Biomass conversion reactors and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866670-B2
Application number	US-202217732465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2022
Priority date	May 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods associated with biomass decomposition are generally described. Certain embodiments are related to adjusting a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into a reactor in which biomass is decomposed. The adjustment may be made, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass. Certain embodiments are related to cooling at least partially decomposed biomass. The biomass may be cooled by flowing a gas over an outlet conduit in which the biomass is cooled, and then directing the gas to a reactor after it has flowed over the outlet conduit. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor and an outlet conduit configured such that greater than or equal to 75% of its axially projected cross-sectional area is occupied by a conveyor. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor comprising an elongated compartment having a longitudinal axis arranged substantially vertically and an outlet conduit comprising a conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing torrefaction of biomass within a reactor to form a primarily solid product, comprising:
increasing a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into the reactor in which the biomass is torrefied, wherein the increasing is performed, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass; and
decreasing a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into the reactor in which the biomass is torrefied, wherein the decreasing is performed, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactor comprises an inlet fluidically connected to a source of fluid comprising oxygen.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a characteristic of the reactor, wherein the increasing and decreasing are performed, at least in part, based upon the measuring the characteristic of the reactor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a characteristic of the biomass, wherein the increasing and decreasing are performed, at least in part, based upon the measuring the characteristic of the biomass.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a characteristic of one or more exhaust gases produced during biomass decomposition.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a moisture content of the biomass prior to decomposition within the reactor.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is an energy density of the biomass after decomposition within the reactor.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is an energy density of the biomass prior to decomposition within the reactor.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is an index of torrefaction of the biomass after decomposition within the reactor.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a hardness of the biomass after decomposition within the reactor.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a color of the biomass after decomposition within the reactor.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a combustion temperature of the biomass after decomposition within the reactor.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a particle size of the biomass prior to and/or after decomposition within the reactor.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the reactor is a flow rate of the biomass into the reactor.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a chemical composition of the biomass prior to and/or after decomposition within the reactor.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the reactor is a temperature at a point inside the reactor and/or a measurement of a variation in a temperature at a point inside the reactor.

17. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the reactor is a flow rate of decomposed biomass out of the reactor to a flow rate of biomass into the reactor.

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the characteristic of the biomass is a product of a flow rate of decomposed biomass out of the reactor and an index of torrefaction of the decomposed biomass.

19. A method of cooling at least partially decomposed biomass in a system configured for biomass decomposition, the system comprising a reactor in which the biomass is decomposed and an outlet conduit in which the biomass is cooled, the method comprising:
flowing a gas over the outlet conduit, wherein:
the outlet conduit is fluidically connected to the reactor; and
the system is configured to direct the gas to the reactor after it has flowed over the outlet conduit.

20. A system configured for biomass decomposition, comprising:
a reactor; and
an outlet conduit, wherein the outlet conduit is configured such that greater than or equal to 75% of its axially projected cross-sectional area is occupied by a conveyor.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Kung Kevin S
• Slocum Alexander H
• Shanbhogue Santosh Janardhan
• Ghoniem Ahmed Fouad
• Stoner Robert James

Classifications

• C10L9/083 Primary

  Torrefaction · CPC title

• B01J6/00

  Heat treatments such as} Calcining; Fusing {; Pyrolysis (furnaces F27D) · CPC title

• B01J19/0006

  Controlling or regulating processes (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title

• B01J19/0013

  Controlling the temperature of the process · CPC title

• C10L5/442

  Wood or forestry waste · CPC title