Integrated biofuel processing system

摘要

A unique, integrated non-obvious pathway to convert biomass to biofuels using integration of chemical processes is described herein. The present invention is simple, direct, and provides for the shortest or minimum path between biomass and transportation fuels with alcohols as intermediates, while avoiding hydrogen use during processing. Furthermore, the present invention allows the manufacture of “drop-in” substitutable fuels to be used as-is without modifications instead of conventional petroleum based fuels. The processing described herein is done under mild conditions, under relatively low pressures and temperatures, and under non-corrosive conditions obviating use of special equipment or materials. The novel integration heat and mass generated during the process increases overall process efficiency and lowers financial costs for processing and capital equipment, manages environmental impact, and enables a relatively high degree of yield by an enhanced usage of fresh water and thermal energy in comparison to the amount of biomass processed.

主权项

1. An integrated biofuel production process comprising the steps of:
(a) converting a biomass to yield one or more alcohols and a residual biomass; (b) gasifying the residual biomass to produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen or mixtures thereof, thereby producing thermal energy; (c) synthesizing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel from the alcohols through a dehydration and an oligomerization reaction using at least a portion of the thermal energy produced by gasifying the residual biomass; (d) converting the residual biomass into energy and/or one or more commercially viable co-products, wherein the co-products are selected from the group consisting of acids, ketones, alcohols, ethers, alkylbenzenes, fuel additives, biopolymers, proteins for animal and human consumption, and surfactants; and (e) further comprising the step of combusting the carbon monoxide, the hydrogen, or mixtures thereof to produce heat and electricity, wherein the heat and electricity are recycled back into the process to perform step (c).