Preparing a fuel from liquid biomass
View Patent ↗The present application generally relates to methods to prepare a fuel from a liquid biomass by first producing the liquid biomass from a solid biomass by a thermal process, and then processing the liquid biomass with a petroleum fraction in the presence of a catalyst.
1. A method to prepare a fuel from a liquid biomass, comprising: processing the liquid biomass and a petroleum fraction in the presence of a catalyst, said liquid biomass derived from a non-catalytic thermo-mechanical conversion consisting essentially of:
i) grinding a dried cellulosic biomass; and
ii) liquefying at least 60 wt. % of the ground dried cellulosic biomass to form the liquid biomass.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-catalytic thermo-mechanical conversion comprises pyrolysis.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-catalytic thermo-mechanical conversion comprises rapid thermal processing.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid biomass further comprises:
i) a carbon content in the range of 35-80 wt. % on a moisture-free basis;
ii) an oxygen content in the range of 20-50 wt. % on a moisture-free basis; and
iii) a water content in the range of 10-40 wt. %.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the liquid biomass has a solids content of less than 0.5 wt. % and an ash content of less than 0.1 wt. %.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the petroleum fraction and the liquid biomass are co-processed in a continuous fluidized catalytic cracking unit.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the solid biomass comprises a wood, wood residue, or agricultural residue.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid biomass is an unenriched renewable fuel oil.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing occurs in a continuous unit.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous unit is a fluidized catalytic cracking unit.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the petroleum fraction is VGO.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing and the non-catalytic thermo-mechanical conversion are conducted in the same refinery site.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is a transportation fuel.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid biomass comprises wood, wood residues, and/or sawdust.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid biomass comprises bagasse, palm fronds, and/or empty fruit bunches.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed liquid biomass comprises less than 10% of the total weight of the petroleum fraction and the liquid biomass.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed liquid biomass and petroleum fraction comprise:
i) 93-99.95 wt. % of the petroleum fraction; and
ii) 0.05-7 wt. % of the liquid biomass, relative to the total weight of the petroleum fraction and the liquid biomass.
18. A method to prepare a fuel, comprising: fluidized catalytic cracking of 93-99.95 wt. % of a petroleum fraction and 0.05-7 wt. % of a liquid biomass, relative to the total weight of the petroleum fraction and the liquid biomass, wherein the liquid biomass is derived from the product of a non-catalytic thermo-mechanical conversion consisting essentially of:
i) grinding a dried cellulosic biomass; and
ii) liquefying at least 60 wt. % of the ground dried cellulosic biomass by rapid thermal processing to form the liquid biomass, wherein the liquid biomass has:
a) a carbon content in the range of 35-80 wt. % on a moisture-free basis;
b) an oxygen content in the range of 20-50 wt. % on a moisture-free basis;
c) a water content in the range of 10-40 wt. %;
d) a solids content of less than 0.5 wt. %; and
e) an ash content of less than 0.1 wt. %.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein at least 80 wt. % of the ground dried cellulosic biomass is liquefied by said rapid thermal processing.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the liquid biomass is an unenriched renewable fuel oil.