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US 2013/0252283 A1Published application
Processing biomass
AssigneeXyleco, Inc.
InventorsMarshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol. Biomass feedstock is saccharified in a vessel by operation of a jet mixer, the vessel also containing a fluid medium and a saccharifying agent.
Claims19
1-28. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- converting a low molecular weight sugar to a product by mixing the low molecular weight sugar with a microorganism in a fluid medium, using a jet mixer, wherein the jet mixer comprises a jet-flow agitator and the vessel has an arcuate bottom surface and a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the jet flow agitator is offset laterally from a longitudinal axis of the vessel.
(canceled)
A feedstock saccharification apparatus comprising:
- a tank,
- a feedstock delivery device configured to deliver a feedstock to the tank, and
- a feedstock processing agent delivery device configured to deliver a metered amount of a feedstock processing agent to the tank, and
- a jet mixer having a nozzle disposed within the tank and configured to mix the delivered biomass feedstock and saccharifying agent wherein the jet mixer comprises a plurality of jet-flow agitators, each jet-flow agitator being configured to operate reversibly, pumping fluid towards the top of the vessel in a first mode, and towards the bottom of the vessel in a second mode.
1 more element
40-47. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.