# US 2019/0169518 A1 · Systems and apparatus for production of high-carbon biogenic reagents

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- Number: US 2019/0169518 A1
- Document ID: US20190169518A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/199,705
- Filed: 2018-11-26
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-15
- Assignees: Carbon Technology Holdings, LLC
- Applicants: Carbon Technology Holdings, LLC
- Inventors: James A. Mennell; Daniel J. Despen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169518A1

## CPC

- C10L 5/447: {Carbonized vegetable substances, e.g. charcoal, or produced by hydrothermal carbonization of biomass}
- B01J 21/18: Carbon
- C01B 32/312: Preparation
- C01B 32/318: characterised by the starting materials
- C10B 39/00: Cooling or quenching coke
- C10B 39/02: Dry cooling outside the oven
- C10B 41/00: Safety devices, e.g. signalling or controlling devices for use in the discharge of coke
- C10B 43/02: Removing incrustations
- C10B 45/00: Other details
- C10B 47/30: in rotary ovens or retorts
- C10B 49/02: with hot gases or vapours, e.g. hot gases obtained by partial combustion of the charge
- C10B 53/02: of cellulose-containing material (production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00)
- C10B 57/02: Multi-step carbonising or coking processes
- C10B 57/06: containing additives
- C10B 57/10: Drying
- C10L 5/04: Raw material {of mineral origin} to be used; Pretreatment thereof {(pretreatment of fuels of non-mineral origin C10L5/40)}
- C10L 5/36: Shape
- C10L 5/363: {Pellets or granulates}
- C10L 5/365: {Logs}
- C10L 5/366: {Powders}
- C10L 5/442: {Wood or forestry waste}
- C21B 5/007: {Conditions of the cokes or characterised by the cokes used}
- C21C 5/52: Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces {(C21C5/005 takes precedence)}
- C22B 4/02: Light metals {(C22B4/005 takes precedence)}
- H01B 1/04: mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
- C10L 2200/0204: Metals or alloys
- C10L 2200/025: Halogen containing compounds
- C10L 2200/0469: Renewables or materials of biological origin
- C10L 2290/02: Combustion or pyrolysis
- C10L 2290/06: Heat exchange, direct or indirect
- C10L 2290/08: Drying or removing water
- C10L 2290/145: of air
- C10L 2290/28: Cutting, disintegrating, shredding or grinding
- C10L 2290/30: Pressing, compressing or compacting
- C10L 2290/50: Screws or pistons for moving along solids
- C10L 2290/52: Hoppers
- C10L 2290/58: Control or regulation of the fuel preparation of upgrading process
- C10L 2290/60: Measuring or analysing fractions, components or impurities or process conditions during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
- C21B 13/0066: {Preliminary conditioning of the solid carbonaceous reductant}
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02P 10/143: of methane [CH4]
- Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
- Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
- Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin
- Y02W 10/30: Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies
- Y02W 10/37: using solar energy
- 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
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295)
- C21B: MANUFACTURE OF IRON OR STEEL (preliminary treatment of ferrous ores or scrap C22B1/00)
- C21C: PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
- C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- 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
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into highcarbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-60. (canceled)

### Claim 60

A biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor comprising a material feed system, a plurality of spatially separated reaction zones configured for separately controlling temperature and mixing within each of said reaction zones, and a carbonaceous-solids outlet, wherein one of said reaction zones is configured with a first gas inlet for introducing a substantially inert gas into said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor, and wherein one of said reaction zones is configured with a first gas outlet.

### Claim 61 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor includes at least two reaction zones.

### Claim 62 (depends on 57)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 57, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor includes at least three reaction zones.

### Claim 63 (depends on 62)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 62, wherein said reactor includes at least four reaction zones.

### Claim 64 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein each of said reaction zones is disposed in communication with separately adjustable indirect heating means, each independently selected from the group consisting of electrical heat transfer, steam heat transfer, hot-oil heat transfer, waste-heat transfer, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 65 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured for separately adjusting gas-phase composition and gas-phase residence time of at least two reaction zones.

### Claim 66 (depends on 65)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 65, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured for separately adjusting gas-phase composition and gas-phase residence time of all reaction zones present in said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor.

### Claim 67 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured with a second gas inlet and/or a second gas outlet.

### Claim 68 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured with a gas inlet in each reaction zone.

### Claim 69 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured with a gas outlet in each reaction zone.

### Claim 70 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is a countercurrent reactor.

### Claim 71 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said material feed system comprises a feed mechanism selected from the group consisting of a screw, an auger, a drop chamber, and a drum feeder.

### Claim 72 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said carbonaceous-solids outlet comprises an output mechanism selected from the group consisting of a screw, an auger, a drop chamber, and a drum feeder.

### Claim 73 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein each of said reaction zones is configured with flights disposed on internal walls, to provide agitation of solids.

### Claim 74 (depends on 73)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 73, wherein said flights are separately adjustable in each of said reaction zones.

### Claim 75 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is an axially rotatable reactor.

### Claim 76 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor includes a single auger disposed throughout each of said reaction zones.

### Claim 77 (depends on 60)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 60, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured for extracting and reusing gases from the first gas outlet.

### Claim 78 (depends on 69)

The biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor of claim 69, wherein said biomass pyrolysis continuous reactor is configured for extracting and reusing gases from the gas outlet in each zone.