Processing biomass with a hydrogen source

Abstract

A method is disclosed including co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit. The method can include producing a liquid product by catalytically cracking or hyrocracking or hydrotreating a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit having a fluidized reactor. Catalytically cracking can include transferring hydrogen from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock. Hydrocracking or hydrotreating can include transferring hydrogen from a hydrogen source to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock, and to carbon from the refinery feedstock.

1 . A method for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising:
 producing a liquid product by catalytically cracking a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising a fluidized reactor,   wherein catalytically cracking comprises transferring hydrogen from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock,   
     
     
         2 . A method for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in the presence of hydrogen gas in a refinery unit comprising:
 producing a liquid product by hydrocracking or hydrotreating a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in the presence of hydrogen gas in a refinery unit comprising a hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor,   wherein hydro cracking or hydrotreating comprises transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen gas to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock and to carbon from the refinery feedstock.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising increasing liquid product yield by increasing H 2 O formation relative to at least one of CO and CO2 formation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising operating the refinery unit at a site adjacent to a solid biomass growth source. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises a plurality of solid biomass particles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of solid biomass particles are substantially characterized by an average size between about 50 and about 1,000 microns and individual sizes between about 0.1 and about 1,500 microns. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising a catalyst is in mechano-chemical interaction with at least as portion of the solid biomass particles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the biomass feedstock comprises a heavy liquid fraction of a liquefied biomass feedstock. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the biomass feedstock is substantially free of mineral contamination capable of inactivating a catalyst. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery unit comprises a system for at least one of refreshing and regenerating a catalyst. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery feedstock comprises one or more of an atmospheric gas oil or a vacuum gas oil from a paraffinic or naphthenic crude source a resid from a paraffinic or naphthenic crude source, a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil, a hydro treated resid, and a hydro treated light cycle oil. 
     
     
         12 . A refinery unit for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock comprising:
 a fluidized reactor;   a first system providing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock to the fluidized reactor; and   a second system for at least one of refreshing and regenerating a catalyst for the fluidized reactor,   wherein the first system and the second system support catalytic cracking comprising transferring hydrogen from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock within the fluidized reactor.   
     
     
         13 . A method for providing a refinery unit for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock comprising:
 providing a fluidized reactor;   providing a first system providing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock to the fluidized reactor; and   providing a second system for at least one of refreshing and regenerating a catalyst in the fluidized reactor;   wherein the first system and the second system support catalytic cracking comprising transferring hydrogen from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock within the fluidized reactor.   
     
     
         14 . A refinery unit for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in the presence of hydrogen gas comprising;
 hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor;   a first system providing a biomass feedstock, a refinery feedstock, and hydrogen gas to the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor; and   a second system for at least one of refreshing and regenerating a catalyst in the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor;   wherein the first system and the second system support hydrocracking or hydrotreating comprising transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen gas to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock and to carbon from the refinery feedstock in the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor.   
     
     
         15 . A method for providing a refinery unit for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in the presence of hydrogen gas comprising:
 providing a hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor;   providing a first system providing a biomass feedstock, a refinery feedstock, and hydrogen gas to the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor; and   providing a second system for at least one of refreshing and regenerating a catalyst in the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor;   wherein the first system and the second system support hydrocracking or hydrotreating comprising transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen gas to carbon and oxygen from the biomass feedstock and to carbon from the refinery feedstock in the hydrocracking or hydrotreating reactor.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a basic catalyst. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a zeolite catalyst. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the reactor comprises a bed reactor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the reactor comprises a transport reactor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the reactor comprises at least one of a riser reactor and a downer reactor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising a reaction time of about 2 seconds or less. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising a reaction time that favors kinetic products relative to equilibrium products. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising de-mineralizing the biomass feedstock. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising torrefying the biomass feedstock at a temperature below about 300° C., to produce a plurality of solid biomass particles having at least one of an increased brittleness and an increased susceptibility to catalytic conversion. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising:
 agitating solid biomass particles, to reduce a size characterizing at least a portion of the particles; and 
 separating a biomass-catalyst mixture comprising the particles and a catalyst into a fine fraction comprising particles of about a predetermined size and a coarse fraction comprising particles of greater than about the predetermined size. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein separating includes using a high velocity cyclone. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of solid biomass particles are substantially characterized by at least about 80% of the particles having individual sizes of about 10 microns or less. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery feedstock comprises a hydrogen donor. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery unit comprises a petrochemical refinery unit. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery feedstock comprises a petrochemical feedstock. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using one or more of a hydrotreating, hydrocracking, hydrogenation, NiMo, CoMo, NiCoMo, noble metal, and supported noble metal catalyst. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refinery feedstock comprises a product or a combination of products derived from crude oil and destined for further processing. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising:
 providing the biomass feedstock to the conventional refinery unit using a first feed system; and 
 providing the refinery feedstock to the conventional refinery unit using a second feed system. 
 
     
     
         34 . The refinery unit of  claim 12  or  14 , further comprising:
 a first feed system providing the biomass feedstock to the conventional refinery unit; and a second feed system providing the refinery feedstock to the conventional refinery unit. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 5 , herein the plurality of solid biomass particles are substantially characterized by individual sizes by individual sizes below about 1500 microns. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of solid biomass particles are substantially characterized by at least about 80% of the particles having individual sizes of about 1500 microns or less. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a water-insoluble catalyst. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a solid has catalyst comprising hydrotalcite; hydrotalcite-like material; clay; layered hydroxy salt; mixed metal oxide; a calcination product of any of these materials; or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using an alumina catalyst. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising using a petroleum coke catalyst.