System of using a reaction chamber to beneficiate organic-carbon-containing feedstock for downstream processes
First Claim
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1. A system for removing water and water-soluble salts from an organic-carbon-containing feedstock, comprising:
- a transmission device configured to convey into a 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;
at least one reaction chamber comprising at least one entrance passageway, at least one exit passageway for fluid, at least one exit passageway for processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock, and at least three sections, the sections comprising;
a wet fibril disruption section configured to interact with at least some of the lignin and hemicellulose between the fibrils to make at least some regions of the cell wall more susceptible to outflow by water-soluble salts;
a vapor explosion section in communication with the wet fibril disruption section and at least configured to volatilize plant fibril permeable fluid through rapid decompression to penetrate the more susceptible regions of the cell wall so as to create a porous organic-carbon-containing feedstock with plant cell wall passageways for intracellular water and intracellular water-soluble salts to pass from the plant cell; and
a compaction section in communication with the vapor explosion section and configured to compress the porous organic-carbon-containing feedstock between pressure plates so as to permit the escape of intracellular water and intracellular water-soluble salt from the reaction chamber fluid exit passageway and to create processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that passes out through its reaction chamber exit passageway; and
a collection device in communication with the reaction chamber and configured to gather the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock having a water content of less than 40% by weight and a water-soluble intracellular salt content that is decreased by at least 50% on a dry basis from that of the unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for producing processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock from an unprocessed carbon-containing feedstock are described. Unprocessed feedstock is introduced into and transported through at least one reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is configured for each feedstock to produce processed feedstock having a water-soluble intracellular salt reduction of at least 50 percent from that of unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock and a water content of less than 40 percent.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A system for removing water and water-soluble salts from an organic-carbon-containing feedstock, comprising:
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a transmission device configured to convey into a 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; at least one reaction chamber comprising at least one entrance passageway, at least one exit passageway for fluid, at least one exit passageway for processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock, and at least three sections, the sections comprising; a wet fibril disruption section configured to interact with at least some of the lignin and hemicellulose between the fibrils to make at least some regions of the cell wall more susceptible to outflow by water-soluble salts; a vapor explosion section in communication with the wet fibril disruption section and at least configured to volatilize plant fibril permeable fluid through rapid decompression to penetrate the more susceptible regions of the cell wall so as to create a porous organic-carbon-containing feedstock with plant cell wall passageways for intracellular water and intracellular water-soluble salts to pass from the plant cell; and a compaction section in communication with the vapor explosion section and configured to compress the porous organic-carbon-containing feedstock between pressure plates so as to permit the escape of intracellular water and intracellular water-soluble salt from the reaction chamber fluid exit passageway and to create processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock that passes out through its reaction chamber exit passageway; and a collection device in communication with the reaction chamber and configured to gather the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock having a water content of less than 40% by weight and a water-soluble intracellular salt content that is decreased by at least 50% on a dry basis from that of the unprocessed organic-carbon-containing feedstock. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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2. The system of claim wherein the unprocessed organic-carbon-containing comprises a water-soluble salt content of at least 4000 mg/kg on a dry basis.
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4. The system of claim wherein the organic-carbon-containing feedstock comprises at least two of a herbaceous plant material, a soft woody plant material, and a hard woody plant material,
wherein each type passes in series through the at least one reaction chamber, and wherein the energy density of each plant material in the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock is at least 13 MMBTU/ton (15 GJ/MT).
Specification