Pyrolysis vapor rapid filtration and conversion to fuel

A biomass pyrolysis process, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a heated container that encloses a moving bed granular filter, wherein the moving bed granular filter comprises a mixture that in turn comprises granular heat carrier and at least one catalyst;
• (b) heating the mixture in the heated container to temperature greater than 350° C. to produce a heated mixture that is conveyed to a pyrolysis reactor;
• (c) pyrolyzing a biomass feedstock in the pyrolysis reactor to produce pyrolysis vapors comprising a residual amount of entrained char particles, wherein rapid heating of the biomass feedstock is facilitated by contact with the heated mixture;
• (d) conveying the pyrolysis vapors out of the pyrolysis reactor and through the moving bed granular filter of step (a) to separate at least a portion of the residual entrained char particles and to catalytically upgrade the pyrolysis vapors, thereby producing low-particulate upgraded pyrolysis vapors and a solid stream comprising char and the mixture of step (a).

A biomass pyrolysis process, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a heated container that encloses a moving bed granular filter, wherein the moving bed granular filter comprises a mixture that in turn comprises granular heat carrier and at least one catalyst;
• (b) heating the mixture to greater than 480° C. in the heated container to produce a heated mixture that is conveyed to a pyrolysis reactor comprising at least one auger that facilitates movement of the granular heat carrier and the biomass feedstock through the pyrolysis reactor in a unidirectional manner;
• (c) pyrolyzing a biomass feedstock in the pyrolysis reactor to produce pyrolysis vapors comprising a residual amount of entrained char particles, wherein rapid heating of the biomass feedstock is facilitated by contact with the heated mixture;
• (d) conveying the pyrolysis vapors out of the pyrolysis reactor and through the moving bed granular filter of step (a) to separate at least a portion of the residual entrained char particles and to catalytically upgrade the pyrolysis vapors, thereby producing low-particulate upgraded pyrolysis vapors and a solid stream comprising char and the mixture of step (a).
• (e) contacting the low-particulate upgraded pyrolysis vapors with at least one additional upgrading catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon mixture fungible with a petroleum-derived transportation fuel, a hydrocarbon transportation fuel component, or mixtures thereof.