Process for producing volatile organic compounds from biomass material

• US 9,359,557 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shell USA Incorporated (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Phillip Guy, Radtke, Corey William, Kreitman, Keith Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebreyesus, Kagnew H
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US13/895,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20130309735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 435/161, 435/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/002 in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/02 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 3/46 in combination with chromium, molybdenum, tungsten metals or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 3/50 in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C12F 3/10 from distillery slops
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/00 Preparation of hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/026 Unsaturated compounds, i.e. alkenes, alkynes or allenes
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/00 Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• 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 30/20 using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/678 Aviation using fuels of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material, particularly on a larger scale, such as on the commercialization or industrial scale. According to one aspect of the invention, the method comprises (a) generating at least about 10 tons of prepared biomass material by adding a microbe, optionally an acid, and optionally, an enzyme to a solid biomass; (b) storing the prepared biomass material for at least about 24 hours in a storage facility to allow production of at least one volatile organic compound from at least a portion of the sugar in the solid biomass; and (c) capturing the at least one volatile organic compound by using a solventless recovery system.

Claims

1. A method for producing ethanol comprising:

generating at least about 10 tons of prepared biomass material comprising at least one additive added to a lignocellulosic biomass comprising a sugar, wherein said at least one additive comprises a microbe, an acid, and/or an enzyme;

storing the prepared biomass material for at least about 24 hours in a storage facility to generate a stored, prepared biomass material having about 2 wt % to about 50 wt % ethanol;

introducing the stored, prepared biomass material to a pressurized compartment of a recovery system;

contacting the stored, prepared biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the pressurized compartment to vaporize at least a portion of the ethanol in the stored, prepared biomass material to provide at least a portion of a vapor component;

retaining an amount of the vapor component in the recovery system for use as at least part of the superheated vapor stream;

providing another amount of the vapor component to a distillation unit and releasing from the system at least a portion of the stored, prepared biomass material after vaporization to provide a solid component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least about 700 tons of prepared biomass material is generated in a time period in a range of about 1 to 7 months.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least about 25,000 tons of prepared biomass material is generated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least about 100,000 tons of prepared biomass material is generated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least about 1,200,000 tons of prepared biomass is generated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein about 14-16 gallons of ethanol is recovered per one ton of prepared biomass material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least one fermentable sugar producing plant.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one fermentable sugar producing plant comprises at least one of sorghum, sugarcane, sugar beet, energy cane, and any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least two different plant types, wherein each plant type has a different harvest season.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one sugar-producing plant is harvested when said plant has reached at least about 80% of its sugar production potential.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises a stalk component and a leaf component of the at least one sugar-producing plant.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step comprises storing the prepared biomass material for a time period in a range of about 72 hours to about 700 days.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step comprises storing the prepared biomass material for a time period sufficient to allow a conversion efficiency of sugar to at least one volatile organic compound of at least about 95%.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage facility is located about 0.5 mile from the recovery system.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further comprises forming at least one pile of prepared biomass material having a height of at least about 10 feet.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the forming of the at least one pile further comprises compacting at least a portion of the prepared biomass material to facilitate establishing of an anaerobic environment.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid component contains liquid in a range of about 30 wt % to about 70 wt %.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the superheated vapor stream contains ethanol in a range of about 1 wt % and about 50 wt %.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid component exiting the recovery system has a temperature of less than about 50°

C.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating the recovery system at a pressure in a range of 3 psig to about 60 psig.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing in a range of 50% to 95% of the ethanol in the stored prepared biomass material.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing in a range of 50% to 90% of the ethanol in the stored prepared biomass material.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

operating the recovery system at steady state where the superheated vapor stream consists essentially of the vapor component.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the superheated vapor stream comprises about 4 wt % to 15 wt % ethanol.

25. A method for processing producing a storable wet biomass containing ethanol, said method comprising:

adding at least one additive to at least about 10 tons of a solid lignocellulosic biomass to generate a prepared biomass material, said solid lignocellulosic biomass comprising a sugar-producing plant, wherein said at least one additive comprises a microbe, an acid, and/or an enzyme;

allowing conversion of at least a portion of the sugar in the prepared biomass material into ethanol to produce a stored, prepared biomass material, wherein said stored, prepared biomass material comprises about 2 wt % to about 50 wt % ethanol;

wherein the prepared biomass material is capable of being stored for up to about 700 days without significant degradation of the ethanol;

introducing the stored, prepared biomass material comprising the ethanol to a recovery system to separate the stored, prepared biomass material into at least a vapor component comprising ethanol and a solid component;

contacting the stored, prepared biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in a pressurized compartment of the recovery system to vaporize at least a portion of the ethanol in the stored, prepared biomass material to provide at least a portion of a vapor component;

retaining at least a portion an amount of the vapor component in the recovery system for use as at least part of the superheated vapor stream; and

releasing from the system at least a portion of the stored, prepared biomass material after vaporization to provide the solid component.

26. A method comprising:

providing at least 10 tons of a stored prepared biomass material to a recovery system, wherein the stored, prepared biomass material comprises in a range of 2 wt % to 50 wt % ethanol; and

wherein the stored, prepared biomass material is generated by adding at least one of a microbe and an acid to a lignocellulosic biomass to generate a prepared biomass material and storing the prepared biomass material for at least 24 hours;

contacting the stored, prepared biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in a compartment of the recovery system to vaporize at least a portion of the ethanol provide at least a portion of the vapor component;

retaining an amount of the vapor component in the recovery system for use as at least part of the superheated vapor stream; and

releasing from the compartment at least a portion of the stored, prepared biomass material after vaporization to provide a solid component.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least one fermentable sugar producing plant.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one fermentable sugar producing plant comprises at least one of sorghum, sugarcane, sugar beet, energy cane, and any combination thereof.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising operating the recovery system to vaporize 50% to 95% of the ethanol in the stored prepared biomass material and to produce a vapor component comprising about 1 wt % to 50 wt % ethanol and a solid component comprising liquid in a range of about 30 wt % to about 70 wt %.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the superheated vapor stream comprises about 1 wt % to 50 wt % ethanol.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the solid component exiting the recovery system has a temperature of less than about 50°

C.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising operating the recovery system at a pressure in a range of 3 psig to about 60 psig.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the retaining of an amount of vapor component produces a superheated vapor stream that consists essentially of the vapor component.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the superheated vapor stream comprises about 4 wt % to 15 wt % ethanol.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing an amount of the vapor component to a distillation unit to generate an overhead product stream comprising ethanol.