Biomass refining process
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for refining a biomass which comprises:
- contacting the biomass or solid form component thereof with a volatile swelling agent in a pressure vessel for a period of time sufficient for said agent to swell the biomass or solid component thereof;
rapidly reducing the pressure of the biomass or solid form component to explode the biomass or solid component thereof and recovering an exploded biomass or solid component thereof; and
contacting the exploded biomass or solid component thereof with super-heated vapors of the swelling agent to vaporize and strip residual swelling agent from the exploded biomass, wherein the swelling agent vapors are contacted with the biomass at a first pressure sufficiently high such that the residual swelling agent can be condensed by ambient cooling media comprising air or water; and
recovering the stripped biomass.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved biomass refining process is disclosed which is considerably more efficient and cost effective than conventional refining processes. The apparatus and method of the present invention employs superheated steam to dry the solid components and uses the excess steam generated in the drying step to concentrate the liquid components, solidify soluble components and expel noncondensible components. The present invention further employs improved Ammonia Freeze Explosion technology to further enhance the food value of biomass and the solid fiber components separated from the biomass during refining.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method for refining a biomass which comprises:
-
contacting the biomass or solid form component thereof with a volatile swelling agent in a pressure vessel for a period of time sufficient for said agent to swell the biomass or solid component thereof; rapidly reducing the pressure of the biomass or solid form component to explode the biomass or solid component thereof and recovering an exploded biomass or solid component thereof; and contacting the exploded biomass or solid component thereof with super-heated vapors of the swelling agent to vaporize and strip residual swelling agent from the exploded biomass, wherein the swelling agent vapors are contacted with the biomass at a first pressure sufficiently high such that the residual swelling agent can be condensed by ambient cooling media comprising air or water; and
recovering the stripped biomass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of refining biomass comprising:
-
contacting the biomass or solid component thereof with a volatile swelling agent in a pressure vessel at a superatmospheric pressure for a period of time sufficient for said agent to swell the biomass or solid component thereof; contacting the swollen biomass or solid component with superheated vapors of the swelling agent at said superatmospheric pressure in a pressure vessel to vaporize and strip at least a portion of the swelling agent from the swollen biomass and separate the vapors therefrom; rapidly reducing the pressure of the biomass or solid form component to explode the biomass or solid component thereof and recovering an exploded biomass or solid component thereof. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
-
16. A method for refining a biomass comprising the steps
(a) contacting the biomass with a volatile swelling agent under pressure for a period of time sufficient to swell the biomass; -
(b) rapidly reducing the pressure of the biomass in a manner sufficient to explode the biomass and recovering the exploded biomass containing residual swelling agent; (c) contacting the exploded biomass with superheated vapors of the swelling agent at a first pressure to vaporize at least a portion of the residual swelling agent; and (d) contacting the exploded biomass from step (a) with superheated vapors of the swelling agent at a second pressure which is lower than the pressure employed in step (c) to vaporize additional residual swelling agent. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for refining a biomass comprising:
-
(a) contacting the biomass with a volatile swelling agent at a first pressure for a period of time sufficient to swell the biomass and to produce a swollen biomass; (b) recovering the swollen biomass produced in step (a); (c) contacting the swollen biomass recovered in step (b) with superheated vapors of the swelling agent at said first pressure to vaporize at least a portion of the swelling agent from the swollen biomass; (d) rapidly reducing said first pressure in a manner sufficient to explode the swollen biomass and to produce an exploded biomass containing residual swelling agent; and
optionally(e) contacting the exploded biomass with superheated vapors of the swelling agent at a second lower pressure to vaporize the residual swelling agent from the exploded biomass. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
Specification