# US 11,993,754 B2 · Systems and methods of converting renewable feedstocks into intermediate hydrocarbon blend stocks and transportation fuels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,754 B2 - Document ID: US11993754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/240,309 - Filed: 2023-08-30 - Published: 2023-12-28 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-12 - Assignees: Marathon Petroleum Company LP - Applicants: Marathon Petroleum Company LP - Inventors: Justin L. Womeldorff; Jeffrey A. Sexton; David Linington - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993754B2 ## CPC - C10G 3/50: {in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds} - C10L 1/146: {Macromolecular compounds according to different macromolecular groups, mixtures thereof} - C10L 1/02: essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only - C10L 1/026: {for compression ignition} - C10L 1/06: for spark ignition - C12P 7/06: Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage - C10L 2200/0484: Vegetable or animal oils - C10L 2270/026: for diesel engines, e.g. automobiles, stationary, marine - C10L 2290/24: Mixing, stirring of fuel components - C10L 2300/20: Mixture of two components - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Systems and methods to provide renewable transportation fuels for internal combustion engines by converting renewable feedstocks into two or more intermediate hydrocarbon blend stocks and blending at least two of the two or more intermediate hydrocarbon blend stocks to produce the renewable transportation fuel. Methods and/or processes may include selecting sugar from a sugar source and introducing the sugar into one or more reactors. The sugar may be converted into an intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock and sent to a separation unit to separate out an intermediate renewable gasoline unit. The process may include selecting and converting a lipid from a lipid source into a renewable diesel product. The renewable diesel product may be sent to a second separation unit to separate out renewable diesel and a low-grade naphtha. The low-grade naphtha and intermediate renewable gasoline may be blended to define a finished renewable gasoline. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process to provide renewable transportation fuels, the process comprising: converting sugar in one or more reactors into an intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock within the one or more reactors; separating at least an intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock from the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock; providing one or more lipids to a renewable diesel unit the one or more lipids comprising one or more of vegetable oils, animal fats, or used cooking oil; operating the renewable diesel unit to yield a renewable diesel product from the one or more lipids; separating at least renewable diesel and low-grade naphtha of the renewable diesel product, the low-grade naphtha having a benzene content less than about 0.5 volume percent and a research octane number of less than about 60; and blending the low-grade naphtha and the intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock so that a resulting blend defines a finished renewable gasoline. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the renewable diesel product includes at least the low-grade naphtha and the renewable diesel, and the process further comprising: selecting, via one or more controllers, the sugar from a sugar source, providing the sugar from the sugar source to the one or more reactors, prior to providing the one or more lipids into the renewable diesel unit, and selecting, via the one or more controllers, the one or more lipids from a lipid source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the sugar source comprises sugar processed in a wet or dry mill. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising: introducing a carbohydrate feedstock to an ethanol plant; operating an ethanol fermentation and distillation process in the ethanol plant to convert the carbohydrate feedstock into at least an ethanol product; separating an ethanol blend stock from the ethanol product in an ethanol separator; and blending the ethanol blend stock with the low-grade naphtha and the intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock so that the resulting blend defines the finished renewable gasoline. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising: introducing renewable natural gas as a reformer unit feedstock to a reformer unit; producing at least hydrogen gas through conversion of the renewable natural gas in the reformer unit; and introducing at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into at least one of the one or more reactors to hydrogenate the sugar or dehydrodeoxygenate the hydrogenated sugar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising: introducing renewable natural gas as a reformer unit feedstock to a reformer unit; producing at least hydrogen gas by conversion of the renewable natural gas in the reformer unit; and introducing at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into the renewable diesel unit to produce the renewable diesel and the low-grade naphtha. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock further includes a first sustainable aviation fuel blend stock that contains synthesized kerosene (SK) or synthesized aromatic kerosene (SAK) and the renewable diesel product further includes a second sustainable aviation fuel blend stock that contains hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, further comprising: separating the first sustainable aviation fuel blend stock from the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock in a first separation unit; separating the second sustainable aviation fuel blend stock from the renewable diesel unit in a second separation unit; and blending the first sustainable aviation fuel blend stock and the second sustainable aviation fuel blend stock into a renewable sustainable aviation fuel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock further includes a precursor marine fuel blend stock. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9, further comprising: separating the precursor marine fuel blend stock from the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock in a first separation unit; and blending an amount of the renewable diesel with the precursor marine fuel blend stock to define a renewable marine fuel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the finished renewable gasoline is outputted as a non-petroleum-based fuel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the finished renewable gasoline is substantially devoid of any fossil fuel-derived components, and wherein the converting of the sugar comprises a conversion through (a) hydrogenation of the sugar, (b) hydrodeoxygenation of the hydrogenated sugar, and (c) acid condensation of the hydrodeoxygenated, hydrogenated sugar. ### Claim 13 A process to provide renewable transportation fuels, the process comprising: converting sugar in one or more reactors into an intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock within the one or more reactors; passing the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock through a first separation unit, thereby to separate out at least a first sustainable aviation fuel blend stock that contains one or more of synthesized kerosene (SK) or synthesized aromatic kerosene (SAK); operating a renewable diesel unit, thereby to yield a renewable diesel product from one or more lipids in the renewable diesel unit; passing the renewable diesel product through a second separation unit to separate out at least a second sustainable aviation fuel blend stock that has at least one of hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK); and blending at least the first sustainable aviation fuel blend stock and the second sustainable aviation fuel blend stock so that a resulting blend defines a sustainable aviation fuel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, further comprising: selecting the sugar from a sugar source; providing the sugar to the one or more reactors, selecting the one or more lipids from a lipid source; and providing the one or more lipids to the renewable diesel unit, and wherein the converting of the sugar comprises a conversion through (a) hydrogenation of the sugar, (b) hydrodeoxygenation of the hydrogenated sugar, and (c) acid condensation of the hydrodeoxygenated, hydrogenated sugar. ### Claim 15 A process to provide renewable transportation fuels, the process comprising: converting sugar into an intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock; passing the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock through a first separation unit to separate out at least a sustainable marine fuel blend stock; operating a renewable diesel unit having one or more lipids therein, thereby to yield a renewable diesel product from the one or more lipids; passing the renewable diesel product through a second separation unit to separate out at least a renewable diesel; and blending at least the sustainable marine fuel blend stock and the renewable diesel so that the resulting blend defines a sustainable marine fuel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, further comprising introducing the sugar to one or more reactors, selecting the sugar from a sugar source, and selecting the one or more lipids from a lipid source, and wherein the converting of the sugar comprises a conversion through (a) hydrogenation of the sugar, (b) hydrodeoxygenation of the hydrogenated sugar, and (c) acid condensation of the hydrodeoxygenated, hydrogenated sugar. ### Claim 17 A system to provide renewable transportation fuels, the system comprising: one or more reactors, having an inlet to receive sugar and an outlet, configured to hydrogenate the sugar, hydrodeoxygenate the hydrogenated sugar, and facilitate acid condensation of the hydrodeoxygenated, hydrogenated sugar when the sugar is positioned in the one or more reactors, thereby to produce an intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock; a first separation unit connected to and in fluid communication with the outlet of the one or more reactors, the first separation unit operable to separate the intermediate renewable hydrocarbon blend stock into at least an intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock; a renewable diesel unit having an inlet to receive one or more lipids and an outlet, the renewable diesel unit configured to yield a renewable diesel product from the one or more lipids when positioned in the renewable diesel unit; a second separation unit connected to and in fluid communication with the outlet of the renewable diesel unit, the second separation unit operable to separate the renewable diesel product into at least a renewable diesel blend stock and a low-grade naphtha, the low-grade naphtha having a benzene content less than about 0.5 volume percent and a research octane number of less than about 60; and a blending unit to blend together at least the intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock from the first separation unit and the low-grade naphtha from the second separation unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: a source of carbohydrate feedstock; an ethanol production plant with an inlet that receives the carbohydrate feedstock from the source of carbohydrate feedstock, the ethanol production plant operable to convert the carbohydrate feedstock into an ethanol blend stock that leaves the ethanol production plant through an outlet thereof; and a flow line between the outlet of the ethanol production plant and the blending unit to pass the ethanol blend stock to the blending unit for blending with the intermediate renewable gasoline blend stock and the low-grade naphtha. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: a source of renewable natural gas; a hydrogen production unit with an inlet that receives the renewable natural gas from the source of renewable natural gas, the hydrogen production unit operable to convert the renewable natural gas into a hydrogen gas that leaves the hydrogen production unit through one or more outlets thereof; a first flow line between the one or more outlets of the hydrogen production unit and the one or more reactors to provide a first portion of the hydrogen gas thereto; and a second flow line between the one or more outlets of the hydrogen production unit and the renewable diesel unit to provide a second portion of the hydrogen gas thereto.