Converting biomass to gasoline
OwnerMartin Atkinsinventor
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process and system for forming a bio-derived gasoline fuel from a biomass feedstock, and the bio-derived gasoline fuel formed therefrom. The present invention also relates to a process and system for forming a bio-derived gasoline fuel from a bio-derived hydrocarbon feedstock, and the bio-derived gasoline fuel formed therefrom.
Claims71
A process for forming a bio-gasoline fuel from a biomass feedstock, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a biomass feedstock;
- b. ensuring the moisture content of the biomass feedstock is 10% or less by weight of the biomass feedstock;
- c. pyrolysing the low moisture biomass feedstock at a temperature of at least 950° C. to form a mixture of biochar, hydrocarbon feedstock, non-condensable light gases, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane, and water;
- d. separating the hydrocarbon feedstock from the mixture formed in step c.;
- e. cracking the hydrocarbon feedstock of step d. using a fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC) process to produce a bio-oil;
- and
- f. fractionating the resulting bio-oil to obtain a bio-derived gasoline fuel fraction.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the initial moisture content of the biomass feedstock is up to 50% by weight of the biomass feedstock, such as up to 45% by weight of the biomass feed stock, or for example up to 30% by weight of the biomass feedstock.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the moisture content of the biomass feedstock is reduced to 7% or less by weight, such as 5% or less by weight of the biomass feedstock.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of ensuring the moisture content of the biomass feedstock is 10% or less by weight of the biomass feedstock comprises reducing the moisture content of the biomass feedstock.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the low moisture biomass feedstock is pyrolysed at temperature of at least 1000° C., more preferably at a temperature of at least 1100° C.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein heat is provided to the pyrolysis step by means of convection heating, microwave heating, electrical heating or supercritical heating.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the low moisture biomass is pyrolysed at atmospheric pressure or wherein the low moisture biomass is pyrolysed under a pressure of from 850 to 1000 Pa, preferably from 900 to 950 Pa and, optionally, wherein the pyrolysis gases formed are separated through distillation.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the low moisture biomass feedstock is pyrolysed for a period of from 10 seconds to 2 hours, preferably, from 30 seconds to 1 hour, more preferably from 60 seconds to 30 minutes, such as 100 seconds to 10 minutes.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the pyrolysis reactor is arranged such that the low moisture biomass is conveyed in a counter-current direction to any pyrolysis gases formed, and optionally wherein biochar formed as a result of the pyrolysis step leaves pyrolysis reactor separate to the pyrolysis gases.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein step d. comprises at least partially separating biochar from the hydrocarbon feedstock product, preferably wherein biochar is at least partially separated by filtration (such as by use of a ceramic filter), centrifugation, or cyclone or gravity separation;
- and/or
- wherein step d. comprises at least partially separating water from the hydrocarbon feedstock product, preferably the water at least partially separated further comprises organic contaminants, more preferably the water at least partially separated from the hydrocarbon feedstock product is a pyroligneous acid, even more preferably wherein water is at least partially separated from the hydrocarbon feedstock product by gravity oil separation, centrifugation, cyclone or microbubble separation;
- and/or
- wherein step d. comprises at least partially separating non-condensable light gases from the hydrocarbon feedstock product, preferably wherein non-condensable light gases are at least partially separated from the hydrocarbon feedstock product by use of flash distillation or fractional distillation.
A process according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of filtering the hydrocarbon feedstock product to at least partially remove contaminants, such as carbon, graphene, polyaromatic compounds and/or tar, contained therein, preferably the filtration step comprises the use of a membrane filter to remove larger contaminants and/or fine filtration to remove smaller contaminants, for example by using a Nutsche filter.
A process for forming a bio-gasoline fuel from a bio-derived hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising the steps of:
- i. providing a bio-derived hydrocarbon feedstock comprising at least 0.1% by weight of one or more C8 compounds, at least 1% by weight of one or more C10 compounds, at least 5% by weight of one or more C12 compounds, at least 5% by weight of one or more C16 compounds and at least 30% by weight of one or more C18 compounds;
- ii. cracking the hydrocarbon feedstock of step i. using a fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC) process to produce a bio-oil;
- and
- iii. fractionating the resulting bio-oil to obtain a bio-derived gasoline fuel fraction.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with the fluidised cracking catalyst at a weight ratio of from 1:1 to 1:150, preferably from 1:2 to 1:100, more preferably from 1:5 to 1:50.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the FCC process is performed in a fluidised catalytic cracking reactor, such as a fluidised dense bed reactor or a riser reactor, preferably the FCC reactor is a riser reactor, more preferably the riser reactor is selected from an internal riser reactor or an external riser reactor.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the fluidised cracking catalyst is in the form of particulates or a powder, preferably the fluidised cracking catalyst is in the form of a fine powder.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the fluidised cracking catalyst comprises a zeolite or high activity crystalline alumina silicate, and optionally further comprises an amorphous binder compound and/or a filler, preferably the amorphous binder compound is selected from silica, alumina, titania, zirconia and magnesium oxide, or combinations thereof and/or the filler is selected from a clay, such as kaolin.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the process further comprises at least partially removing the deactivated catalyst from the bio-oil formed, preferably the deactivated catalyst is at least partially removed from the bio-oil using one or more cyclones and/or one or more swirl tubes.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the process further comprises at least partially removing sulphur containing components from the bio-oil formed and/or the bio-derived gasoline fuel fraction, preferably the sulphur removal step comprises a catalytic hydro-desulphurisation step.
A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the process further comprises hydro-treating the bio-oil formed.
A process according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of at least partially removing LPG from the bio-oil by condensation and/or flash distillation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.