Cooling and processing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9476069-B2
Application number	US-201514860528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 15, 2010
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
pre-treating a cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic biomass material by subjecting the biomass material to a series of cooling stages, each cooling stage being configured to cool the material to a different temperature, and irradiating and/or comminuting the biomass material between the cooling stages,
converting the pre-treated cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic biomass material to a product utilizing a microorganism and/or enzyme, wherein at least one of cooling and converting the biomass material is performed using a mobile processing unit,
wherein at least one of the cooling stages comprises cooling the material to a temperature below the brittle point of the material.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising grinding or comminuting the biomass material before the biomass material has been cooled, or after cooling and before converting.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein pre-treating comprises irradiating the biomass material between cooling stages.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cooled biomass material has a bulk density of less than about 0.8 g/cm 3 .

5. The method of claim 2 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the product comprises an alcohol.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the product comprises ethanol and/or butanol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass material comprises cellulose and converting the cooled material comprises utilizing an enzyme to saccharify the cellulose.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises fermenting the product of saccharification to produce an alcohol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling and/or converting are performed while the material is in transit.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile processing unit is transportable by ship, barge, train, or truck while in use.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein irradiating is performed at least twice.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass material is cooled to successively lower temperatures at each cooling stage.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein pre-treating comprises comminuting at least twice between cooling stages, and at each subsequent comminuting step particle size of the biomass material is further reduced.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall

Classifications

• C10G32/04

  by particle radiation · CPC title

• C10G2300/1014

  of vegetal origin · CPC title

• Y02P30/20

  using bio-feedstock · CPC title

• C12P19/02

  Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60) · CPC title

• C12P2203/00

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