Processes for improving performance and energy efficiency in biomass conversion to sugars, biochemicals, biofuels, and/or biomaterials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559779-B2
Application number	US-202118018304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2021
Priority date	Oct 12, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

In some variations, a process for converting a biomass feedstock into a product comprises: providing a biomass feedstock containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; providing a reaction solution comprising a fluid and optionally a pretreatment chemical; feeding the biomass feedstock and the reaction solution to a biomass digestor operated to pretreat the biomass feedstock, thereby generating a digested stream comprising a solid-liquid mixture and a digestor vapor; discharging the digested stream to a vapor-separation unit operated to separate the digestor vapor from the solid-liquid mixture; optionally recycling at least a portion of the digestor vapor within the process; conveying the solid-liquid mixture, or a portion thereof, to a hydrolysis reactor operated to hydrolyze the cellulose and/or the hemicellulose to monomeric and/or oligomeric sugars; and converting the monomeric and/or oligomeric sugars to a product. Many variations are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for converting a biomass feedstock into a product, said process comprising:
(a) providing a biomass feedstock containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; (b) providing a reaction solution comprising a fluid and optionally a pretreatment chemical; (c) feeding said biomass feedstock and said reaction solution to a biomass digestor operated to pretreat said biomass feedstock, thereby generating a digested stream comprising a solid-liquid mixture and a digestor vapor; (d) discharging said digested stream to a vapor-separation unit operated to separate said digestor vapor from said solid-liquid mixture, wherein said vapor-separation unit is a multi-stage vapor separator; (e) recycling at least a portion of said digestor vapor within said process; (f) conveying said solid-liquid mixture, or a portion thereof, to a hydrolysis reactor operated to hydrolyze said cellulose or said hemicellulose to monomeric or oligomeric sugars; and (g) converting said monomeric or oligomeric sugars to a product.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said reaction solution comprises steam.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said biomass digestor is operated at a digestor temperature selected from about 100° C. to about 220° C.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said biomass digestor is operated at a digestor pressure selected from about 1 barg to about 25 barg.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one stage of said multi-stage vapor separator is configured to cause centripetal acceleration of said solid-liquid mixture, thereby separating said solid-liquid mixture from said digestor vapor.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said multi-stage vapor separator includes at least one pressure changer that allows said digestor vapor to be utilized in pressurized form.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one stage of said multi-stage vapor separator is a vacuum cyclone separator.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said multi-stage vapor separator includes three or more stages.

9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said vapor-separation unit directs a majority of sugar-conversion inhibitors to said digestor vapor, versus said solid-liquid mixture.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein clean steam is introduced to said vapor-separation unit to reduce the concentration of sugar-conversion inhibitors in said digestor vapor or in said solid-liquid mixture.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said digestor vapor is recycled to step (b) for use in said reaction solution.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein heat contained in said digestor vapor is utilized to heat said reaction solution, at least in part.

13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein heat contained in said digestor vapor is utilized to generate fresh vapor that is introduced to step (b) as part or all of said reaction solution.

14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said digested stream is mechanically refined prior to step (d).

15 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said digested stream is mechanically refined between step (c) and step (d).

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein a mechanical refiner is disposed between distinct stages of said multi-stage vapor separator.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said hydrolysis reactor is a multiple-stage hydrolysis reactor, and wherein a mechanical refiner is disposed between distinct stages of said multiple-stage hydrolysis reactor.

Assignees

• Granbio Intellectual Property Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Zebroski Ryan

Classifications

• C12N9/2437

  Cellulases (3.2.1.4; 3.2.1.74; 3.2.1.91; 3.2.1.150) · CPC title

• C12P2203/00

  Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source · CPC title

• C12P2201/00

  Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis · CPC title

• C12P19/14 Primary

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• C08H8/00

  Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} · CPC title