Battelle Memorial Institute

David B Spry

Andrew J Schmidt

Lesley J Snowden-Swan

Michael R Thorson

Emily N Diaz

Uriah J Kilgore

A method can include: in a heat exchanger, cooling a biocrude oil emulsion stream received from a biocrude oil emulsion source, wherein the emulsion can include a biocrude oil phase, an aqueous phase, and solids; in a first mixing vessel, mixing the emulsion with a solvent to dissolve the biocrude oil phase and form a biocrude-solvent solution; in a first separator assembly, separating the biocrude-solvent solution from the aqueous phase and the solids; in a solvent recovery apparatus, recovering solvent from the biocrude-solvent solution; in a second mixing vessel, mixing the solvent with the aqueous phase and the solids received from the first separator assembly to dissolve biocrude oil remaining in the aqueous phase and the solids; and supplying the solvent and biocrude oil to the first mixing vessel as the solvent. In some examples, such a method can more effectively separate biocrude oil from the emulsion than conventional techniques.

Solvent extraction system and process for hydrothermal liquefaction

A hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system has a biomass slurry flow path with a first pump and a first heat exchanger network downstream of the first pump. The first heat exchanger network includes plurality of heat exchangers in a parallel, series, and/or series-parallel flow arrangement. The biomass slurry flow path extends through cold flow sides of the heat exchangers of the first heat exchanger network. The biomass slurry flow path includes a second pump downstream of the first heat exchanger network, and a second heat exchanger network downstream of the second pump. The biomass slurry flow path extends through cold flow sides of the heat exchangers of the second heat exchanger network. A hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) reactor is downstream of the second heat exchanger network. Heat transfer liquid in a heat transfer liquid circuit flows through hot flow sides of the heat exchangers of the second heat exchanger network.

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Prairieville, LA, United States of America

David B Spry