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US 12,252,654 B2Granted
Integrated biomass gasification and electrolysis
AssigneeExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
InventorsJames R. Bielenberg, Brandon J. O'Neill, Zarath M. Summers
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for integration of electrolysis with biomass gasification to generate synthesis gas that can be used for production of renewable fuels and/or other hydrocarbonaceous compounds. The hydrocarbonaceous compounds can include compounds formed by chemical synthesis, such as alkanes formed by a Fischer-Tropsch process or methanol formed by a methanol synthesis process; or the hydrocarbonaceous compounds can include compounds formed by fermentation, such as alcohols formed by micro-organisms that use the synthesis gas as an input feed.
Claims20
A method for forming renewable fuels, comprising:
- exposing a feedstock comprising biomass to gasification conditions in a gasification reaction system to form at least a gasification output gas stream comprising H2, CO, and CO2, the gasification output gas stream comprising a molar ratio of H2 to CO of 1.5 or less, the gasification reaction system comprising a reaction environment O2 concentration;
- performing electrolysis to form a first molar quantity of H2 and a second molar quantity of O2;
- combining at least a portion of the gasification output gas stream with at least a portion of the first molar quantity of H2 to form an enriched synthesis gas having a molar ratio of H2 to CO of 1.8 to 2.2;
- passing at least a portion of the second molar quantity of O2 into the gasification reaction system to maintain the reaction environment O2 concentration;
- forming hydrocarbonaceous compounds from at least a portion of the enriched synthesis gas;
- exposing the feedstock comprising biomass to second gasification conditions in the gasification reaction system to form at least a second gasification output gas stream comprising H2, CO, and CO2, the second gasification output gas stream comprising a second molar ratio of H2 to CO that is lower than the molar ratio of H2 to CO for the gasification output stream, the second gasification conditions comprising a reaction environment O2 concentration that is at least partially maintained based on providing an oxygen-containing input stream with an oxygen content of 70 vol % or less;
- and
- forming hydrocarbonaceous compounds from at least a portion of the second gasification output stream.
5 more elements
A method for forming renewable fuels, comprising:
- exposing a feedstock comprising biomass to gasification conditions in a gasification reaction system to form at least a gasification output gas stream comprising H2, CO, and CO2, the gasification output gas stream comprising a molar ratio of H2 to CO of 1.5 or less, the gasification reaction system comprising a reaction environment O2 concentration:
- performing electrolysis to form a first molar quantity of H2 and a second molar quantity of O2;
- combining at least a portion of the gasification output gas stream with at least a portion of the first molar quantity of H2 to form an enriched synthesis gas having a molar ratio of H2 to CO of 1.8 to 2.2;
- passing at least a portion of the second molar quantity of O2 into the gasification reaction system to maintain the reaction environment O2 concentration;
- forming hydrocarbonaceous compounds from at least a portion of the enriched synthesis gas;
- exposing the feedstock comprising biomass to second gasification conditions in the gasification reaction system to form at least a second gasification output gas stream comprising H2, CO, and CO2, the second gasification output gas stream comprising a second molar ratio of H2 to CO that is lower than the molar ratio of H2 to CO for the gasification output stream, the second gasification conditions comprising a reaction environment O2 concentration that is at least partially maintained based on providing an oxygen-containing input stream with an oxygen content of 70 vol % or less;
- performing electrolysis to form a third molar quantity of H2 that is lower than the first molar quantity of H2,
- combining at least a portion of the second gasification output gas stream with at least a portion of the third molar quantity of H2 to form a second enriched synthesis gas having a molar ratio of H2 to CO of less than 1.8;
- and
- forming hydrocarbonaceous compounds from at least a portion of the second enriched synthesis gas.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.