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US 11,912,637 B1Granted
Systems and/or methods for producing synthetic hydrocarbons from biomass
OwnerMatthew D. Merrillinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can include and/or relate to, converting biomass to synthetic hydrocarbons using a biomass thermal decomposer and/or a hydrocarbon synthesizer.
Claims28
A system configured for converting biomass to synthetic hydrocarbons, the system comprising:
- a biomass preparer configured to:
- sort and/or change a particle size, density, and/or dryness of a received biomass provided to the biomass preparer sufficiently for a resulting prepared biomass to have, on average, dimensions between approximately 0.5 and approximately 30 centimeters, a bulk density between approximately 0.2 and approximately 0.9 kilogram/liter, and/or a dryness between 0 and approximately 30 weight percent;
- and
- convey and/or store sufficient prepared biomass to operate a first thermal decomposer for at least 2 hours at approximately a nameplate input flow rate of the first thermal decomposer;
- the first thermal decomposer, wherein the first thermal decomposer is configured to convert prepared biomass, combined with a hydrocarbon-comprising gas supplied from an external source, into synthesis gas;
- a synthesis gas cleaner configured to produce cleaned synthesis gas from synthesis gas;
- a hydrocarbon synthesizer configured to produce synthetic hydrocarbons from synthesis gas and/or hydrogen-comprising gas;
- and
- a mass and/or heat integrator configured to recycle and supply carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, steam, one or more hydrocarbons, hydrogen-comprising gas, and/or material received from the hydrocarbon synthesizer to the first thermal decomposer, a second thermal decomposer, a hydrogen generator, and/or the hydrocarbon synthesizer.
6 more elements
A method for converting biomass to synthetic hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
- via a biomass preparer:
- sorting and/or changing a particle size, density, and/or dryness of a received biomass provided to the biomass preparer sufficiently for a resulting prepared biomass to have, on average, dimensions between approximately and approximately 30 centimeters, a bulk density between approximately 0.2 and approximately 0.9 kilograms/liter, and/or a dryness between 0 and approximately 30 weight percent;
- and
- conveying and/or storing a volume of prepared biomass that is sufficient for operating a first thermal decomposer for at least 2 hours at approximately a nameplate biomass input flow rate of the first thermal decomposer;
- via the first thermal decomposer, converting a supplied portion of prepared biomass, combined with a hydrocarbon-comprising gas supplied from an external source, into synthesis gas;
- via a synthesis gas cleaner, producing cleaned synthesis gases from synthesis gas;
- via a hydrocarbon synthesizer, producing synthetic hydrocarbons from synthesis gas and/or hydrogen-comprising gas;
- via a mass and/or heat integrator, recycling carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, steam, hydrocarbon, hydrogen-comprising gas, and/or material received from the hydrocarbon synthesizer to the first thermal decomposer, a second thermal decomposer, a hydrogen generator, and/or the hydrocarbon synthesizer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.