Processing biomass and petroleum containing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016293990-A1
Application number	US-201615182167-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 30, 2008
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
a. converting a sugar into a fuel, wherein the sugar is obtained from a biomass and the fuel is a non-ethanol based motor fuel or aviation fuel; and b. generating electricity from the fuel.

2 . A method of generating electricity comprising:
a. converting a sugar into a fuel, wherein the sugar is obtained from a biomass and the fuel is a non-ethanol based motor fuel or aviation fuel; and b. burning the fuel to generate electricity.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein burning the fuel generates steam.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein burning the fuel operates a motor.

5 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the fuel comprises at least one fuel selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbon and alcohol.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the fuel comprises a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, pentane, n-hexane, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the fuel comprises an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, and mixtures thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating electricity from the fuel comprises burning the fuel.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating electricity from the fuel comprises use in a fuel cell.

10 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein converting comprises saccharifying the treated biomass material to produce a composition comprising sugars and converting the sugars into fuel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the biomass is comprises cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials.

12 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sugar comprises glucose and/or xylose.

13 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sugar comprises a disaccharide.

14 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sugar comprises a trisaccharide.

15 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sugar has a formula weight excluding moisture of less than about 2000.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein converting the sugars into fuel comprises fermentation.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein fermentation comprises contacting the sugars with a fermenting microorganism.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fermenting microorganism comprises a yeast.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall

Classifications

• C12P7/14

  Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms · CPC title

• B01J19/08 Primary

  Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor (application of shock waves B01J3/08) · CPC title

• C10L2290/06

  Heat exchange, direct or indirect · CPC title

• Y02P30/20

  using bio-feedstock · CPC title

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title