Processing materials

• US 9,816,231 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall, Masterman, Thomas Craig, Paradis, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): IPPOLITO, NICOLE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US15/178,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20170036186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 25045311, 25045411, 25045511, 2504921, 2504923
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/02 with moving adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/32 by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/44 Ion-selective electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/445 with bipolar membranes; Water splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0869 Feeding or evacuating the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0886 Gas-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 27/00 Jigging conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/04 Conveying materials in bulk pneumatically through pipes or tubes; Air slides
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/40 Feeding or discharging devices
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/149 with hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/12 containing four carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/023 for spark ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0476 Biodiesel, i.e. defined lower alkyl esters of fatty acids first generation biodiesel
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/36 Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/08 by heat treatments, e.g. calcining
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/00 : Means for after-treatment of the produced biomass or of the fermentation or metabolic products, e.g. storage of biomass filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/10 : Separation or concentration of fermentation products bioreactors combined with means for distillation or extraction of liquid fuel C12M43/02
• 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: C12P 2201/00 : Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2203/00 : Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/04 : acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 : Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 : substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/52 : Propionic acid; Butyric acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/56 : Lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 : obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 : Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/007 : by mechanical or physical means
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/92 : Protection against other undesired influences or dangers buildings providing protection against external dangers E04H9/00; shielding against dangerous radiation G21F
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/925 : Protection against harmful electro-magnetic or radio-active radiations, e.g. X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 7/00 : Shielded cells or rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/10 : with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/202 : Movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31 : Processing objects on a macro-scale
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3165 : Changing chemical properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/317 : for changing properties of the objects or for applying thin layers thereon, e.g. for ion implantation H01J37/36 takes precedence
• 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: Y02E 60/16 : Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 : Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 : using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/40 : Valorisation of by-products of wastewater, sewage or sludge processing

Abstract

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.

Claims

1. A system for processing a biomass material comprising:

a first treatment cell equipped with a first electron beam device for irradiating the biomass material with electron beams, and

a screw conveyor for cooling and conveying the irradiated biomass material from the first treatment cell.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second treatment cell equipped with an second electron beam device, wherein the screw conveyor conveys the biomass material from the first treatment cell to the second treatment cell.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the interior portions are cooled using a chilled liquid.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the interior portions are cooled using water or glycol water mixtures.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor has a material inlet and a material discharge.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 1 and 200 Mrad.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 10 Mrad and about 50 Mrad.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 20 Mrad and about 40 Mrad.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor further comprises a notched flight for comminuting the biomass material while it is conveyed.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the biomass comprises a lignocellulosic material.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the electron beam device comprises multiple accelerating heads.

15. A system for treating biomass, comprising:

a pneumatic conveyor for conveying treated biomass heated by treating with an electron beam; and

a screw conveyor for cooling the treated biomass, wherein the pneumatic conveyor is in fluid communication with the screw conveyor.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a bag filter disposed between the pneumatic conveyor and the screw conveyor for trapping fine biomass particles.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a treatment cell equipped with an electron beam device for irradiating the biomass with electron beams.