IP Library Granted Patent US 11,655,426
Granted Patent B2
US 11,655,426 · App. 17/409,643 · Granted May 23, 2023

Processes for producing high biogenic concentration fischer-tropsch liquids derived from municipal solid wastes (MSW) feedstocks

Inventors: Peter G. Tiverios (Anderson, SC); Stephen H. Lucas (Foristell, MO); Lewis L. Rich (Seneca, SC)
Assignee: Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc.
C10L1/04B01J8/00B01J19/0006C07C29/1518C10G2/32C10G2/34C10G47/00C10J3/26C10J3/466C10J3/485C10J3/721C10J3/82C10K1/004C10K1/005C10K1/101C10K1/16C10K3/001C10K3/04C10L1/08B01J2208/00115C10J2300/0903C10J2300/0906C10J2300/0946C10J2300/0959C10J2300/0976C10J2300/1628C10J2300/1634C10J2300/1643C10J2300/1659C10J2300/1665C10J2300/1671C10J2300/1675C10J2300/1815C10J2300/1853C10L2200/0469C10L2200/0492C10L2270/023C10L2270/026C10L2270/04C10L2290/04C10L2290/10C10L2290/42C10L2290/54C10L2290/543Y02E20/16Y02E50/10Y02E50/30Y02P20/129Y02P20/133Y02P30/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,655,426
App. No.
17/409,643
Granted
May 23, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Processes for producing high biogenic concentration Fischer-Tropsch liquids derived from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW) feedstock that contains a relatively high concentration of biogenic carbon (derived from plants) and a relatively low concentration of non-biogenic carbon (derived from fossil sources) wherein the biogenic content of the Fischer-Tropsch liquids is the same as the biogenic content of the feedstock.

Claims (49)

1. A process for producing a transportation fuel or fuel additive derived from wastes that contain materials that are produced from biogenic derived carbon materials, non-biogenic derived carbon materials and non-carbonaceous materials, the process comprising the steps of:

a) receiving processed feedstock that has been processed to remove some of the non-biogenic derived carbon materials from the wastes to produce processed feedstock that contains a higher concentration of biogenic carbon materials than non-biogenic carbon materials; and

b) converting the processed feedstock into syngas and Fischer-Tropsch liquids having a greater concentration of biogenic carbon than non-biogenic carbon; and

c) upgrading the Fischer-Tropsch liquids into a transportation fuel or fuel additive having a greater concentration of biogenic carbon than non-biogenic carbon.

2. A transportation fuel or fuel additive derived from the process of claim 1 .

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the wastes contains liquids.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the wastes contains organic waste materials.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the waste contains biomass materials.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the biomass materials contain vegetative matter.

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

in a power generation process, converting at least a portion of the biogenic carbon material into biogenic carbon derived power.

8. A process for producing Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) liquids from wastes that contain materials that are produced from biogenic derived carbon materials, non-biogenic derived carbon materials and non-carbonaceous materials, the process comprising the steps of:

a) receiving syngas derived from processed feedstock that has been processed to remove some of the non-biogenic derived carbon materials from the wastes to produce a processed feedstock that contains a higher concentration of biogenic carbon materials than non-biogenic carbon materials; and

b) converting the syngas into Fischer-Tropsch liquids having a greater concentration of biogenic carbon than non-biogenic carbon.

9. The process according to claim 8 , further comprising:

separating the Fischer-Tropsch liquids in a separation system into heavy F-T liquids (HFTL) and medium F-T liquids (MFTL).

10. The process according to claim 9 , further comprising:

upgrading the separated Fischer-Tropsch liquids in an upgrading system comprising a hydrotreating/hydrocracking reactor and fractionation system configured to upgrade the HFTL and MFTL into a transportation fuel.

11. The process of claim 8 wherein the wastes contains liquids.

12. The process of claim 8 wherein the wastes contains organic waste materials.

13. The process of claim 8 wherein the waste contains biomass materials.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the biomass materials contain vegetative matter.

15. A process for producing syngas derived from wastes that contain materials that are produced from biogenic derived carbon materials, non-biogenic derived carbon materials and non-carbonaceous materials, the process comprising the steps of:

a) receiving processed feedstock that has been processed to remove some of the non-biogenic derived carbon materials from the wastes to produce processed feedstock that contains a higher concentration of biogenic carbon materials than non-biogenic carbon materials; and

b) gasifying the processed feedstock into syngas having a greater concentration of biogenic carbon than non-biogenic carbon.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the gasifying step further comprises:

steam reforming and hydrocarbon reforming.

17. The process of claim 15 wherein the gasifying step further comprises:

steam reforming, sub-stoichiometric carbon oxidation and hydrocarbon reforming.

18. The process of claim 15 wherein the gasifying step further comprises:

steam reforming to dry, volatilize and gasify the processed feedstock to produce syngas containing CO, H 2 , H 2 O and CO 2 , unreacted char, inert solids and unreacted hydrocarbons;

further gasifying by sub-stoichiometric carbon oxidation; and

hydrocarbon reforming to convert remaining char, hydrocarbons and tars into syngas.

19. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the gasifying step further comprises:

steam reforming the processed feedstock to dry, volatilize and gasify the processed feedstock to produce syngas containing CO, H 2 , H 2 O and CO 2 .

20. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising:

conditioning the syngas to remove contaminants, remove/recover CO 2 and provide a biogenic CO 2 recycle stream for recycling biogenic CO 2 to the gasifying step for biogenic carbon conservation and to adjust the H 2 :CO 2 ratio in the syngas to a predetermined value; and

converting the syngas into Fischer-Tropsch liquids in one or more F-T reactors.

21. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising:

conditioning the syngas to remove contaminants, remove/recover CO 2 and provide a biogenic CO 2 recycle stream for recycling biogenic CO 2 to the gasifying step for biogenic carbon conservation and to adjust the H 2 :CO 2 ratio in the syngas to a predetermined value;

converting the syngas into Fischer-Tropsch liquids in one or more F-T reactors;

separating the F-T liquids in a separation system into heavy F-T liquids (HFTL) and medium F-T liquids (MFTL); and

upgrading the separated F-T liquids in an upgrading system comprising a hydrotreating/hydrocracking reactor and fractionation system configured to upgrade the HFTL and MFTL into a transportation fuel.

22. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

in a power generation process, converting at least a portion of the biogenic carbon material into biogenic carbon derived power.

23. The process of claim 15 wherein the wastes contains liquids.

24. The process of claim 15 wherein the wastes contains organic waste materials.

25. The process of claim 15 wherein the waste contains biomass materials.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein the biomass materials contain vegetative matter.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 27, 2024
From: NUVEEN EIC ADMINISTRATION LLC
To: PCL ADMINISTRATION LLC
Reel/Frame 068788/0916 →
AFFIDAVIT OF OWNERSHIP TO CORRECT ERROR MADE IN A PREVIOUSLY RECORDED DOCUMENT THAT ERRONEOUSLY AFFECTS THE IDENTIFIED PATENTS AND APPLICATION(S). Recorded Jan 2, 2024
From: FULCRUM BIOENERGY, INC.
To: FULCRUM BIOENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066179/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: FULCRUM BIOENERGY, INC.
To: NUVEEN EIC ADMINISTRATION LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 064048/0126 →
AFFIDAVIT OF OWNERSHIP Recorded Jun 5, 2023
From: FULCRUM BIOENERGY, INC.
To: THERMOCHEM RECOVERY INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 063860/0316 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2021
From: LUCAS, STEPHEN H.; TIVERIOS, PETER G.; RICH, LEWIS L.
To: FULCRUM BIOENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 057797/0705 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 16921536 · Jul 6, 2020
Continuation 16458928 · Jul 1, 2019
Continuation 15682368 · Aug 21, 2017
Continuation 15077782 · Mar 22, 2016
Division 14842729 · Sep 1, 2015
Continuation 14799522 · Jul 14, 2015
Continuation In Part 14138635 · Dec 23, 2013
Continuation 13023505 · Feb 8, 2011
Provisional Application 61302516 · Feb 8, 2010
Related Publication 20210380893A1 · Dec 9, 2021
Cited By (6)
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