Systems and methods for holistic low carbon intensity fuel production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11550273-B2
Application number	US-202117392588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods to provide low carbon intensity (CI) transportation fuels through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions based upon an analysis of carbon emissions associated with a combination of various options for feedstock procurement, feedstock refining, processing, or transformation, and fuel product distribution pathways to end users. Such options are selected to maintain the total CI (carbon emissions per unit energy) of the transportation fuel below a pre-selected threshold that defines an upper limit of CI for the transportation fuel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process to provide a low carbon intensity (CI) transportation fuel obtained through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions associated with a combination of various feedstock procurement, feedstock transportation, feedstock refining and fuel product distribution pathways, the process comprising:
selecting a carbon intensity threshold to define an upper limit for carbon intensity of a transportation fuel to be provided to an end user location that qualifies the transportation fuel as a low carbon intensity transportation fuel;
selecting a refinery feedstock that is procured at a source for transport, the refinery feedstock being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel below the carbon intensity threshold;
selecting a transportation mode to transport the refinery feedstock from the source to a refinery, the transportation mode being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel below the carbon intensity threshold;
selecting refinery processes to reduce carbon emissions associated with refining the refinery feedstock to a plurality of refined products and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel below the carbon intensity threshold;
refining the refinery feedstock into one or more of the plurality of refined products, the plurality of refined products including gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel;
selecting a distribution mode to transport a quantity of one of the plurality of refined products as the transportation fuel from a refined products location of one or more storage tanks associated with the one of the plurality of refined products to the end user location, the distribution mode being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel below the carbon intensity threshold;
determining the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel as a function of carbon emissions per unit energy associated with procuring the selected refinery feedstock at the source, carbon emissions per unit energy associated with transporting the refinery feedstock from the source to the refinery by use of the selected transportation mode, carbon emissions per unit energy associated with refining the refinery feedstock into the one or more of the plurality of refined products, and carbon emissions per unit energy associated with transporting the quantity of one of the plurality of refined products as the transportation fuel to the end user location by use of the selected distribution mode;
verifying that the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel remains below the carbon intensity threshold for the transportation fuel to be provided to the end user location;
maintaining a record that is associated with the transportation fuel to be provided to the end user location, the record detailing the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel; and
outputting the transportation fuel through the selected distribution mode as low carbon intensity transportation fuel.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the refining the refinery feedstock into one or more of a plurality of refined products includes cracking at least a portion of the refinery feedstock.

3. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising blending one or more of a plant-derived ethanol, a biodiesel, and a renewable diesel into the transportation fuel and wherein the blending occurs at one or more of a refinery tank farm, the distribution mode, a terminal or the end user location.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the distribution mode transports the quantity of one of the plurality of refined products as the transportation fuel to a terminal.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the transportation mode and distribution mode uses one or more of electric power generated from wind energy, electric power generated from solar energy, electric power generated by a hydroelectric generator, or renewable diesel, and the transportation mode is selected from the group consisting of rail, truck, barge, and pipeline.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein selection of the refinery feedstock is based at least in part on achieving a pre-selected yield for at least one of the plurality of refined products and wherein the pre-selected yield is set at least in part by end user demand for at least one of the plurality of refined products outputted as the low carbon intensity transportation fuel.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the function of carbon emissions per unit energy associated with procuring the selected refinery feedstock at the source includes carbon emissions per unit energy of the selected refinery feedstock and carbon emissions per unit energy for providing the refinery feedstock at the source.

8. A fuel integration controller to operate a transportation fuel refinery for distribution of a low carbon intensity (CI) transportation fuel therefrom and obtained through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions (CE) associated with various available feedstock to be supplied to a refinery, various selected feedstock transportation and fuel product distribution pathways, and various refinery processes, the fuel integration controller comprising:
a first input/output in signal communication with a procurement computing device, such that the fuel integration controller is configured to:
(a) determine a selection of one or more available feedstock, a selection of one or more feedstock transportation pathways, a selection of one or more refinery processes, a selection of one or more utilities, and a selection of one or more fuel product transportation pathways, each selection based on:
(1) a determination of feedstock carbon intensity (CI) of one or more blends of the one or more available feedstock based on volume and type of feedstock,
(2) a determination of feedstock transportation CI of one or more feedstock transportation pathways based on delivery distance and fuel type of the feedstock transportation pathway,
(3) a determination of refinery process CI of one or more refinery processes based on the type of refinery process, a volume and type of feedstock, and the length of time of the refinery process,
(4) a determination of utility CI of one or more utilities based on the type of utility utilized to operate the one or more refinery processes and a distance the one or more utilities travel to the refinery,
(5) a determination of fuel product distribution CI of one or more fuel product distribution pathways based on delivery distance and fuel type of a fuel product distribution pathway, and
(6) a determination of one or more total CIs less than the threshold CI, the total CIs based on varying combinations of the determinations of CI,

(b) in response to the selection of the one or more available feedstock, the selection of one or more feedstock transportation pathways, the selection of one or more refinery processes, the selection of one or more utilities, and the selection of one or more fuel product distribution pathways:
(1) transmit a feedstock request to the procurement computing device, the feedstock request including the selection of the one or more available feedstock and the selection of the one or more feedstock transportation pathways;

a second input/output in signal communication with a refinery controller, the refinery controller to control one or more various refinery processes to be operated at the refinery, such that the fuel integration controller is configured to:
(a) in response to a determined reception of the selected one or more av

Assignees

• Marathon Petroleum Co Lp

Inventors

• Whikehart David
• Herold Gregory

Classifications

• G01N33/28

  Oils {, i.e. hydrocarbon liquids} (edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03) · CPC title

• Y02P20/133

  Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight · CPC title

• C12P7/10

  substrate containing cellulosic material · CPC title

• C10G2300/4043

  Limiting CO2 emissions · CPC title

• C10L2200/0476

  Biodiesel, i.e. defined lower alkyl esters of fatty acids first generation biodiesel · CPC title