Dispersing feedstocks and processing materials

• US 8,716,009 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall, Masterman, Thomas Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): HOBBS, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/789,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20130183748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 435/105, 435/290.2, 366/103, 366/107, 366/162.4, 366/165.3, 366/249, 366/270, 366/264, 366/292, 366/297, 366/300
• US Class Current: 435/290.2
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/90 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/04 for producing gas, e.g. biogas digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/18 Apparatus specially designed for the use of free, immobilized or carrier-bound enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/02 Stirrer or mobile mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/12 by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/34 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/02 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol. Biomass feedstock is dispersed in a liquid medium and then saccharified.

Claims

1. A feedstock saccharification system comprising:

a tank configured to contain a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass feedstock and a liquid medium;

a dispersing system having a solids inlet in communication with a solids source, a liquid inlet in communication with a liquid source, and an outlet, the dispersing system being configured to disperse the biomass feedstock in the liquid medium, the dispersing system comprising a chamber and, within the chamber, a rotating member which draws the feedstock and liquid medium into the chamber through the inlets, and expels a dispersion of the feedstock in the medium from the chamber radially through the outlet, to the tank; and

a jet mixer configured to mix the contents of the tank, the jet mixer comprising an impeller disposed within a shroud.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersing system is configured to draw the feedstock and liquid medium out of the tank and recirculate it back into the tank.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotating member functions as an impeller and the action of the rotating member within the chamber is that of a centrifugal pump.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotating member comprises mixing elements arranged coaxially with a rotor that is disposed in rotor-stator relationship with a side wall of the chamber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersing system comprises a positive displacement pump.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the positive displacement pump comprises a progressive cavity pump.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersing system comprises a plurality of dispersing devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersing system is configured to deliver a stream of liquid onto the feedstock on the surface of the liquid, wetting the feedstock.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery system configured to deliver the feedstock from a source disposed outside the tank.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the source of the feedstock is positioned above the tank.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a saccharifying agent delivery device configured to deliver a saccharifying agent from a source disposed outside the tank.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the source of the saccharifying agent is positioned above the tank.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the source of the feedstock comprises a hopper.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the hopper comprises a vibrating device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the source of the saccharifying agent comprises a hopper.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hopper comprises a vibrating device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedstock saccharification system further comprises a monitoring system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system comprises a glucose monitoring system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the glucose monitoring system is configured to monitor the glucose level of the mixture of feedstock, liquid medium, and saccharifying agent during saccharification.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system comprises a viscometer.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system is configured to monitor a temperature within the tank.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system is configured to measure oxygen within the tank.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system is configured to measure ethanol within the tank.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller that adjusts the operation of the feedstock delivery device and/or the saccharifying agent delivery device based on input from a torque monitor.

25. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivery system is configured to add additional feedstock to the tank during saccharification.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispersing system is configured to disperse the additional feedstock into the liquid medium.

27. The system of claim 11, wherein the saccharifying agent delivery device is configured to add additional saccharifying agent to the tank during saccharification.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the dispersing system is configured to disperse the additional saccharifying agent into the liquid medium.

29. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivery system is configured to deliver a feedstock having a bulk density of less than about 0.75 g/cm³.

30. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivery system is configured to deliver a liquid medium comprising water.

31. The system of claim 11, wherein the saccharifying agent delivery device is configured to deliver a saccharifying agent comprising an enzyme.

32. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivery system is configured to add feedstock to the liquid medium in discrete increments, and the dispersing system is configured to disperse the feedstock into the liquid medium before the addition of another increment of feedstock.

33. The system of claim 1, further comprising an additive delivery system configured to add additives to the mixture of feedstock, liquid medium and saccharifying agent.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the additive delivery system is configured to add an emulsifier or surfactant or both to the mixture of feedstock, liquid medium and saccharifying agent.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid source is the tank.