Systems and methods for converting biomass to biocrude via hydrothermal liquefaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10551060-B2
Application number	US-201715791061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2017
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Systems and processes of providing novel thermal energy sources for hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) reactors are described herein. According to various implementations, the systems and processes use concentrated solar thermal energy from a focused high-energy beam to provide sufficient energy for driving the HTL biomass-to-biocrude process. In addition, other implementations convert biowaste, such as municipal biosolids and grease and food waste, to biocrude using anaerobic digesters, and a portion of the biogas generated by the digesters is used to produce the thermal and/or electrical energy used in the HTL reactor for the biomass-to-biocrude process. Furthermore, alternative implementations may include a hybrid system that uses biogas and solar radiation to provide sufficient thermal energy for the HTL reactor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for converting biomass to biocrude comprising:
a hydrothermal liquefaction system comprising a hydrothermal liquefaction reactor, the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor configured for receiving biomass feedstock and converting the biomass feedstock to biocrude, wherein the hydrothermal liquefaction system receives biogas and combusts the biogas to provide thermal energy to the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one anaerobic digester configured for digesting biowaste and producing the biogas.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the biomass feedstock received by the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor comprises the biowaste digested by the anaerobic digester, and the system further comprises a concentration mechanism configured for receiving the biosolids biowaste from the anaerobic digester and concentrating the biowaste prior to the biowaste being converted to biocrude by the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system is configured for being installed at least partially within a biosolids treatment facility.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the biowaste comprises municipal biosolid waste, grease waste, and/or food waste.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biogas is harvested remotely from the system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biogas for combusting by the hydrothermal liquefaction system is a first portion of biogas, and the system further comprises a generator configured for receiving thermal energy from combustion of a second portion of biogas, the generator configured for generating electrical energy, wherein the generated electrical energy and any remaining thermal energy from the combustion of the second portion of biogas are provided to the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor for heating the biomass feedstock.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises biowaste.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the biowaste comprises municipal biosolid waste, grease waste, and/or food waste.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises algae and/or marine biomass.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises wood waste.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises cellulosic waste.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured for continuously pumping the biomass feedstock through the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the pump is configured for pumping the biomass feedstock at a pressure around 20 MPa.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a quencher disposed adjacent an exit of the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor, the quencher configured for quickly cooling the biocrude.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger downstream of the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor, the heat exchanger configured for harvesting the thermal energy from combustion of the biocrude, biogas, and/or biochar produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a generator configured for generating electrical energy for operating at least one of one or more pumps and one or more electrical components, wherein the thermal energy from the heat exchanger is used for driving the generator.

18. A process of converting biomass feedstock to biocrude comprising:
combusting biogas, by a hydrothermal liquefaction system, to produce thermal energy;
pumping biomass feedstock through a hydrothermal liquefaction reactor of the hydrothermal liquefaction system; and
heating, in the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor, the biomass feedstock using the thermal energy from the combustion of the biogas.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the biogas is produced by at least one anaerobic digester of a biosolids treatment facility.

20. The process of claim 18 , further comprising: collecting thermal energy from combustion of natural gas; and heating the biomass feedstock using the collected thermal energy from the combustion of natural gas in the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor.

21. A process of converting biomass to biocrude, comprising:
feeding municipal sludge to at least one anaerobic digester, the municipal sludge comprising biowaste;
collecting thermal energy from combustion of a first portion of biogas generated from partial digestion of the biowaste;
providing the thermal energy from combustion of the first portion of biogas to a generator;
providing a second portion of biogas generated from partial digestion of the biowaste to a hydrothermal liquefaction system for combusting, the hydrothermal liquefaction system comprising a hydrothermal liquefaction reactor;
providing the thermal energy from combustion of the second portion of the biogas, waste heat generated by the generator, at least a portion of electrical energy generated by the generator, and the partially digested biowaste from the anaerobic digester to the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor;
recirculating waste heat generated by the hydrothermal liquefaction system to the anaerobic digesters; and
harvesting biocrude from the hydrothermal liquefaction system.

22. The process of claim 21 , further comprising concentrating the partially digested biowaste fed from the anaerobic digester prior to feeding the partially digested biowaste to the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor, and feeding an aqueous phase from the hydrothermal liquefaction reactor and washoff from the concentration of the partially digested biowaste to secondary and tertiary treatment streams of a biosolids treatment plant.

23. The process of claim 21 , further comprising harvesting waste thermal energy from the hydrothermal liquefaction system and providing the waste thermal energy to an electrical generator and/or the at least one anaerobic digester.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises animal waste.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Berberoglu Halil
• Connelly Rhykka L
• Anthony joey
• Bond Cody

Classifications

• C12M21/12

  for producing fuels or solvents (C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00) · CPC title

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• C12M43/00

  Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus · CPC title

• F23G5/027 Primary

  pyrolising or gasifying stage (pyrolisation of sludge C02F11/00; destructive distillation of carbonaceous materials C10B53/00) · CPC title

• C10G1/00

  Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal (mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B) · CPC title