Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation

Chad A Wocken

Ted R Aulich

Paul D Pansegrau

Joshua R Strege

Benjamin G Oster

Marc D Kurz

Ronald C Timpe

Ron C Timpe

The present invention relates to production of fuels or fuel blendstocks from renewable sources. Various embodiments provide a method of producing a hydrocarbon product by hydrotreating a feedstock including at least one of a renewable triacylglyceride (TAG), renewable free fatty acid (FFA), and renewable fatty acid C-Calkyl ester (C-CFAE) in the presence of a nonsulfided hydrotreating catalyst to produce a first product including hydrocarbons. In some examples, the first product can be subjected to further chemical transformations such as aromatization, cracking, or isomerization to produce a second product including hydrocarbons. In various embodiments, the first or second hydrocarbon product with minimal or substantially no further processing can be suitable as a liquid transportation fuel or fuel blendstock, including fuels such as gasoline, naptha, kerosene, jet fuel, and diesel fuels.

Process for the conversion of renewable oils to liquid transportation fuels

A novel, energy efficient process of producing jet fuel is disclosed herein. The process is based on utilizing a medium chain fatty acid source such as cuphea oil, which precludes the need for high-energy fatty acid chain cracking to achieve the shorter molecules needed for jet fuels and other fuels with low-temperature flow requirements. In an embodiment, a process for producing a jet fuel comprises providing a medium chain fatty acid source. The method also comprises cleaving the one or more medium chain fatty acid groups from the glycerides to form glycerol and one or more free fatty acids. The method further comprises decarboxylating the one or more medium chain fatty acids to form one or more hydrocarbons for the production of the jet fuel.

Optimal energy pathway to renewable domestic and other fuels

A method of producing a hydrocarbon product by hydrotreating a feedstock comprising triacylglyceride (TAG) and TAG-derived materials such as free fatty acid (FFA) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in the presence of a nonsulfided hydrotreating catalyst to produce a first product comprising hydrocarbons. A method of producing a transportation fuel by selecting an undoped feedstock comprising virgin TAG, used TAG, FFA, and FAME or a combination thereof; hydrotreating the undoped feedstock in the presence of an unsulfided hydrotreating catalyst to produce a first product and subjecting the first product to at least one process selected from aromatization, cyclization, and isomerization to produce a second hydrocarbon product selected from gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, and diesel fuels. A method is described by which fatty acids may be converted to hydrocarbons suitable for use as liquid transportation fuels. Additionally, the method allows for the blending of fatty acids with TAGs, and the conversion of such blends to hydrocarbons suitable for use as liquid transportation fuels. The method utilizes a catalyst and hydrogen as reductant to convert fatty acids to hydrocarbons. Subsequent steps, including dewatering, isomerization, and distillation, can provide a hydrocarbon mixture useful as a liquid transportation fuel or as a blendstock with petroleum transportation fuels.

A method of producing a hydrocarbon product by hydrotreating a feedstock comprising triacylglyceride (TAG) in the presence of a nonsulfided hydrotreating catalyst to produce a first product comprising hydrocarbons. A method of producing a transportation fuel by selecting an undoped feedstock comprising virgin TAG, used TAG, or a combination thereof; hydrotreating the undoped feedstock in the presence of an unsulfided hydrotreating catalyst to produce a first product; and subjecting the first product to at least one process selected from aromatization, cyclization, and isomerization; to produce a second hydrocarbon product selected from gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, and diesel fuels.

A novel, energy efficient process of producing jet fuel is disclosed herein. The process is based on utilizing a medium chain fatty acid source such asoil, which precludes the need for high-energy fatty acid chain cracking to achieve the shorter molecules needed for jet fuels and other fuels with low-temperature flow requirements. In an embodiment, a process for producing a jet fuel comprises providing a medium chain fatty acid source. The method also comprises cleaving the one or more medium chain fatty acid groups from the glycerides to form glycerol and one or more free fatty acids. The method further comprises decarboxylating the one or more medium chain fatty acids to form one or more hydrocarbons for the production of the jet fuel.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Forks, ND, United States of America

Chad A Wocken