Bio-oil fractionation and condensation

1. A method of fractionating bio-oil vapors, said method comprising:

providing bio-oil vapors comprising bio-oil constituents;

cooling the bio-oil vapors in a first stage comprising a condenser having passages for the bio-oil vapors separated by a heat conducting wall from passages for a coolant, wherein the coolant in the condenser of the first stage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature, set at a temperature in the range of 75 to 100° C., to condense a first liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents in the condenser of the first stage; and

collecting the first liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents from the condenser of the first stage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bio-oil vapors pass through the condenser of the first stage under laminar flow conditions.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recovering a first bio-oil vapor fraction from the condenser of the first stage and

removing aerosols from the first bio-oil vapor fraction in a second stage as second liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said removing is carried out without further cooling the first bio-oil vapor fraction.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said removing is carried out with an electrostatic precipitator.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

recovering a second bio-oil vapor fraction after said removing aerosols;

cooling the second bio-oil vapor fraction in a third stage comprising a condenser having passages for the second bio-oil vapor fraction separated by a heat conducting wall from passages for a coolant, wherein the coolant in the condenser of the third stage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature, set at a temperature above the dew point of water, to condense a third liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents in the condenser of the third stage; and

collecting the third liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents from the condenser of the third stage.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

recovering a third bio-oil vapor fraction from the third stage and

removing aerosols from the third bio-oil vapor fraction in a fourth stage as a fourth liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said removing aerosols from the third bio-oil vapor fraction is carried out without further cooling the third bio-oil vapor fraction.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said removing aerosols from the third bio-oil vapor fraction is carried out with an electrostatic precipitator.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

recovering a fourth bio-oil vapor fraction after said removing aerosols from the third bio-oil vapor fraction;

cooling the fourth bio-oil vapor fraction in a condenser of a fifth stage having passages for the fourth bio-oil vapor separated by a heat conducting wall from passages for a coolant, wherein the coolant in the condenser of the fifth stage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature, with a temperature set sufficiently low to condense substantially all water vapor from the fourth bio-oil vapor as a fifth liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents in the condenser of the fifth stage; and

collecting the fifth liquid fraction of liquefied bio-oil constituents from the condenser of the fifth stage.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid fraction comprises: furans having a weight percentage in the range of 2 to 7%, minor carbohydrates having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, acetic acid having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 4%, levoglucosan having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 15%, water insoluble compounds having a weight percentage in the range of 50 to 75%, water having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 7%, syringols having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, guaiacols having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 7%, and phenols having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 10%.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second liquid fraction comprises: furans having a weight percentage in the range of 2 to 7%, minor carbohydrates having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, acetic acid having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 4%, levoglucosan having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 15%, water insoluble compounds having a weight percentage in the range of 50 to 75%, water having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 7%, syringols having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, guaiacols having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 7%, and phenols having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 10%.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third liquid fraction comprises: furans having a weight percentage in the range of 6 to 12%, minor carbohydrates having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 20%, acetic acid having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, levoglucosan having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 4%, water insoluble compounds having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 20%, water having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 15%, syringols having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 10%, guaiacols having a weight percentage in the range of 7 to 15%, and phenols having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 18%.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fourth liquid fraction comprises: furans having a weight percentage in the range of 6 to 12%, minor carbohydrates having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 20%, acetic acid having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, levoglucosan having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 4%, water insoluble compounds having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 25%, water having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 20%, syringols having a weight percentage in the range of 3 to 10%, guaiacols having a weight percentage in the range of 7 to 15%, and phenols having a weight percentage in the range of 10 to 18%.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fifth liquid fraction comprises: furans having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%, minor carbohydrates having a weight percentage in the range of 8 to 15%, acetic acid having a weight percentage in the range of 5 to 15%, hydroxyacetaldehyde having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 4%, water insoluble compounds having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 1%, water having a weight percentage in the range of 56 to 90%, guaiacols having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 3%, and phenols having a weight percentage in the range of 0 to less than 5%.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condenser of the first stage is a liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the condenser of the third stage is a liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the condenser of the fifth stage is a liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing bio-oil vapors comprises:

pyrolyzing biomass and/or solid waste under conditions effective to provide bio-oil vapors.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

injecting a coolant into the bio-oil vapors prior to or upon entry of said bio-oil-vapors into the condenser of the first stage.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the coolant is a liquid coolant.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the liquid coolant is water.