Processing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689196-B2
Application number	US-201816190847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2012
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, while cooling equipment and the biomass to prevent overheating and possible distortion and/or degradation. The biomass is conveyed by a conveyor, which conveys the biomass under an electron beam from an electron beam accelerator. The conveyor can be cooled with cooling fluid. The conveyor can also vibrate to facilitate exposure to the electron beam. The conveyor can be configured as a trough that can be optionally cooled.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of conveying a material, the method comprising:
conveying a biomass material having a bulk density of less than 0.7 g/cm 3 through a field of accelerated electrons, the electrons impinging upon a treatment zone of a vibratory conveyor, wherein the treatment zone includes a beam dump in thermal communication with the treatment zone,
wherein the biomass material is treated with electron bombardment having energies of 0.5-10 MeV through the field of accelerated electrons.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam dump is positioned on a side of the vibratory conveyor opposite impinging electrons.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam dump is integral with the treatment zone.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the beam dump is integral with the treatment zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing heat from the beam dump at a rate of between 10 kW to 700 kW.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising removing heat from the beam dump at a rate of between 10 kW to 700 kW.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing heat from the beam dump at a rate of between 10 kW to 700 kW.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising removing the heat from the beam dump by flowing a cooling fluid through channels disposed within the beam dump.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein fluid enters the channels disposed in the beam dump through an inlet and exits the channels through an outlet at a temperature less than 140° C.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall
• Masterman Thomas Craig
• Paradis Robert

Classifications

• C13K13/002 Primary

  Xylose · CPC title

• C13K1/02

  obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32) · CPC title

• G21K5/10

  with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated · CPC title

• B65G11/206 Primary

  for bulk · CPC title

• H01J37/20

  Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support · CPC title