Microwave produced pyrolysis oil from beneficiated organic-carbon-containing feedstock

• US 9,422,481 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CTP Biotechnology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Biomass Energy Enhancements LLC.
• Inventors: Van Thorre, Douglas M, Tait, Carleton Drew, Catto, Michael L, Scalzo, Philip James
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Thuan D
• Application Number:
  US14/305,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20150299579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 585/240, 585/242, 204/157.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/34 with one or more auxiliary substances
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/02 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/092 Wood, cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/72 Other features
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/04 essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/02 Combustion or pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/04 Gasification
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/30 Pressing, compressing or compacting
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/36 Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/00 Gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by subclass C10G, C10K; Liquefied petroleum gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/447 Carbonized vegetable substances, e.g. charcoal, or produced by hydrothermal carbonization of biomass
• 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: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

A processed pyrolysis oil composition, a renewable liquid fuel, having a high energy density, low water content and a more neutral pH, and made with an oxygen-starved microwave sub-system from a processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock made with a beneficiation sub-system is described. Renewable biomass feedstock passed through a beneficiation sub-system to reduce water content to below at least 20 wt % and water-soluble salt reduction of at least 60% from that of unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock on a dry basis. The processed feedstock is introduced into a substantially microwave-transparent reaction chamber. A microwave source emits microwaves which are directed through the microwave-transparent wall of the reaction chamber to impinge on the feedstock within the reaction chamber. The microwave source may be rotated relative to the reaction chamber. The feedstock is subjected to microwaves until the desired reaction occurs to produce a liquid processed pyrolysis oil fuel.

Claims

1. A process of making a pyrolysis oil composition, a liquid fuel, comprising the steps of:

inputting into a system comprising a first sub-system and a second sub-system a renewable unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that includes free water, intercellular water, intracellular water, intracellular water-soluble salts, and at least some plant cells comprising cell walls that include lignin, hemicellulose, and microfibrils within fibrils;

passing unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock through the first sub-system, a beneficiation sub-system process, to result in processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock having a water content of less than 20 wt % and a salt content that is reduced by at least 60 wt % on a dry basis from that of the unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock, and

passing the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock through a microwave sub-system process to result in a liquid renewable fuel composition having an energy density of at least 33.0 MMBTU/ton (38.4 GJ/MT), a water content of less than 15 wt %, and a pH of at least 4.0,

wherein the beneficiation sub-system process, further comprises the steps of;

inputting into a beneficiation sub-system reaction chamber unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock comprising free water, intercellular water, intracellular water, intracellular water-soluble salts, and at least some plant cells comprising cell walls that include lignin, hemicellulose, and microfibrils within fibrils;

exposing the feedstock to hot solvent under pressure for a time at conditions specific to the feedstock to make some regions of the cell walls comprising crystallized cellulosic fibrils, lignin, and hemicellulose more able to be penetrable by water-soluble salts without dissolving more than 25 percent of the lignin and hemicellulose;

removing the pressure so as to penetrate the more penetrable regions to create porous feedstock with open pores in the plant cell walls; and

pressing the porous feedstock with conditions that include an adjustable compaction pressure versus time profile and compaction time duration, and between pressure plates configured to prevent felt from forming and blocking escape from the reaction chamber of intracellular and intercellular water, and intracellular water-soluble salts, and to create processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that has a water content of less than 20 wt % and a water-soluble salt content that is decreased by at least 60 wt % on a dry basis from that of unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock,

and wherein the microwave sub-system process, further comprises the steps of;

inputting processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock into a substantially microwave-transparent reaction chamber containing no externally supplied oxygen and within a microwave reflective enclosure;

directing microwaves from a microwave source through walls of the reaction chamber to impinge on the feedstock;

providing relative motion between the microwave-transparent reaction chamber and the microwave source; and

microwaving the feedstock until the feedstock reacts to produce a processed pyrolysis oil, a liquid fuel, comprising, a specific gravity that is at least as low as 1.05.

3. The process of claims 1 or 2, further comprising, mixing a catalyst with the feedstock.

2. A process of making a pyrolysis oil composition, a liquid fuel, comprising the steps of:

inputting into a system comprising a first sub-system and a second sub-system a renewable unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that includes free water, intercellular water, intracellular water, intracellular water-soluble salts, and at least some plant cells comprising cell walls that include lignin, hemicellulose, and microfibrils within fibrils;

passing unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock through the first sub-system, a beneficiation sub-system process, to result in processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock having a water content of less than 20 wt % and a salt content that is reduced by at least 60 wt % on a dry basis from that of the unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock, and

passing the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock through a microwave sub-system process to result in a liquid renewable fuel composition having an energy density of at least 33.0 MMBTU/ton (38.4 GJ/MT), a water content of less than 15 wt %, and a pH of at least 4.0,

wherein the beneficiation sub-system process, further comprises the steps of;

inputting into a beneficiation sub-system reaction chamber unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock comprising free water, intercellular water, intracellular water, intracellular water-soluble salts, and at least some plant cells comprising cell walls that include lignin, hemicellulose, and microfibrils within fibrils;

exposing the feedstock to hot solvent under pressure for a time at conditions specific to the feedstock to make some regions of the cell walls comprising crystallized cellulosic fibrils, lignin, and hemicellulose more able to be penetrable by water-soluble salts without dissolving more than 25 percent of the lignin and hemicellulose;

removing the pressure so as to penetrate the more penetrable regions to create porous feedstock with open pores in the plant cell walls; and

pressing the porous feedstock with conditions that include an adjustable compaction pressure versus time profile and compaction time duration, and between pressure plates configured to prevent felt from forming and blocking escape from the reaction chamber of intracellular and intercellular water, and intracellular water-soluble salts, and to create processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that has a water content of less than 20 wt % and a water-soluble salt content that is decreased by at least 60 wt % on a dry basis from that of unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock, and a cost per weight of removing the water and water-soluble salt that is reduced to less than 60% of the cost per weight of similar water removal from known mechanical, known physiochemical, or known thermal processes,

and wherein the microwave sub-system process, further comprises the steps of;

inputting processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock into a substantially microwave-transparent reaction chamber containing no externally supplied oxygen and within a microwave reflective enclosure;

directing microwaves from a microwave source through walls of the reaction chamber to impinge on the feedstock;

providing relative motion between the microwave-transparent reaction chamber and the microwave source; and

microwaving the feedstock until the feedstock reacts to produce a pyrolysis oil, a liquid fuel, comprising, a water content of less than 10 wt %, and a pH of at least 5.0.