Granted Patent B1

US 12,351,759 · App. 18/636,828 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Inventors: Subodh Adhikari (Oakland, CA); Edward Young (Albany, CA); Alden Ahlholm (San Francisco, CA); Mark Hamann (Erie, CO)

Assignee: Charm Industrial, Inc.

C10B53/02C01B3/02C05D3/00C05D9/00C10B47/24C10B57/005C10J3/00C10J3/60C10L5/445C10J2200/31C10J2300/0916

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising:

providing a mobile pyrolyzer configured to traverse a field where biomass is grown;

providing harvested biomass to the mobile pyrolyzer as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field;

subjecting the harvested biomass to a fast pyrolysis process in the mobile pyrolyzer to generate biochar, bio-oil, and syngas as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field;

oxidizing the biochar through controlled oxidation on the mobile pyrolyzer by exposing the biochar to a low level or flowrate of oxygen or air;

applying the oxidized biochar to the field as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field;

storing the bio-oil on the mobile pyrolyzer; and

periodically offloading the bio-oil from the mobile pyrolyzer to a storage tank.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is disposed on a vehicle or a trailer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the harvested biomass comprises providing the harvested biomass to the mobile pyrolyzer from a harvesting machine.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is towed behind the harvesting machine on a trailer.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field adjacent to the harvesting machine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the harvested biomass comprises:

collecting the harvested biomass from the field; and

processing the harvested biomass into particles ranging in size from about 5 mm to about 50 mm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the oxidized biochar comprises applying at least one of a silicate or calcium hydroxide to the field along with the biochar.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying water to the oxidized biochar to make the oxidized biochar less reactive.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fast pyrolysis process takes place in an autothermal reactor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the syngas to generate heat for a reactor in the mobile pyrolyzer.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the syngas to generate electricity for at least one component of the mobile pyrolyzer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fast pyrolysis process is configured to produce from about 0.4 kg to about 0.75 kg of bio-oil for each 1 kg of the harvested biomass.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fast pyrolysis process is configured to produce at least about 0.4 kg of bio-oil and at most about 0.25 kg of biochar for each 1 kg of the harvested biomass.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is on the field.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein subjecting the harvested biomass to the fast pyrolysis process comprises using a catalyst.

16. A system comprising:

a mobile pyrolyzer configured to:

traverse a field where biomass is grown;

obtain harvested biomass from the field as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field;

subject the harvested biomass to a fast pyrolysis process to generate biochar, bio-oil, and syngas as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field;

oxidize the biochar through controlled oxidation on the mobile pyrolyzer by exposing the biochar to a low level or flowrate of oxygen or air;

store the bio-oil on the mobile pyrolyzer; and

periodically offload the bio-oil from the mobile pyrolyzer to a storage tank; and

a spreader for applying the oxidized biochar to the field as the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is disposed on a vehicle or a trailer.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer obtains the harvested biomass from a harvesting machine.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is towed behind the harvesting machine on a trailer, or wherein the mobile pyrolyzer traverses the field adjacent to the harvesting machine.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer obtains the harvested biomass by collecting the harvested biomass from the field.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer comprises an autothermal reactor configured to perform the fast pyrolysis process.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is further configured to use the syngas to generate heat for a reactor in the mobile pyrolyzer.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile pyrolyzer is further configured to use the syngas to generate electricity for at least one component of the mobile pyrolyzer.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the spreader is further configured to apply a silicate to the field along with the biochar.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (25)