Method and system for producing a fuel from biogas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946006-B2
Application number	US-202017597110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A method for producing a fuel includes transporting one or more pressure vessels containing pressurized biogas from a first location to a second location, and removing biogas from the one or more pressure vessels at the second location. The fuel production process is improved by controlling the decanting flow rate to provide a total decant time greater than 30-40 minutes, by actively heating biogas contained within the one or more pressure vessels, or some combination thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a fuel comprising:
a) filling a pressure vessel system with biogas;
b) transporting the pressure vessel system containing the biogas from a first location to a second location; and
c) unloading the biogas transported in step (b), said unloading comprising removing the biogas from the pressure vessel system at the second location, thereby reducing a pressure of the biogas, said removing comprising:
(i) controlling a flow rate to provide a total decant time greater than 40 minutes; or
(ii) actively heating biogas contained within a pressure vessel of the pressure vessel system; or
(iii) a combination of (i) and (ii), and

d) feeding the biogas unloaded in step (c) into a biogas upgrading system, a fuel production process, or a combination thereof,
wherein step (i), or (ii), or (iii) is performed so as to reduce risk of phase change resulting from the pressure reduction and such that a temperature of the biogas within the pressure vessel system, in degrees Celsius, is greater than

(

P
×
145.04

)

-
2550

40

as the biogas is unloaded, where P is the pressure of the biogas in the pressure vessel system in MPa.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (i), (ii), or (iii) is performed such that the temperature of the biogas within the pressure vessel system is greater than −25° C. when the pressure is between 6.2 MPa and 7.6 MPa.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein step (i), (ii), or (iii) is performed such that the temperature of the biogas within the pressure vessel system, in degrees Celsius, is greater than

(

P
×
145.04

)

-
1700

3
⁢
5

as the biogas is unloaded, when P is less than 5.6 MPa and greater than 0 MPa.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises filling the pressure vessel system with the biogas to a pressure between 6.9 MPa and 13.8 MPa.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step (c) comprises step (i).

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step (c) comprises step (ii).

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step (c) comprises step (iii).

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises step (i) or step (iii), and
wherein step (i) comprises controlling the flow rate such that the total decant time is greater than one hour.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises (ii) or (iii), and wherein step (ii) comprises injecting warming gas into the pressure vessel system.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises (ii) or (iii), and wherein step (ii) comprises delivering heat at more than 350 kW.

11. The method according claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises filling the pressure vessel system with the biogas such that the biogas has a density greater than a design density of natural gas.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises filling the pressure vessel system with the biogas to a density greater than 200 kg/m 3 .

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises removing the biogas through a pipe that extends into the pressure vessel, said pipe having an orifice at a distal end thereof, said orifice disposed in a bottom third of the pressure vessel.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises feeding the biogas unloaded in step (c) into the biogas upgrading system to produce the fuel, wherein the fuel is renewable natural gas.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises feeding the biogas unloaded in step (c) into a fuel production process to produce the fuel, wherein the fuel comprises ethanol derived from the biogas.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises step (i) or (iii), and where controlling a flow rate comprises varying the flow rate.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the biogas used to fill the pressure vessel system in step a) is raw biogas.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the biogas used to fill the pressure vessel system in step a) is partially purified biogas.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the partially purified biogas has a carbon dioxide content of at least 5%.

20. A method of producing a renewable fuel comprising:
a) filling a pressure vessel system with biogas to a pressure greater than 6.9 MPa and less than 13.8 MPa, the pressure vessel system having a nominal pressure rating greater than 6.9 MPa at 21° C., said filling comprising filling the pressure vessel system such that a density of the biogas therein is greater than the design density of natural gas;
b) transporting the pressure vessel system containing pressurized biogas from a first location to a second location;
c) unloading biogas from the pressure vessel system at the second location, said unloading reducing a pressure of the biogas and comprising controlling a flow rate to provide a total decant time greater than 1 hour so as to reduce risk of phase change resulting from the pressure reduction; and
d) feeding the biogas unloaded in step (c) into a biogas upgrading system, a fuel production process, or a combination thereof.

21. A method of producing a renewable fuel comprising:
a) identifying a plurality sites, each site comprising a source of biogas;
b) at each site,
(i) removing one or more components from the biogas to provide partially purified biogas, wherein said one or more components includes water, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof;
(ii) feeding the partially purified biogas into a pressure vessel system to a pressure greater than 6.9 MPa;

c) transporting the pressure vessel system containing the partially purified biogas from each site directly to a central processing site;
d) unloading partially purified biogas from each pressure vessel system at the central processing site, wherein said unloading reduces a pressure of the partially purified biogas and is conducted so as to reduce risk of phase change resulting from the pressure reduction, and wherein said unloading comprises heating gas within at least one pressure vessel in one of the pressure vessel systems, and controlling a flow rate of gas leaving each pressure vessel system to provide a total decant time greater than 30 minutes; and,
e) feeding the biogas unloaded in step (d) into a biogas upgrading system, a fuel production process, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Iogen Corp
• Logen Corp

Inventors

• Foody Brian
• Foody Patrick J
• Dechman John

Classifications

• C10L3/10 Primary

  Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas · CPC title

• C12M21/04

  for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10) · CPC title

• C12M47/18 Primary

  Gas cleaning, e.g. scrubbers; Separation of different gases (separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours B01D45/00; separation of gases or vapours B01D53/00; gas washing apparatus for laboratory uses B01L5/04) · CPC title

• C12M47/20

  Heating or cooling (heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory uses B01L7/00) · CPC title

• Y02E50/30

  Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel · CPC title