# US 9,040,271 B2 · Method for producing renewable fuels

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- Number: US 9,040,271 B2
- Document ID: US9040271B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/270,591
- Filed: 2014-05-06
- Published: 2014-08-28
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22
- Assignees: Iogen Corporation
- Applicants: Iogen Corporation
- Inventors: Brian Foody
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040271B2

## CPC

- C01B 3/34: by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
- C01B 3/36: using oxygen; using mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
- C07C 5/02: by hydrogenation (simultaneous hydrogenation and dehydrogenation C07C5/52)
- C10G 45/02: to eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the hydrocarbon involved and without cracking into lower boiling hydrocarbons; Hydrofinishing
- C10G 45/44: Hydrogenation of the aromatic hydrocarbons
- C10G 47/00: Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions (C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06)
- C10G 65/02: plural serial stages only
- C10G 65/12: including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps
- C10L 1/04: essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
- C10L 3/08: Production of synthetic natural gas
- C10L 3/10: Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas
- C10L 3/101: {Removal of contaminants}
- C12P 5/00: Preparation of hydrocarbons {or halogenated hydrocarbons}
- C12P 5/02: acyclic {(C12P5/007 takes precedence)}
- C12P 5/023: {Methane}
- G06Q 30/018: Certifying business or products
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- C01B 2203/0211: containing a non-catalytic reforming step
- C01B 2203/0216: containing a non-catalytic steam reforming step
- C01B 2203/0222: containing a non-catalytic carbon dioxide reforming step
- C01B 2203/065: using hydrotreating, e.g. hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurisation
- C01B 2203/1241: Natural gas or methane
- C10G 2400/02: Gasoline
- C10G 2400/04: Diesel oil
- C10G 2400/08: Jet fuel
- C10L 2200/0469: Renewables or materials of biological origin
- C10L 2290/26: Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
- Y02P 30/00: Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
- Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock
- Y02P 80/20: using renewable energy
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- 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
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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

## Abstract

According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of transforming waste organic material to produce a liquid transportation or heating fuel comprising:
(a) subjecting waste organic material to anaerobic digestion by microorganisms in a biogas production facility that incorporates apparatus to collect the microbially generated biogas;
(b) collecting an amount of crude biogas from the biogas production facility;
(c) removing impurities from the crude biogas to yield a combustible fluid feedstock;
(d) introducing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock from step (b) or (c) to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility;
(e) withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock;
(f) processing at the fuel production facility the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen;
(g) producing a third amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen; and
(h) generating or causing generation of a renewable fuel credit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biogas production facility is a landfill, a sewage treatment facility or a manure digestion facility.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation reactor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a hydrocracker.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid transportation or heating fuel is selected from the group consisting of gasoline, diesel, heating oil and jet fuel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a liquid transportation fuel is produced in step (g).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a renewable fuel credit is associated with said first or second amount of combustible fluid feedstock, the renewable hydrogen, the liquid transportation or heating fuel, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein a renewable fuel credit is associated with said liquid transportation or heating fuel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid transportation or heating fuel is renewable or partially renewable.

### Claim 10

A method of producing a transportation or heating fuel comprising:
(a) causing a first amount of combustible fluid feedstock to be introduced to apparatus for delivering a combustible fluid feedstock to a fuel production facility, said first amount of combustible fluid feedstock being derived from a crude biogas that was generated by anaerobic digestion of waste organic material and from which impurities were removed following collection from a biogas production facility;
(b) withdrawing for use at a fuel production facility, a second amount of combustible fluid feedstock;
(c) processing at the fuel production facility the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen;
(d) producing a third amount of liquid transportation or heating fuel by a process that comprises combining renewable hydrogen derived from the second amount of combustible fluid feedstock with a desulfurized, crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen; and
(e) generating or causing generation of a renewable fuel credit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the biogas production facility is a landfill, a waste treatment facility or a manure digestion facility.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation reactor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the reactor is a hydrocracker.