Distillation system and method using microwave-assisted pyrolysis
AssigneeResynergi, Inc.
InventorsRongsheng Ruan, Erik Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A distillation apparatus for use in microwave-assisted pyrolysis includes a microwave, a pyrolysis reactor, a microwave-absorbent bed, and a condenser. The pyrolysis reactor is located within the microwave and configured to receive a liquid input stream and to output a vapor. The microwave-absorbent bed is located within the pyrolysis reactor that converts microwave energy provided by the microwave to thermal energy to initiate pyrolysis within the pyrolysis reactor, wherein the pyrolysis reactor provides a vapor output. The condenser is configured to receive the vapor output of the pyrolysis reactor and to cool and condense the vapor into a recoverable product.
Claims11
A method of recovering methyl ester from vacuum distillation bottoms (VDBs) generated as a byproduct of vacuum distillation of a biodiesel, the method comprising:
- supplying a pyrolysis reactor that includes a microwave susceptible bed susceptible to microwave irradiation;
- applying microwave energy to a pyrolysis reactor that includes a microwave susceptible bed susceptible to microwave irradiation, wherein the microwave susceptible bed converts the microwave energy to thermal energy;
- supplying the VDBs to the microwave susceptible bed after the microwave susceptible bed has obtained a steady state temperature;
- and
- condensing a vapor generated by pyrolysis of the VDBs to collect methyl ester.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.