Process, Plant, and Biofuel From Lognocellulosic Feedstock

• US 20100251608A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BP Biofuels UK Ltd. (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: BP Corporation North America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: DUMENIL, Jean- Charles, DOBSON, Ian
• Application Number:
  US12/815,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/404
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/02 essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/19 Esters ester radical containing compounds; ester ethers; carbonic acid esters C10L1/1802, C10L1/1805, C10L1/1808, C10L1/1811, C10L1/1814, C10L1/1817 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/22 Processes using, or culture media containing, cellulose or hydrolysates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/00 Preparation of hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/04 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• 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: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/678 Aviation using fuels of non-fossil origin

Abstract

This invention relates to a process and a plant for biofuel production, such as with biogasoline and/or biodiesel. The process includes the step of depolymerizing lignocellulosic material to form pentose and a remainder. The process also includes the step of converting the pentose to a biofuel material and using the remainder for generation of power or further downstream conversion.

Claims

1. A process for producing biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstocks, the process comprising:

depolymerizing pentose from a lignocellulosic feedstock to form a remainder;

wherein the depolymerizing step results in a stream comprising primarily pentose, and

converting the pentose to a biofuel material.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises bagasse, rice straw, corn stover, miscanthus, switchgrass, wheat straw, wood, wood waste, paper, paper waste, agricultural waste, municipal waste, sugarcane, energy cane, corn, maize, sorghum, sweet sorghum, sugar beet, or combinations thereof.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the depolymerizing pentose from the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises an acidic process, a basic process, an enzymatic process, a solvent process, or combinations thereof.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the converting the pentose to biofuel material comprises a microorganism process.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the converting the pentose to biofuel material comprises an algae process, a bacterial process, a fungal process, a free enzyme process or combinations thereof.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising consuming the remainder to produce energy.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the remainder comprises cellulose or lignin.

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

deopolymerizing hexose from the remainder; and

converting the hexose to a biofuel material.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the biofuel material comprises biogasoline material or biodiesel material.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the biodiesel material comprises polyunsaturated fatty acids, esters, triglycerides, alkanes, or combinations thereof.

11. The process of claim 9, further comprising reacting the biodiesel material with an alcohol-based material to form a biodiesel product and glycerin.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the alcohol-based material comprises ethanol or methanol.

13. The process of claim 11, further comprising converting the glycerin to additional biodiesel material.

14. A biofuel made by the process of claim 1.

22. The process of claim 1, wherein said stream comprising a pentose content of at least 50 percent of the total sugars from the depolymerizing step.

23. The process of claim 1, wherein said stream comprising a pentose content of at least 70 percent of the total sugars from the depolymerizing step.

15. A biofuels plant for producing biofuels from a lignocellulosic feedstock, the plant comprising:

a lignocellulosic feed system;

a pentose depolymerization unit for removing pentose from the lignocellulosic feedstock to form a remainder;

wherein the depolymerization results in a stream comprising primarily pentose; and

a pentose conversion unit for converting pentose to a biofuel material.

16. The plant of claim 15, further comprising an esterification unit to react the biofuel material with an alcohol-based material to form a biodiesel product and glycerin.

17. The plant of claim 16, further comprising a line for supplying the glycerin to the pentose conversion unit.

18. The plant of claim 15, wherein the pentose depolymerization unit uses an acidic process, a basic process, an enzymatic process, a solvent process, or combinations thereof.

19. The plant of claim 15, wherein the pentose conversion unit uses a microorganism.

20. The plant of claim 15, wherein the pentose conversion unit uses an algae process, a bacterial process, a fungal process, a free enzyme process, or combinations thereof.

21. The plant of claim 15, further comprising:

a hexose depolymerization unit for removing hexose from the remainder to form a reduced remainder; and

a hexose conversion unit for converting hexose to a biofuel material.