Systems and methods for separating water and removing solids from pre-treated and unfiltered feedstock

A method for separating water and removing solids from a pre-treated and unfiltered renewable feedstock, the method comprising:

• receiving a hydrothermal reactor effluent from a hydrothermal reactor, the hydrothermal reactor effluent produced from the hydrothermal reactor and comprising a renewable feedstock and contaminant-rich water;
• in response to a determination that an amount of water in the hydrothermal reactor effluent is less than a selected amount, injecting an additional amount of water into the hydrothermal reactor effluent, the additional amount of water based on the amount of the hydrothermal reactor effluent and an amount of water contained in a blend prior to the blend being passed to the hydrothermal reactor;
• passing the hydrothermal reactor effluent to an electrostatic precipitation unit;
• separating, via the electrostatic precipitation unit, the contaminant-rich water from the renewable feedstock, thereby to produce contaminant-rich water and a reduced-contaminant renewable feedstock;
• and
• during the separating, settling in the electrostatic precipitation unit, an amount of solids in the renewable feedstock, thereby to produce a reduced-contaminant and reduced-solids renewable feedstock.

A refinery process for separating water and solids from a pre-treated and unfiltered renewable feedstock at a refinery, the process comprising:

• heating, via a first heat exchanger of a refinery, a renewable feedstock, the renewable feedstock to include an amount of solids;
• heating, via a second heat exchanger of the refinery, water;
• blending the renewable feedstock and water, thereby to define a blend of water, a renewable feedstock, and solids;
• passing the blend to a hydrothermal reactor of a refinery;
• washing contaminants, via the hydrothermal reactor, contained in the renewable feedstock into the water during a first time interval, thereby to produce a hydrothermal reactor effluent;
• injecting an additional amount of water into the hydrothermal reactor effluent in response to a determination that an amount of water in the hydrothermal reactor effluent is less than a selected amount;
• determining the additional amount of water based on the amount of the hydrothermal reactor effluent and an amount of water in the blend prior to the blend being passed to the hydrothermal reactor;
• passing the hydrothermal reactor effluent to an electrostatic precipitation unit of the refinery;
• separating, by the electrostatic precipitation unit, the water containing the contaminants from the renewable feedstock in the hydrothermal reactor effluent to produce contaminant-rich water and a reduced-contaminant renewable feedstock during a second time interval;
• settling, in the electrostatic precipitation unit, the solids included in the renewable feedstock during the second time interval, thereby to produce a reduced-contaminant and reduced-solids renewable feedstock;
• and
• after the second time interval, passing the reduced-contaminant and reduced-solids renewable feedstock to a fractionation column of the refinery.