Coupled electrochemical system for reduction of polyols to hydrocarbons

摘要

A coupled electrochemical system for its use is disclosed, where a polyol feed, especially a biomass polyol containing feed is reduced in a reducing solution including HI and a metal ion capable of converting I2 to HI during polyol reduction to hydrocarbon or iodohydrocarbon products and where the metal ions are capable of electrochemical reduction so that the system can be run on a batch, semi-continuous or continuous basis. The system is capable of producing hydrocarbon solvent, fuels and lubricating oils.

主权项

1. A system of converting polyols to hydrocarbons comprising:
a reactor subsystem including:
an aqueous redox solution reservoir (arsr 136) including:
a redox solution outlet (rso 156), anda redox solution conduit (rsc 158),an aqueous polyol solution reservoir (apsr 110) including:
a polyol solution outlet (pso 112), anda polyol solution conduit (psc 114), anda redox reactor (rr 102) including:
a redox solution inlet (rsi 106),a polyol solution inlet (psi 104),a crude product outlet (cpo 108), anda crude product conduit (cpc 109),where the redox solution conduit (rsc 158) connects the redox solution outlet (rso 156) to the redox solution inlet (rsi 106), where the polyol solution conduit (psc 114) connects the polyol solution outlet (pso 112) to the polyol solution inlet (psi 104), wherein the redox solution comprises hydrogen iodide (HI) and reduced metal ions, wherein the polyol solution and the redox solution are contacted in the redox reactor to form a crude product under conditions of temperature, pressure, resonance time, and dilution to: (a) convert a portion of polyols in the polyol solution into their corresponding hydrocarbons and/or iodohydrocarbons and a first portion of the HI into I2 and (b) concurrently convert I2 back into HI and the reduced metal ions into their corresponding oxidized metal ions, and where the reduced metal ions are selected from the groups consisting of vanadium II (V2+), europium II (Eu2+), titanium II (Ti2+), indium II (In2+), indium I (In+), chromium II (Cr2+) and uranium III (U3+) and the oxidized metal ions are selected from the group consisting of vanadium III (V3+), europium III (Eu3+), titanium III (Ti3+), indium III (In3+), chromium III (Cr3+) and uranium IV (U4+), a separation subsystem including:
a separation vessel including:
a crude product inlet,an organic phase outlet,an organic phase conduit,an aqueous phase outlet,an aqueous phase conduit, anda hydrocarbon fractionation component including:
an organic phase inlet,where the crude product conduit connects the crude product outlet to the crude product inlet, where the organic phase conduit connects the organic phase outlet to the organic phase inlet, where the separation vessel separates the crude product into an organic phase and an aqueous phase, where the organic phase comprises the corresponding hydrocarbons and/or iodohydrocarbons, and where the aqueous phase comprises a spent redox solution comprising I2, HI, and the oxidized metal ions, and a regeneration subsystem including:
an electrochemical cell including:
an aqueous solution inlet,the redox solution outlet,an anolyte compartment including:
a cathode,a catholyte compartment including:
an anode,an ion permeable member separating the anolyte and catholyte compartments, anda battery connected to the anode and cathode by wires,where the aqueous phase conduit connects the aqueous phase outlet to the aqueous phase inlets, where the cell treats the aqueous phase under electrochemical conditions to substantially convert the oxidized metal ions to their corresponding reduced metal ions, and where the catholyte compartment comprises the redox solution reservoir.