Lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device

• US 8,486,228 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Baba, Tsuyoshi, Yasuda, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Halpern, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORDRAY, DENNIS R
• Application Number:
  US13/180,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20120012266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 162/1, 162/17, 162/29, 162/47, 162/70, 162/232, 162/233, 162/239, 162/250, 62/79, 622/381, 623/241, 623/246, 623/33, 623/35, 625/26
• US Class Current: 162/250
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 1/06 with alkaline reacting compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

Provided is a lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device capable of producing a pretreated material for saccharification. The lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device comprises a separation unit 4 which separates ammonia gas by heating a pretreated material for saccharification obtained from a substrate mixture obtained by mixing lignocellulosic biomass and ammonia water; a first heat recovery unit 25 which recovers heat-of-dissolution generated when ammonia gas is dissolved in water, and the heat supply units 8, 9, 10 which generate heat by using heat-of-dissolution recovered by the frst heat recovery unit 25 and supply the heat to the separation unit 4.

Claims

1. A lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device comprising:

a mixing unit configured to obtain a substrate mixture by mixing lignocellulosic biomass serving as a substrate and ammonia water;

a reservoir unit configured to obtain a pretreated material for saccharification in powder form in which lignin is dissociated from the substrate or the substrate is swollen by storing the substrate mixture obtained by the mixing unit; and

a separation unit configured to separate ammonia gas continuously from the pretreated material for saccharification in powder form by heating the pretreated material for saccharification supplied from the reservoir unit,

wherein the device further comprises;

an ammonia recovery unit configured to recover the ammonia gas as ammonia water by dissolving the ammonia gas separated in the separation unit in water;

a first heat recovery unit configured to recover heat-of-dissolution generated when ammonia gas is dissolved in water in the ammonia recovery unit; and

a heat supply unit configured to generate heat to be supplied to the separation unit by transferring the heat-of-dissolution recovered by the first heat recovery unit to the separation unit.

2. The lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device according to claim 1, wherein

the heat supply unit comprises a heat transfer unit, a first heat pump unit and a second heat pump unit;

the heat transfer unit is configured to generate heat to be transferred to the first heat pump unit by heating a first heat medium circulating in the heat transfer unit by transferring heat-of-dissolution recovered by the first heat recovery unit;

the first heat pump unit is configured to generate the heat to be supplied to the second heat pump unit by heating a second heat medium circulating in the first heat pump unit by transferring the heat transferred by the heat transfer unit; and

the second heat pump unit is configured to generate the heat to be supplied to the separation unit by heating a third heat medium circulating in the second heat pump unit by transferring the heat generated by the first heat pump unit.

3. The lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device according to claim 2, wherein

the device comprises a second heat recovery unit configured to recover heat from ammonia gas separated in the separation unit;

and

the heat transfer unit generates heat to be transferred to the first heat pump unit by heating the first heat medium by transferring heat-of-dissolution recovered by the first heat recovery unit and heat recovered by the second heat recovery unit.

4. The lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device according to claim 2, wherein

the heat transfer unit comprises a flow-rate control unit configured to store the first heat medium circulating in the heat transfer unit and control the flow-rate ratio of the first heat medium circulating in the heat transfer unit relative to the second heat medium or relative to the third heat medium.

5. The lignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device according to claim 2,

wherein the pretreated material and the third heat medium flow in the separation unit, and

wherein the pretreated material for saccharification flows countercurrently to the third heat medium in the separation unit.

6. The ignocellulosic biomass saccharification pre-treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a powder feeder configured to transfer a pretreated material for saccharification in powder form supplied from the reservoir unit to the separation unit.