Processing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816231-B2
Application number	US-201615178714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing a biomass material comprising:
a first treatment cell equipped with a first electron beam device for irradiating the biomass material with electron beams, and
a screw conveyor for cooling and conveying the irradiated biomass material from the first treatment cell.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second treatment cell equipped with an second electron beam device, wherein the screw conveyor conveys the biomass material from the first treatment cell to the second treatment cell.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the interior portions are cooled using a chilled liquid.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the interior portions are cooled using water or glycol water mixtures.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the screw conveyor has a material inlet and a material discharge.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 1 and 200 Mrad.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 10 Mrad and about 50 Mrad.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second treatment cells are capable of delivering a total dose of between about 20 Mrad and about 40 Mrad.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the screw conveyor further comprises a notched flight for comminuting the biomass material while it is conveyed.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biomass comprises a lignocellulosic material.

13. The system of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.

14. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second electron beam devices comprises multiple accelerating heads.

15. A system for treating biomass, comprising:
a pneumatic conveyor for conveying treated biomass heated by treating with an electron beam; and
a screw conveyor for cooling the treated biomass, wherein the pneumatic conveyor is in fluid communication with the screw conveyor.

16. The system of claim 5 , wherein the screw conveyor comprises two or more screws.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a bag filter disposed between the pneumatic conveyor and the screw conveyor for trapping fine biomass particles.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the screw conveyor comprises interior portions that are cooled.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a treatment cell equipped with an electron beam device for irradiating the biomass with electron beams.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the electron beam device comprises multiple accelerating heads.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall
• Masterman Thomas Craig
• Paradis Robert

Classifications

• G21K5/10

  with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated · CPC title

• B01D15/02 Primary

  with moving adsorbents · CPC title

• B01D61/445

  with bipolar membranes; Water splitting · CPC title

• C12P7/56

  Lactic acid · CPC title

• B01J19/085 Primary

  Electron beams only · CPC title