Ethanol as a feedstock for a BCTL facility

1. A method of producing fuel, the method comprising:

converting an alcohol stream comprising at least one alcohol into synthesis gas;

providing a first synthesis gas stream, wherein at least a portion of the first synthesis gas stream comprises synthesis gas obtained from the alcohol conversion;

converting a feed comprising synthesis gas via Fischer-Tropsch into a Fischer-Tropsch product comprising hydrocarbons, wherein at least a portion of the feed comprises synthesis gas from the first synthesis gas stream, and wherein the feed further comprises non-alcohol derived synthesis gas; and

converting at least a portion of the Fischer-Tropsch product into fuel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alcohol is derived from corn, sugar cane, biomass, lignocellulose, cellulose, coal, natural gas, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alcohol comprises ethanol.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the ethanol is derived from lignocellulose, cellulose, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the ethanol is derived from fermentation of sugar cane, fermentation of corn, thermochemical conversion of synthesis gas or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein converting an alcohol stream comprising at least one alcohol into synthesis gas comprises converting ethanol to synthesis gas by reforming, partial oxidation, gasification, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing the non-alcohol derived synthesis gas via at least one process selected from gasification of coal, gasification of biomass, reforming of natural gas, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alcohol is ethanol, and wherein converting the alcohol stream into synthesis gas comprises gasifying the alcohol stream to produce a gasifier product comprising synthesis gas having a first H 2 :CO ratio.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising combining the gasifier product with the non-alcohol derived synthesis gas to yield the first synthesis gas stream, wherein the first synthesis gas stream has a second H 2 :CO ratio.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second H 2 :CO ratio is greater than the first H 2 :CO ratio.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second H 2 :CO ratio is less than the first H 2 :CO ratio.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-alcohol derived synthesis gas is obtained from at least one process selected from gasification of coal, gasification of biomass, reforming of natural gas, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising gasifying at least one selected from liquid hydrocarbons, coal, biomass, petcoke and combinations thereof to provide the non-alcohol derived synthesis gas.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising shifting the gasifier product via water gas shift reaction whereby water and a portion of the carbon monoxide in the gasifier product are converted into additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide, whereby a water gas shift product having a second H 2 :CO ratio is obtained, wherein the second H 2 :CO ratio is greater than the first H 2 :CO ratio.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alcohol comprises ethanol and wherein converting the alcohol stream into synthesis gas comprises reforming the alcohol stream.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein reforming comprises autothermal reforming.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising reforming natural gas to provide the non-alcohol derived synthesis gas.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing at least one component from the first synthesis gas stream prior to utilization of the at least a portion thereof in the feed gas.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, carbon dioxide, halides, sulfur-containing compounds, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one component is hydrogen, wherein converting at least a portion of the Fischer-Tropsch product into fuel comprises upgrading at least a portion of the Fischer-Tropsch product via hydrogenation, and wherein at least a portion of the removed hydrogen is utilized to hydrogenate the Fischer-Tropsch product.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel is selected from aviation-grade fuels, aviation-grade fuel components, diesel fuels, diesel fuel components, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel has a sulfur level less than that of ultra low sulfur diesel.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon combustion, the fuel produces NOx emissions at a level at least as low as that of ultra low sulfur diesel.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon combustion, the fuel produces PM10 at least as low as ultra low sulfur diesel.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel has a cetane number of greater than about 40.

26. A method of producing a diesel fuel, the method comprising forming hydrocarbons via Fischer-Tropsch conversion of alcohol-derived and non-alcohol derived synthesis gas, optionally upgrading at least a portion of the hydrocarbons to provide hydrocarbons boiling in the diesel range, and utilizing at least a portion of the Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbons, at least a portion of the upgraded hydrocarbons, or both as a diesel fuel or as a component of a diesel fuel.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising producing at least a portion of synthesis gas via reforming of ethanol.