Rapid thermal conversion of biomass

摘要

An improved rapid thermal conversion process for efficiently converting wood, other biomass materials, and other carbonaceous feedstock (including hydrocarbons) into high yields of valuable liquid product, e.g., bio-oil, on a large scale production, is disclosed. In the process, biomass material, e.g., wood, is fed to a conversion system where the biomass material is mixed with an upward stream of hot heat carriers, e.g., sand, that thermally convert the biomass into a hot vapor stream. The hot vapor stream is rapidly quenched with quench media in one or more condensing chambers located downstream of the conversion system. The rapid quenching condenses the vapor stream into liquid product, which is collected from the condensing chambers as a valuable liquid product.

主权项

1. A system for converting biomass or non-biomass feedstock into liquid product, comprising:
i) a feed system for introducing feedstock comprising biomass feed stock or non-biomass feedstock; ii) a reactor in communication with the feed system for thermally converting the introduced feedstock into a vapor stream at a conversion temperature of between 350 and 600° C., wherein the reactor includes a mixing zone that mixes the feedstock with a solid heat carrier; iii) a separation system located downstream from the reactor that separates the solid heat carriers from the vapor stream; iv) a condensing chamber located downstream from the separation system that condenses the separated vapor stream into liquid product by rapidly quenching the vapor stream with a quench media to a temperature of less than 100° C. in less than 1 second; and v) a liquid product recovery system located downstream from the condensing chamber that collects the liquid product from the condensing chamber.