Production of pyrolysis oil
Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
1. A process for producing pyrolysis oil comprising the steps of:
providing a reactor containing multiple catalysts having different densities and different particle size distributions;
fluidizing the catalysts;
entraining a biomass in the fluidized catalysts, so that the biomass is pyrolyzed; and
collecting the resultant pyrolysis oil.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalysts are zeolite catalysts.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is heated to a temperature of about 400° C. to about 650° C.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the increase in viscosity of the pyrolysis oil over the course of two years is less than 50%.
5. A process for producing fuel comprising the steps of
providing a reactor containing multiple catalysts having different densities and different particle size distributions;
fluidizing the catalysts;
entraining a biomass in the fluidized catalysts, so that the biomass is pyrolyzed to produce pyrolysis oil; and
cracking the pyrolysis oil.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the catalysts are zeolite catalysts.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the catalyst is heated to a temperature of about 400° C. to about 650° C.
8. The process of claim 5 , wherein the increase in viscosity of the oil over the course of two years is less than 50%.
9. The process of claim 5 , further comprising the step of blending the pyrolysis oil with gas oil prior to the cracking step to produce an oil blend.
10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the oil blend contains about 5-45% by weight pyrolysis oil.
11. The process of claim 5 , wherein the fuel is a drop-in fuel.
12. A process for producing fuel comprising the steps of
producing pyrolysis oil using the process of claim 1 ;
blending the pyrolysis oil with gas oil to produce an oil blend; and
cracking the oil blend.
13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the increase in viscosity of the pyrolysis oil over the course of two years is less than 50%.
14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the fuel is a drop-in fuel.
15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the fuel is gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel.