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US 7,581,592 B1Granted
System and method for the manufacture of fuel, fuelstock or fuel additives
OwnerRonald R. Bush, Bruce A. Johnsoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system is provided relating to the production of ethanol or other renewable bio-fuels on a mass, large scale basis while maintaining a positive energy balance. In one example, the present invention relates to a system and method for the mass manufacture of fuel, fuel stock, or fuel additives by using dry or drying up hydrocarbon wells as a heat source in the manufacturing process. In one example, the distillation column is constructed from dried up oil wells.
Claims3
A method of producing ethanol using geothermal heat from a depleted hydrocarbon well comprising:
- providing a depleted hydrocarbon well having at least one borehole;
- injecting a biomass feed stock into the depleted hydrocarbon well;
- exposing the biomass feedstock to heat and pressure conditions conducive to a fermentation process, wherein geothermal heat present in the depleted hydrocarbon well is used in providing heat to the biomass feedstock to facilitate fermentation of the feedstock to produce ethanol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.