms are separated from the crude biodiesel during the refining step.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of utilizing the distillation bottoms as a renewable fuel feedstock or a fuel.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the second feedstock comprises glycerides.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said second feedstock is processed with the refined feedstock to produce the first crude biodiesel.