Systems and methods for reducing rendered fats pour point

A method of reducing pour point for a blended fat composition to transport the blended fat composition from a first location to a second location, the method comprising:

• supplying a selected quantity of rendered fats and a selected quantity of a biological-based oil to a first tank positioned at the first location, the rendered fats being supplied at a first selected temperature equal to or greater than a pour point of the rendered fats and the biological-based oil being supplied at a second selected temperature lower than the first selected temperature and equal to or greater than a pour point of the biological-based oil;
• mixing the selected quantity of rendered fats and the selected quantity of the biological-based oil in the first tank so as to define a blended fat composition in the first tank, the blended fat composition having a third selected temperature less than the first selected temperature and greater than the second selected temperature and high enough so that the third selected temperature is equal to or greater than a pour point of the blended fat composition so that the blended fat composition has a reduced pour point;
• maintaining the third selected temperature of the blended fat composition in the first tank so that the blended fat composition has a reduced pour point less than the pour point of the rendered fats supplied to the first tank;
• supplying the blended fat composition having the reduced pour point to one or more transport vehicles, the one or more transport vehicles each configured to maintain the blended fat composition at a temperature above the reduced pour point during transport;
• and
• transporting the blended fat composition to the second location remote from the first location so as to maintain the blended fat composition at a temperature above the reduced pour point.

A system to reduce pour point for a blended fat composition to transport the blended fat composition from a first location to a second location, the system comprising:

• a first source of rendered fats having a selected quantity of the rendered fats at a first selected temperature equal to or greater than a pour point of the rendered fats;
• a second source of a biological-based oil having a select quantity of the biological-based oil at a second selected temperature lower than the first selected temperature and equal to or greater than a pour point of the biological-based oil the biological-based oil;
• a first tank positioned to receive the rendered fats from the first source and the biological-based oil from the second source at a first location, the first tank including one or more mixing elements, thereby to mix the rendered fats and the biological oil in the first tank so as to define a blend fat composition, the blended fat composition also having a reduced pour point less than the pour point of the rendered fats received by the first tank;
• a first pump positioned between the first source of rendered fats and the first tank, the first pump configured to pump the rendered fats to be received by the first tank;
• a first flow control valve connected to and in fluid communication with the first source of rendered fats and connected to and in fluid communication with the first tank, the first flow control valve configured to supply the selected a quantity of rendered fats to the first tank;
• a first meter disposed at a position between the first pump and the first tank to measure an amount of rendered fats supplied to the first tank;
• a second pump positioned between the second source of the biological-based oil and the first tank, the second pump configured to pump the biological-based oil to be received by the first tank;
• a second flow control valve connected to and in fluid communication with the second and connected to and in fluid communication with the first tank, the second flow control valve configured to control supply of the selected quantity of the biological-based oil to the first tank;
• a second meter disposed at a position between the second pump and the first tank, thereby to measure an amount of the biological-based oil supplied to the first tank;
• and
• a second tank positioned at the second location to receive the blended fat composition, the second tank including the mixing element and a heating element to maintain the blended fat composition at the reduced pour point.

A controller for a system for reducing pour point of a blended fat composition to transport the blended fat composition from a first location to a second location to process the blended fat composition into a fuel, the controller comprising:

• a first input/output in signal communication with a rendered fats flow control valve, the rendered fats flow control valve connected to and in fluid communication with a first source of rendered fats and connected to and in fluid communication with a first tank, the rendered fats flow control valve configured to supply a selected quantity of rendered fats to the first tank to create a blended fat composition, such that the controller is configured to adjust a flowrate of the selected quantity of rendered fats for supply to the first tank;
• a second input/output in signal communication with a flow control valve, the flow control valve connected to and in fluid communication with a second source of a biological-based oil and connected to and in fluid communication with the first tank, the flow control valve configured to supply a selected quantity of the biological-based oil to the first tank to create the blended fat composition, such that the controller is configured to adjust a flowrate of a selected quantity of biological-based oil for supply to the first tank;
• a third input/output in signal communication with a first tank flow control valve, the first tank flow control valve connected to and in fluid communication with the first tank and connected to and in fluid communication with one or more transport vehicles, the first tank flow control valve configured to supply a quantity of blended fat composition to the one or more transport vehicles to transport to a second location, such that the controller is configured to adjust a flowrate of the quantity of blended fat composition for supply to the one or more transport vehicles;
• a fourth input/output in signal communication with a rendered fats pump, the rendered fats pump positioned between the first source of rendered fats and the first tank, the rendered fats pump configured to supply rendered fats to the first tank such that the controller is configured to adjust the speed of the rendered fats pump thereby modifying the flowrate of the selected quantity of rendered fats supplied to the first tank;
• a fifth input/output in signal communication with a first tank pump, the first tank pump positioned between the first tank and the one or more transport vehicles, the first tank pump configured to supply the blended fat composition to the one or more transport vehicles such that the controller is configured to adjust the speed of the first tank pump, to thereby modify the flowrate of a quantity of blended fat composition supplied to the first tank;
• a sixth input/output in signal communication with a mixing element, the mixing element positioned at the first tank to mix the selected quantity of rendered fats and the selected quantity of biological-based oil at the first tank, such that the controller is configured to control operability of the mixing element at the first tank;
• a seventh input/output in signal communication with a rendered fats flow meter, the rendered fats flow meter disposed at a position between the rendered fats pump and the first tank to measure an amount of rendered fats supplied to the first tank to create the blended fat composition, the controller configured to measure the flowrate of the rendered fats to the first tank;
• an eighth input/output in signal communication with a meter, the meter disposed at a position between the pump and the first tank to measure an amount of the biological-based oil supplied to the first tank to create the blended fat composition, the controller configured to measure the flowrate of the biological-based oil to the first tank;
• and
• a ninth input/output in signal communication with a first tank flow meter, the first tank flow meter disposed at a position between the first tank and the one or more transport vehicles to measure an amount of blended fat composition supplied to the one or more transport vehicles to transport to the second location, the controller configured to measure the flowrate of the blended fat composition from the first tank.