Apparatus, system, and method for biomass fractioning

Abstract

A crank shaft driven biomass fractionator system, apparatus and method are described for inputting ground biomass and outputting several vapor streams of bio-intermediate compounds associated with bio-oil and bio-vapors along with biochar and optionally syngas production. A method for biomass fractioning comprises dispensing biomass into thin sheets of ground biomass; subjecting the thin sheets to temperature; and collecting various groups of compounds as they are released from the thin sheets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for biomass fractioning, comprising:
 a sealed pyrolysis chamber containing at least one conveying surface;   a plurality of processing stations, wherein each station comprises a piston, each piston sealingly positioned in an opening of the sealed pyrolysis chamber above the conveying surface, wherein the pistons are connected to at least one driver located external to the sealed pyrolysis chamber, said at least one driver capable of moving the pistons in and out of contact with the conveying surface;   a heater for heating at least a portion of the conveying surface;   a drive motor located external to the sealed pyrolysis chamber to drive the at least one conveying surface; and   at least one vapor exhaust port for directing vapors from the sealed pyrolysis chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pistons are housed within a piston block. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein O-rings create an airlock seal between each piston and the piston block. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the bio-vapor exhaust port further comprises an inlet feed line. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each piston is connected to the driver by a spring-loaded piston arm. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the driver is a crankshaft. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pistons are heated. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises electrical heating elements, direct flame combustion, directed jets of heated working gas, heat transfer fluid, or directed jets of supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second drive motor connected to the crankshaft to drive the crankshaft. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the location of each of the pistons is determined by the drive of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveying surface is made of a plurality of interconnected plates. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the interconnected plates have sidewalls extending upward from the horizontal surface of the surface. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the side walls of the interconnected plates overlap. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser for introducing biomass into the sealed pyrolysis chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising an entry port. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the entry port is connected to the dispenser. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the dispenser is a rotary valve. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the rotary valve is connected to a hopper. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the hopper contains biomass. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a removal station for removing material from the sealed pyrolysis chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the material removed is biochar. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for fractioning biomass, comprising:
 a first biofractionator and a second biofractionator;   said first biofractionator and said second biofractionator each being comprised of:
 a sealed pyrolysis chamber containing at least one conveying surface; 
 a plurality of processing stations, wherein each station comprises a piston, each piston sealingly positioned in an opening of the sealed pyrolysis chamber above the conveying surface, wherein the pistons are connected to at least one driver located external to the sealed pyrolysis chamber, said at least one driver capable of moving the pistons in and out of contact with the conveying surface; 
 a heater for heating at least a portion of the conveying surface; 
 a drive motor located external to the sealed pyrolysis chamber to drive the at least one conveying surface; 
 at least one vapor exhaust port for directing vapors from the sealed pyrolysis chamber; and 
   wherein said first and second biofractionators are in a stacked configuration such that the drivers of the first and second fractionators are run by one drive motor.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of pistons are housed within a piston block. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein O-rings create an airlock seal between each piston and the piston block. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the bio-vapor exhaust port further comprises an inlet feed line. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each piston is connected to the driver by a spring-loaded piston arm. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the driver is a crankshaft. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of pistons are heated. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the heater comprises electrical heating elements, direct flame combustion, directed jets of heated working gas, heat transfer fluid, or directed jets of supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a second drive motor connected to the second crankshaft to drive the second crankshaft. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claims 27  and  30 , wherein the location of each of the pistons is determined by the drive of the crankshafts. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the conveying surface is made of a plurality of interconnected plates. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the interconnected plates have sidewalls extending upward from the horizontal surface of the surface. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the side walls of the interconnected plates overlap. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a dispenser for introducing biomass into the sealed pyrolysis chambers. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising an entry port. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein an entry port is connected to the dispenser. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the dispenser is a rotary valve. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the rotary valve is connected to a hopper. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the hopper contains biomass. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a removal station for receiving material from the at least one conveying surface and removing material from the sealed pyrolysis chamber. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the material removed is biochar. 
     
     
         43 . A method for converting biomass to bio-oil, comprising:
 moving biomass on conveying surface through a plurality of processing stations each comprising a piston that is sealingly positioned in an opening in a sealed pyrolysis chamber;   heating at least a portion of the conveying surface;   moving the pistons into contact with the conveying surface;   compressing the biomass between each piston and the conveying surface;   releasing volatiles from the biomass via the compression of each piston;   directing the volatiles out of the sealed pyrolysis chamber via at least one vapor exhaust port;   collecting the volatile components from the at least one vapor exhaust port;   advancing the biomass through the plurality of processing stations via the conveying surface;   receiving non-volatile material from the last processing station via the at least one conveying surface.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the plurality of pistons are housed within a piston block that is part of the sealed pyrolysis chamber. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein O-rings create an airlock seal between each piston and the piston block. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the bio-vapor exhaust port further comprises an inlet feed line. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein each piston is connected to the driver by a spring-loaded piston arm. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the driver is a crankshaft. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the plurality of pistons are heated. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the heater comprises electrical heating elements, direct flame combustion, directed jets of heated working gas, heat transfer fluid, or directed jets of supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising a second drive motor connected to the second crankshaft to drive the second crankshaft. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the location of each of the pistons is determined by the drive of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the conveying surface is made of a plurality of interconnected plates. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the interconnected plates have sidewalls extending upward from the horizontal surface of the surface. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the side walls of the interconnected plates overlap. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the non-volatile material is biochar. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of dispensing biomass into the sealed pyrolysis chamber. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of removing said non-volatile material from said sealed pyrolysis chamber.