Methods for production of bio-crude oil
AssigneeKvasir Technologies ApS c/o Alfa Laval
InventorJoachim Bachmann Nielsen
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Abstract
Where thermochemical liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass is conducted using recirculated product oil as solvent, yields can be substantially increased by addition of a short chain alcohol reactant such as ethanol or methanol. A synergistic effect is thereby obtained where liquefaction is improved over using either recycled product oil or alcohol alone. The combination of re-circulated product oil and alcohol reactant permits high conversion at operating pressures considerably lower than typically applied in alcohol solvolysis, typically within the range 30-60 bar. The liquefaction reaction occurs at subcritical pressure where the alcohol acts as a gaseous reactant and not as a solvent.
Claims23
A method for production of bio-crude oil comprising the steps of:
- (i). Providing lignocellulosic biomass, and
- (ii). Subjecting said biomass to thermochemical treatment at temperature between 25° and 450° C. for residence time between 1 and 120 minutes as a slurry formed with re-circulated product oil obtained from previous thermochemical treatment of lignocellulosic biomass to which slurry is added a short-chain alcohol reactant in an amount corresponding to between 2% and 150% of the slurry dry weight,
- wherein the ratio of biomass to re-circulated product oil is within the range 1:1 and 1:5 w/w and the ratio of biomass to added alcohol is within the range 1:9 and 5:1 w/w, and
- wherein thermochemical treatment is conducted under conditions where the partial pressure of the alcohol reactant is lower than 60 bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.