Process and apparatus for producing renewable fuels
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to processes and apparatus for producing fuels and fuel compositions. In an aspect, a process for converting a carbon-containing feedstock is provided. The process includes drying a carbon-containing feedstock comprising biomass to form a terpene stream and a dried carbon-containing material, and hydrotreating the terpene stream to form a first hydrocarbon stream. The process further includes gasifying the dried carbon-containing material to form syngas, converting the syngas to a second hydrocarbon stream, and introducing the first hydrocarbon stream and the second hydrocarbon stream to form a fuel composition.
1 . A process, comprising:
drying a carbon-containing feedstock comprising biomass to form a terpene stream and a dried carbon-containing material using an integrated apparatus comprising a drying unit coupled to a gasification unit and coupled to a hydrotreatment unit, wherein the drying unit is coupled to the gasification unit via a first material transfer line and to the hydrotreatment unit via a second material transfer line, and wherein the dried carbon-containing material is directly transferred from the drying unit to the gasification unit through the first material transfer line;
hydrotreating the terpene stream to form a first hydrocarbon stream;
gasifying the dried carbon-containing material to form a syngas;
converting the syngas to a second hydrocarbon stream; and
combining the first hydrocarbon stream and the second hydrocarbon stream in a collection unit coupled to both the hydrotreatment unit and a syngas conversion unit to form a fuel composition, wherein the collection unit comprises a first inlet line receiving the first hydrocarbon stream from the hydrotreatment unit and a second inlet line receiving the second hydrocarbon stream from the syngas conversion unit, and wherein the collection unit is configured to blend the first and second hydrocarbon streams.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the converting the syngas to a second hydrocarbon stream in the syngas conversion unit comprises:
introducing the syngas to a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; or
introducing the syngas to a microorganism.
3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the microorganism comprises Moorella, Clostridium including Clostridium autoethanogenum, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, Desulfotomaculum , or combinations thereof.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein:
the syngas comprises H 2 and CO; and
the syngas has a molar ratio of H 2 :CO from about 1.8:1 to about 2.1:1.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrocarbon stream comprises diesel fuel, jet fuel, or a combination thereof.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the second hydrocarbon stream comprises diesel fuel, jet fuel, or a combination thereof.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrocarbon stream is different from the second hydrocarbon stream.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein hydrogen for hydrotreating the terpene stream is formed by electrolysis, steam-methane reforming, gasification, or combinations thereof.
9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the terpene stream comprises an amount of α-pinene and β-pinene of about 50 wt % or more.
10 . A process, comprising:
converting biomass to a terpene stream and a dried carbon-containing material using an integrated apparatus comprising a coupling between processing units;
introducing the terpene stream with hydrogen and a hydrotreatment catalyst to form a first hydrocarbon stream;
introducing the dried carbon-containing material with a gasification agent to form a syngas, wherein the dried carbon-containing material is transferred from a drying unit to a gasification unit through a material transfer line;
converting at least a portion of the syngas to a second hydrocarbon stream comprising:
introducing the syngas to a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to form the second hydrocarbon stream; or
introducing the syngas to a microorganism to form ethanol and oligomerizing ethanol to form the second hydrocarbon stream; and
combining the first hydrocarbon stream to the second hydrocarbon stream in a shared collection unit to form a fuel composition, wherein the shared collection unit is positioned to receive streams from multiple processing units via separate inlet lines and is configured to blend the streams.
11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein when the process comprises introducing the syngas to a microorganism to form ethanol and oligomerizing ethanol to form the second hydrocarbon stream, the microorganism comprises Moorella, Clostridium including Clostridium autoethanogenum, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, Methanosarcina, Desulfotomaculum , or combinations thereof.
12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the oligomerizing ethanol comprises:
dehydrating ethanol to form ethylene;
oligomerizing the ethylene to form a C 3 to C 8 olefin; and
oligomerizing the C 3 to C 8 olefin to form the second hydrocarbon stream.
13 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the oligomerizing ethanol comprises introducing ethanol to a zeolite to form the second hydrocarbon stream, the second hydrocarbon stream comprising a C 2 -C 12 olefin.
14 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the syngas comprises H 2 and CO, and the syngas has a molar ratio of H 2 :CO from about 1.8:1 to about 2.1:1.
15 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the first hydrocarbon stream comprises diesel fuel, jet fuel, or a combination thereof.
16 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the second hydrocarbon stream comprises diesel fuel, jet fuel, or a combination thereof.