Integrated method for producing a fuel component from biomass and system therefor

Abstract

Disclosed here are integrated methods and systems for producing fuel from biomass. The methods and systems pertain to gasifying a feed derived from biomass fermentate separation residue, such as corn-based distiller's grains, and producing a liquid transportation fuel component, such as aviation turbine fuel, from the gasified feed in a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. At least a portion of the waste heat from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor is supplied to a thermal process for liquefying, fermenting or distilling a biomass, or to a thermal process for separating or treating a biomass fermentate separation residue.

1 . An integrated method for producing fuel from biomass, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a feed comprising biomass fermentate separation residue,   (b) gasifying feed from (a) in a gasification reactor to produce a mixture comprising CO and H 2 ;   (c) contacting the mixture comprising CO and H 2  with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a synthesis reactor to produce heat and an effluent comprising a liquid transportation fuel component, and   (d) supplying at least a portion of said heat to at least one thermal process selected from the group consisting of biomass liquefaction, fermentation, fermentation product distillation, dehydrating agent regeneration, fermentate separation residue concentrating, and fermentate separation residue drying.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a biomass liquefaction process comprising enzymatic and/or bacterial decomposition of biomass. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a fermentation product distillation process comprising distillation of a fermentate to separate an alcohol. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a fermentation process comprising enzymatic, bacterial, and/or yeast-mediated production of an alcohol. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a dehydrating agent regeneration process comprising regeneration of a spent solid dehydrating agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a fermentate separation residue concentrating process comprising reducing volume of a fermentate separation residue. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to a fermentate separation residue drying process comprising removing at least some moisture from a fermentate separation residue. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to at least two of said thermal process. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said heat is supplied to at least four of said thermal process. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said biomass fermentate separation residue is derived from fermentation of at least one plant biomass selected from the group consisting of woody materials, forest residues, agricultural residues and crops. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said biomass fermentate separation residue is at least one corn-based material selected from distiller's wet grains (DWG), distiller's dry grains (DDG), dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS), and corn-based grain stillage syrup. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of providing a feed comprises performing one or more treatment selected from the group consisting of pyrolysis, catalytic conversion, drying, concentrating, and charring upon a biomass fermentate separation residue. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more step of adjusting the CO/H 2  ratio in said mixture comprising CO and H 2  by an adjusting step selected from one or more of: selective removal of CO, selective removal of hydrogen, water-gas shift, and reverse-water-gas-shift. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of at least partially removing at least one impurity selected from the (group consisting of CO 2 , NH 3 , H 2 S, HCN, HCl, COS, N 2  and Hg from the mixture comprising CO and H 2  prior to contacting said mixture with the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of treating at least of portion of said effluent comprising a liquid transportation fuel component by a hydroprocessing, step selected from one or more of hydrocracking, hydrotreating, and isomerization. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of providing a feed comprises mixing biomass fermentate separation residue with at least one supplemental feed member selected from the group consisting of low rank coal, liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel, coke, oil shale, tar sands, asphalt, pitch, another biomass-based material, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gasification reactor is a fixed bed, bubbling bed, fluidized bed, or entrained flow gasifier. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said liquid transportation fuel component is a hydrocarbonaceous fuel having a boiling point within the range of gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, or diesel fuel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said liquid transportation fuel component is an aviation turbine fuel having at least one characteristic selected from H/C ratio of greater than about 1.85, flash point of at least about 38° C., and average freeze point of less than about −40° C. 
     
     
         21 . An integrated method for producing a turbine fuel from corn-based biomass, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a feed comprising corn-based biomass fermentate distillation residue;   (b) gasifying feed from (a) in a gasification reactor to produce a mixture comprising CO and H 2 ;   (c) contacting the mixture comprising CO and H 2  with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a synthesis reactor to produce heat and an effluent comprising a liquid turbine fuel component; and   (d) supplying at least a portion of said heat to at least three thermal processes selected from the group consisting of corn liquefaction, corn mash fermentation, corn fermentation product distillation, corn-based ethanol dehydrating agent regeneration, corn mash fermentate distillation residue concentrating, and corn mash fermentate distillation residue drying.   
     
     
         22 . An integrated system for producing fuel from biomass, the system comprising,
 (a) a unit configured to provide a feed comprising biomass fermentate separation residue;   (b) a gasification reactor for gasifying feed from (a) to produce a mixture comprising CO and H 2 ;   (c) catalytic hydrocarbon synthesis zone configured to react the mixture comprising CO and H 2  to produce heat and an effluent comprising a liquid transportation fuel component; and   (d) at least one heat supply conduit configured to supply at least a portion of said heat to at least one thermal process selected from the group consisting of biomass liquefaction, fermentation, fermentation product distillation, dehydrating agent regeneration, fermentate separation residue concentrating, and fermentate separation residue drying.