Method of Producing Liquid Fuel from Carbonaceous Feedstock through Gasification and Recycling of Downstream Products

Abstract

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A refinery system comprising:
 a feedstock delivery system configured to accept a feedstock comprising a carbonaceous material and to process the feedstock to yield a carbonaceous stream comprising at least some of the carbonaceous material;   a product gas generation system configured to accept at least a portion of the carbonaceous stream into one or more reactors and to react the carbonaceous material in the carbonaceous stream with steam, an oxygen-containing gas, carbon dioxide, or a combination thereof to yield a first product gas;   a primary gas clean up system configured to accept the first product gas and to remove one or more of solids, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), volatile organic compounds (VOC), or solvent from the first product gas to yield a second product gas;   a secondary gas clean up system configured to accept the second product gas and to remove carbon dioxide from the second product gas to yield a carbon dioxide depleted product gas and a stream of carbon dioxide;   a synthesis system configured to accept the carbon dioxide depleted product gas and to catalytically synthesize a synthesis product and a tail gas from the carbon dioxide depleted product gas; and   an upgrading system configured to accept the synthesis product and to generate an upgraded product and off-gas from the synthesis product.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the feedstock delivery system is further configured to accept a mixing gas and to combine the mixing gas and the feedstock, and wherein the carbonaceous stream further comprises the mixing gas. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the stream of carbonaceous material comprises a plurality of streams. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the mixing gas comprises carbon dioxide, and optionally wherein the carbon dioxide comprises at least a portion of the stream of carbon dioxide from the secondary gas clean up system. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the product gas generation system is configured perform one or more of steam reforming, water-gas shift, dry reforming, or partial oxidation thermochemical processes. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the product gas generation system is configured to accept fuel from a downstream gas clean up system, the synthesis system, or both. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the product gas generation system is configured to accept carbon dioxide from the secondary gas clean up system. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the product gas generation system comprises one or more of a first reactor, a second reactor, and a third reactor. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the first reactor comprises a fluidized bed, a heat exchanger, or a particulate heat transfer material. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein a first reactor heat exchanger is in thermal contact with the first reactor. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the second reactor comprises a fluidized bed, a heat exchanger, or a particulate heat transfer material. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein a second reactor heat exchanger is in thermal contact with the second reactor. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the third reactor comprises a burner. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein a third reactor heat exchanger is in thermal contact with the third reactor. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the stream of carbon dioxide from the secondary gas clean up system is recycled to the product gas generation system. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the tail gas is recycled to the product gas generation system. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein at least a portion of the tail gas is provided as an input to a heat exchanger of the product gas generation system or as an input to a burner of the product gas generation system. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the off-gas is recycled to the product gas generation system. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein at least a portion of the off-gas is provided as an input to a heat exchanger of the product gas generation system or as an input to a burner of the product gas generation system.