Combined hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrothermal gasification system and process for conversion of biomass feedstocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138426-B2
Application number	US-201715693354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A combined hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) system and process are described that convert various biomass-containing sources into separable bio-oils and aqueous effluents that contain residual organics. Bio-oils may be converted to useful bio-based fuels and other chemical feedstocks. Residual organics in HTL aqueous effluents may be gasified and converted into medium-BTU product gases and directly used for process heating or to provide energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A continuous process, comprising the steps of:
providing a biomass conversion product comprising a bio oil fraction and an aqueous fraction, wherein each fraction is separable from the other fraction;
continuously separating the bio oil fraction from the aqueous fraction by coalescing bio oil droplets, wherein said coalescence takes place at a temperature from ambient to about 360° C. and a pressure between about 100 atm and 210 atm; and
converting at least a portion of the aqueous fraction to a product gas containing a fuel gas.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising removing solids from the biomass conversion product.

3. The process of claim 1 , further comprising combusting the product gas to generate power.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the product gas comprises one or more of methane, hydrocarbons with a carbon number greater than that of methane, and carbon dioxide.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the continuously separating is performed in a self-cleaning apparatus.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the continuously separating is performed within a closed stage apparatus.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Elliott Douglas C
• Neuenschwander Gary G
• Hart Todd R

Classifications

• C10J2200/06

  Catalysts as integral part of gasifiers · CPC title

• C10J2300/0973

  Water · CPC title

• Y02E50/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C10L9/086

  Hydrothermal carbonization · CPC title

• C10G1/065

  in the presence of a solvent · CPC title