Catalyst/biomass mixing in transport reactor
View Patent ↗A reactor and/or process is disclosed for fluidized cracking of solid particulate biomass material, including a first mixing zone where a particulate stream comprising solid particulate biomass is mixed with a lift gas and becomes fluidized, and including a second mixing zone where a heat carrier material is mixed with the fluidized solid particulate biomass material.
1. A process comprising:
(i) mixing a first particulate stream comprising a solid particulate biomass material with a lifting medium in a first mixing zone of a reactor, and fluidizing and transporting said first particulate stream in said lifting medium thereby forming a fluidized first particulate stream;
(ii) passing said fluidized first particulate stream to a second mixing zone of said reactor; and
(iii) injecting a second particulate stream comprising a heat carrier material into said second mixing zone for mixing with said fluidized first particulate stream, resulting in fluidized cracking of at least a portion of said solid particulate biomass material, wherein said second particulate stream is fed to said second mixing zone at an angle which is counter-current to the flow of said fluidized first particulate stream.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein said reactor is a riser reactor.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein said solid particulate biomass material comprises cellulose.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein said solid particulate biomass material comprises lignocellulose.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said heat carrier material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an inert particulate material, a particulate catalyst material, and combinations thereof.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said solid particulate biomass material has received a pretreatment to make it more reactive.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said first mixing zone has a temperature in the range of from about 0° C. to about 300° C.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein said first mixing zone has a temperature in the range of from about 125° C. to about 200° C.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein said first particulate stream further comprises a particulate inorganic material.
10. The process of claim 9 wherein said particulate inorganic material portion of said first particulate stream has the same composition as said second particulate stream.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein immediately prior to entering said second mixing zone said second particulate stream has a temperature in the range of from about 450° C. to about 1000° C.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein immediately prior to entering said second mixing zone said second particulate stream has a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 800° C.
13. The process of claim 1 wherein said first particulate stream is fed into said first mixing zone by gravity means, by a positive displacement means, or by fluid conveyance.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein said first particulate stream is fed into said first mixing zone by a positive displacement means selected from the group consisting of a screw feeder, a posimetric feeder, a screw feeder in combination with a vibratory feeder, and a combination of block valves and a vibratory feeder.
15. The process of claim 13 wherein said first particulate stream is fed into said first mixing zone by gravity means through a fluidized bed feeder and control valve.
16. The process of claim 1 wherein said lifting medium in said first mixing zone has a velocity of from about 5 to about 36 feet per second (about 1.5 to about 11 m/s).
17. The process of claim 1 wherein said angle, as measured from the downstream length of said reactor, is in the range of from about 30 to about 80 degrees.