PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RENEWABLE GASOLINE, AND FUEL COMPOSITIONS PRODUCED THEREFROM
The present invention provides a process for producing gasoline components from syngas. Syngas is converted to one or more of methanol, ethanol, mixed alcohols, and dimethyl ether, followed by various combinations of separations and reactions to produce gasoline components with oxygenates, such as alcohols. The syngas is preferably derived from biomass or another renewable carbon-containing feedstock, thereby providing a biorefining process for the production of renewable gasoline.
1 . A process for converting syngas to a liquid fuel, said process comprising:
(a) generating or providing syngas;
(b) dividing said syngas into a first syngas stream and a second syngas stream;
(c) converting at least some of said first syngas stream to methanol using a methanol-synthesis catalyst;
(d) converting at least some of said methanol to one or more gasoline components using a zeolite catalyst; and
(e) converting at least some of said second syngas stream to ethanol using a biocatalyst.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said syngas is derived from biomass.
3 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising combining a portion of said ethanol with a portion of said gasoline components, thereby producing a gasoline blendstock containing ethanol.
4 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising converting at least some of said ethanol to one or more gasoline components using said zeolite catalyst.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the output of step (d) and the output of step (e) are not combined.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the output from step (d) further includes non-gasoline components that are recycled back to step (a).
7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein said non-gasoline components include C 2 -C 4 hydrocarbon gases.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said gasoline components meet fuel specification ASTM D 4814-09a.
9 . A process for converting syngas to an ethanol-containing gasoline blendstock, said process comprising:
(a) generating syngas from gasification of a carbon-containing feedstock;
(b) converting at least some of said syngas to methanol using a methanol-synthesis catalyst;
(c) converting at least some of said methanol to one or more gasoline components using a zeolite catalyst;
(d) converting at least some of said second to ethanol using a biocatalyst; and
(e) combining said gasoline components with said ethanol, thereby producing an ethanol-containing gasoline blendstock.
10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein said carbon-containing feedstock is biomass.
11 . The process of claim 9 , wherein said ethanol-containing gasoline blendstock is used directly as an ethanol-containing gasoline fuel.
12 . The process of claim 9 , wherein said ethanol-containing gasoline blendstock is combined with another fuel to produce an ethanol-containing gasoline fuel.
13 . A fuel composition produced by a process comprising
(a) generating or providing syngas;
(b) dividing said syngas into a first syngas stream and a second syngas stream;
(c) converting at least some of said first syngas stream to methanol using a methanol-synthesis catalyst;
(d) converting at least some of said methanol to one or more gasoline components using a zeolite catalyst;
(e) converting at least some of said second syngas stream to ethanol using a biocatalyst; and
(f) combining said gasoline components and said ethanol, thereby producing a fuel composition.
14 . The fuel composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition includes about 2.7 wt % oxygen or less.
15 . The fuel composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition includes greater than 2.7 wt % oxygen.
16 . The fuel composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition includes at least 9 vol % ethanol.
17 . The fuel composition of claim 16 , wherein said composition includes at least 14 vol % ethanol.
18 . The fuel composition of claim 17 , wherein said composition includes at least 19 vol % ethanol.
19 . The fuel composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition includes about 0.3 vol % methanol or less.
20 . The fuel composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition includes greater than 0.3 vol % methanol.