PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LIQUID HYDROCARBON

• US 20140135540A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steeper Energy Aps
• Original Assignee: Steeper Energy Aps
• Inventors: Iversen, Steen Brummerstedt
• Granted Patent: US 9,902,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 585/240
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/02 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/04 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/042 by the use of hydrogen-donor solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/047 Hot water or cold water extraction processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/065 in the presence of a solvent
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/10 from rubber or rubber waste
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1003 Waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4018 Spatial velocity, e.g. LHSV, WHSV
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/02 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 using bio-feedstock

Abstract

The invention relates to a continous process for converting carbonaceous material contained in at least two feedstocks into a liquid hydrocarbon product, said feedstocks including at least one feedstock of biomass and at least one feedstock of lignite and/or peat, said feedstocks including the carbonaceous material being in a feed mixture including one or more fluids, said fluids including water and further liquid organic compounds at least partly produced by the process in a concentration of at least 1% by weight, where the process comprises converting at least part of the carbonaceous material by pressurising the feed mixture to a pressure in the range 50-400 bar, heating the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 250-500° C., and maintaining said pressurized and heated feed mixture in the desired pressure and temperature ranges in a reaction zone for a predefined time; cooling the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 25-200° C. and expanding the feed mixture to a pressure in the range of 1-70 bar, thereby causing the carbonaceous material to be converted to a liquid hydrocarbon product; and separating a fraction comprising liquid hydrocarbon product and leaving a residual fraction.

Claims

1-68. -68. (canceled)

69. A continous process for converting carbonaceous material contained in at least two feedstocks into a liquid hydrocarbon product, said feedstocks including at least one feedstock of biomass and at least one feedstock of lignite and/or peat, said feedstocks including the carbonaceous material being in a feed mixture including one or more fluids, said fluids including water and further liquid organic compounds at least partly produced by the process in a concentration of at least 5% by weight, the process comprising:

converting at least part of the carbonaceous material by;

pressurising the feed mixture to a pressure in the range 50-400 bar

heating the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 250-500°

C., and

maintaining said pressurized and heated feed mixture in the desired pressure and temperature ranges in a reaction zone for a predefined time;

cooling the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 25-200°

C. and

expanding the feed mixture to a pressure in the range of 1-70 bar, thereby causing the carbonaceous material to be converted to a liquid hydrocarbon product; and

separating a fraction comprising liquid hydrocarbon product and leaving a residual fraction.

70. A process according to claim 69, where the feedmixture comprises a biomass share of at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, more preferred at least 20%, even more preferred at least 25% and most preferred at least 30%, measured as the dry weight of the carbonaceous material in the biomass.

71. A process according to claim 70, where the feedmixture comprises a lignite and/or peat share of at least 100%−

(the biomass share %+10%).

72. A process according to claim 69, wherein the concentration of said at least one liquid organic compound contained in the feed mixture is at least 10% by weight, more preferred at least 20% by weight.

73. A process according to claim 69, where the residual fraction is fed to a bioreactor for production algae and/or bacteria such as cyano bacteria and where the algae and/or bacteria are used as biomass feedstock for the feed mixture.

74. A process according to claim 69, where the feed mixture provided contains at least one homogeneous catalyst in the form of a compound of potassium and/or sodium so as to ensure a total concentration of potassium and sodium of at least 0.5% by weight, preferably 1-10% by weight, more preferably in the range 2-5% by weight.

75. A process according to claim 69, wherein the ratio of weight of said one or more liquid organic compounds to the dry weight of carbonaceous material in said feed mixture is in the range 0.1 to 2.0, preferably in the range 0.15 to 1.0, more preferably in the range 0.2-0.5.

76. A process according to claim 69, wherein the pressure during said conversion step is in the range 275 to 350 bar, preferably 290 to 330 bar, more preferably in the range 300 to 325 bar.

77. A process according to claim 69, wherein the temperature during said conversion step is in the range 380 to 430°

C., preferably 385 to 430°

C., more preferred in the range 390 to 430°

C. such as in the range 400 to 430°

C.

78. A process according to claim 69, wherein the feed mixture at entry temperature is pressurized essentially to the desired process pressure before heating to process temperature is initiated.

79. A process according to claim 69, wherein the pH during said conversion is above 7, preferably in the range 8 to 12, an more preferably 8-11, where the pH of the feed mixture is measured during and/or after the conversion and when the pH measurement is outside the preferred range, the composition of the feed mixture is altered to correct the pH in the conversion.

80. A process according to claim 69, where the heating of the feed mixture is taking place at a rate of at least 50°

C./min, preferably 75°

C./min, more preferred 100°

C./min and even more preferred 150°

C./min in the temperature range 140-300°

C.

81. A process according to claim 69, where the average flow velocity in pipes in the process and/or at the entry of the conversion zone/reactor, is at least 0.2 m/s, preferably in the range 0.2-5 m/s, more preferred 0.5-3 m/s.

82. A process according to claim 69, further comprising recovery of substances from the residual fraction remaining after separation of said fraction comprising a liquid hydrocarbon product, and wherein said recovery is performed in one or more evaporators and condensers, and wherein the first of said evaporators is adapted to perform a vapour recompression technique, including mechanical vapour recompression and/or thermal recompression.

83. A process according to claim 82, wherein said substances being recovered comprise water soluble organics and/or homogeneous catalyst in the form of potassium and/or sodium, and said recovered substances are at least partly recirculated in a concentrated form and introduced into said feed mixture.

84. An apparatus for continous conversion of carbonaceous material contained in one or more feedstocks into a liquid hydrocarbon product, said carbonaceous material being in a feed mixture including said carbonaceous material and one or more fluids, said fluids including water, the apparatus comprising:

at least one feed pump for feeding the feed mixture into the processing zone;

a pressurization device adapted to pressurize the feed mixture to a pressure of 50-400 bar

a heating device adapted to heat the pressurized feed mixture to a temperature of 250-500°

C.

a conversion device adapted to hold the pressurized and heated feed mixture for a conversion time of 10-40 minutes

a cooling device adapted to cool the treated feed mixture to a temperature of 25-200°

C.

an expansion device adapted to reduce the pressure of the treated feed mixture to a pressure of 1-70 bar, and

a separation device adapted to separate a liquid hydrocarbon product from the treated and successively cooled and expanded feed mixture.

85. An apparatus according to claim 84, where a pretreatment apparatus is provided prior to the feed pump.

86. An apparatus according to claim 85, where the pretreatment apparatus comprises a device adapted to divide particles in the feedstock and to mix the feedstock and the water and the liquid organic compound to a feedmixture with the specified feed mixture properties for the process.