Separation of product streams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249362-B2
Application number	US-201213453863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2012
Priority date	Apr 21, 2011
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A method of purifying a vapor product stream obtained from cracking of biomass catalyzed by a fluidized solid catalyst is provided. The catalyst is separated from the vapor product stream to provide a de-catalyzed vapor product stream. Solid biomass residue is cyclonically separated from the de-catalyzed vapor product stream to provide a purified vapor product stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of purifying a vapour product stream obtained from cracking of biomass catalysed by a fluidised solid catalyst, the method comprising:
a) separating catalyst from the vapour product stream to provide a de-catalysed vapour product stream; and
b) cyclonically separating solid biomass residue from the de-catalysed vapour product stream to provide a purified vapour product stream, wherein cyclonically separating solid biomass residue comprises bringing the de-catalysed vapour product stream to a gas velocity in the range of from 35 to 80 m/s.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in step a) the separation of catalyst from the vapour product stream comprises passing the vapour product stream through a plurality of primary cyclonic separators linked in series.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in step b) the cyclonically separating solid biomass residue comprises bringing the de-catalysed vapour product stream to a peak gas velocity.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising separating catalyst from the vapour product stream in step a) to achieve a primary average particle size in the de-catalysed vapour product stream, and cyclonically separating solid biomass residue from the de-catalysed vapour product stream in step b) to achieve an average particle size in the purified vapour product stream that is lower than the primary average particle size.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising separating catalyst from the vapour product stream in step a) to achieve a primary average particle size in the de-catalysed vapour product stream in the range of from 10 to 50 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising separating at least 98 wt % of the catalyst from the vapour product stream to provide the de-catalysed vapour product stream in step a).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the gas velocity in step b) is by at least 5% higher than the gas velocity in step a).

8. A process for converting a biomass material into a purified vapour product stream, the process comprising:
contacting the biomass material with a fluidised solid catalytic cracking catalyst to obtain a vapour product stream comprising at least one cracked products and solid biomass residue; and
purifying the vapour product stream according to the process of claim 1 to provide a purified product stream.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the biomass is contacted with the catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of more than 400° C. in the presence of a fluid hydrocarbon co-feed.

10. A separator arrangement for separating solids from a vapour product stream obtained from cracking of biomass catalysed by a fluidised solid catalyst, the separator arrangement comprising:
(i) a catalyst separating unit for separating solid catalyst from the vapour product stream to provide a de-catalysed vapour product stream, wherein the catalyst separating unit comprises at least two primary cyclonic separators linked in series; and
(ii) a cyclonic residue separator for separating solid biomass residue from the de-catalysed vapour product stream that is operatively connected to an outlet of the catalyst separation unit, wherein the cyclonic residue separator comprises at least one primary cyclonic separator.

11. The separator arrangement of claim 10 wherein the catalyst separator unit is arranged to separate at least 98 wt % of the catalyst from the vapour product stream to provide the de-catalysed vapour product stream.

12. The separator arrangement of claim 10 wherein the cyclonic residue separator and the primary cyclonic separators are arranged such that the cyclonic residue separator operates at a gas velocity which is higher than the gas velocities of the primary cyclonic separators.

13. The separator arrangement of claim 10 wherein the cyclonic residue separator has a lower cut point and/or leads to a lower remaining average particle size than the primary cyclonic separators.

14. A fluid catalytic cracking reactor or unit for converting a biomass material into a purified vapour product stream, the reactor or unit comprising:
a reactor vessel containing biomass material and a fluidised solid catalytic cracking catalyst; and
a separator arrangement according to claim 9 that is operatively connected to the reactor vessel.

Assignees

• Harris John William
• Schaverien Colin John
• Way Nicolaas Wilhelmus Joseph
• Shell Oil Co

Inventors

• Harris John William
• Schaverien Colin John
• Way Nicolaas Wilhelmus Joseph

Classifications

• C10G2300/104

  Light gasoline having a boiling range of about 20 - 100 °C · CPC title

• B01J8/26

  with two or more fluidised beds, e.g. reactor and regeneration installations · CPC title

• B01J2219/00006

  Large-scale industrial plants · CPC title

• B01D45/12

  by centrifugal forces (centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C) · CPC title

• C10G1/08

  with moving catalysts · CPC title