Facility and Method for Production Fuels from Biomass/Plastic Mixtures

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing fuels from solid biomass and plastics, characterized in that in a first step biomass and plastics are dispersed at 300-400° C. in the presence of recycled carrier oil; in a second step the obtained mixture is brought to reaction at 300-400° C.; in a third step the resulting gaseous, liquid, and solid products are separated from one another and optionally further processed; wherein the ratio of biomass to plastic is in the range of 80:20 to 10:90% by weight, and wherein the method is conducted without externally supplying carrier oil and wherein the method is carried out without externally supplying catalyst. The invention further relates to facilities for carrying out the method.

1 . A semicontinuous or continuous method for producing fuels from solid biomass and plastics, wherein
 in a first step biomass and plastics are provided and dispersed at 300-400° C. in the presence of recycled carrier oil;   in a second step the obtained mixture is brought to reaction at 300-400° C. in the liquid phase;   in a third step the resulting gaseous, liquid, and solid products are separated from one another and optionally further processed;   in an optional further step the resulting liquid products are hydrogenated;   in an optional further step the resulting solid products undergo a steam reforming or gasification reaction;   wherein the ratio of biomass to plastic is in the range of 80:20 to 10:90% by weight, and   wherein the method is carried out without externally adding carrier oil,   wherein carrier oil that is formed is partially or completely recycled to the first step of the reaction, and   wherein the method is carried out without externally supplying catalyst.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein in a further step, a portion of the sump phase formed in the second step is removed from the reactor, hydrogenated, and subsequently recycled to the reactor. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein in the first step
 the plastic is a mixture containing or composed of PE, PP, and/or PS; and/or 
 the biomass is a mixture containing or composed of lignocellulose, carbohydrates, and/or derivatives thereof. 
 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein in the first step, biomass and plastics
 are initially provided, 
 then dried/liquefied at 150-200° C., 
 then dispersed at 300-400° C. in the presence of recycled carrier oil. 
 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein
 the second step is carried out without pressure in the liquid phase, and/or 
 carrier oil that is formed is partially or completely recycled to the first step of the reaction. 
 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein in the third step
 the gaseous products that are formed are supplied, optionally after conditioning, to a gas engine or a gas turbine; and/or 
 the liquid oil products that are formed undergo rectification and optionally hydrogenation; and/or 
 the solid products that are formed, optionally after drying, undergo steam reforming or gasification; and/or 
 the aqueous phase that is formed is processed, with formation of biogas. 
 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein the provided starting materials biomass and plastics have
 a residual moisture of <35% and/or 
 a particle size of <10 mm. 
 
     
     
         8 . A facility that is suitable for producing fuels from biomass and plastics, including the following apparatuses provided in succession:
 optional screw heater (H B , H A );   disperger (DIS);   heatable reaction container (R 1 ), optionally having a device for mixing; having a device for removing gaseous products in the head region; having a device for removing liquid/solid products in the sump region;   optional hydrogenation reactor (R 4 ) which is connected to the sump phase of the reactor (R 1 );   optional device (VVD) for separating coal/oil mixtures, wherein the reaction container (R 1 ) is a reactor which is indirectly heated by thermal oil, and which has internal loop conduction via an agitator and a circulation pump for returning carrier oil to the disperger, and   wherein the hydrogenation reactor (R 4 ) is provided with loop conduction for returning the hydrogenated sump phase to the reactor (R 1 ).   
     
     
         9 . The facility according to  claim 8 , including the following apparatuses provided in succession:
 phase separator (PT) which is connected to R 1 ;   separator (S 1 ) for the lighter phase, which is connected to PT;   rectification column (RKT) which is connected to S 1 ;   hydrogenation reactor (R 2 ) which is connected to RKT.   
     
     
         10 . The facility according to  claim 8  including the following apparatuses provided in succession:
 phase separator (PT) which is connected to the reaction container (R 1 ); 
 separator (S 2 ) for the heavier phase, which is connected to PT; 
 anaerobic reactor (R 3 ) which is connected to S 2 ; 
 optional gas engine (GM) which is connected to R 3 . 
 
     
     
         11 . The facility according to  claim 8 , which up to the disperger (DIS) is designed with two separate lines, one each for biomass and plastics. 
     
     
         12 . The facility according to  claim 8 , in which the hydrogenation reactor (R 4 ) is an ultrasonic hydrogenation reactor which is connected to the sump phase of the reactor (R 1 ) for supplying the starting material, and is connected to the head phase of the reactor (R 1 ) for delivering the hydrogenated product. 
     
     
         13 . The facility according to  claim 8  wherein
 the screw heaters (H B ; H K ) are indirectly heatable to temperatures up to 200° C.; and/or 
 the disperger (DIS) is an inline disperger having a high shear gradient; and/or 
 the reactor (R 1 ) is an indirectly heated reactor which has internal loop conduction via an agitator and a circulation pump for returning carrier oil to the disperger; and/or 
 the reactor (R 4 ) is an ultrasonic hydrogenation reactor which is equipped with a controllable circulation pump and an ultrasound generator; and/or 
 the device (VVD) for separating coal/oil includes a vacuum evaporator; and/or 
 the condensers (K 1 , K 2 , K 3 ) are spray coolers which are preferably irrigated with circulation condensate; and/or 
 the phase separator (PT) is a static phase separator; and/or 
 the separators (S 1 , S 2 ) return high-density products to the reactor (R 1 ); and/or 
 the rectification column (RKT) is designed as a vacuum column in which the sump phase is returned to the reactor (R 1 ). 
 
     
     
         14 . The use of mixtures containing biomass: plastic in the range of 80:20 to 10:90% by weight for producing fuels in a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The use of a facility according to  claim 1  for producing fuels.