Kior, Inc.

Inaeris Technologies, LLC

Steve Yanik

Robert Bartek

Paul O'Connor

Dennis N Stamires

Michael F Brady

Henrique Soares Cerqueira

Ronald Cordle

Jacobus Cornelius Rasser

Paul O'connor

Ronald Lee Cordle

Paul O'CONNOR

Preparing solid biomass particles for catalytic conversion includes agitating solid biomass particles and providing a biomass-catalyst mixture to a conventional petroleum refinery process unit. The biomass-catalyst mixture includes the solid biomass particles and a catalyst. Agitating solid biomass particles includes flowing a gas to provide a velocity to at least a portion of the solid biomass particles sufficient to reduce their sizes. Co-processing a biomass feedstock and a conventional petroleum feedstock includes liquefying at least a portion of a biomass-catalyst mixture and co-processing at least a portion of the liquefied biomass feedstock and a conventional petroleum feedstock in a conventional petroleum refinery process unit. The biomass feedstock includes a plurality of solid biomass particles and a catalyst, which is liquefied to produce a liquefied biomass feedstock.

Co-processing solid biomass in a conventional petroleum refining process unit

A reactor and/or process is disclosed for fluidized cracking of solid particulate biomass material, including a first mixing zone where a particulate stream comprising solid particulate biomass is mixed with a lift gas and becomes fluidized, and including a second mixing zone where a heat carrier material is mixed with the fluidized solid particulate biomass material.

Catalyst/biomass mixing in transport reactor

Disclosed is a process for biomass conversion which includes co-processing the biomass with thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic polymer based materials in a catalytic pyrolysis reactor to convert such to liquid hydrocarbons; wherein hydrogen atoms originating with the polymer materials can remove oxygen from oxygenated hydrocarbons produced in the conversion of the biomass in the reactor.

Co-processing of biomass and synthetic polymer based materials in a pyrolysis conversion process

A process and system is disclosed for optimizing a key parameter of a biomass feedstock that enhances bio-oil production. The process and system involves optimizing the values of the key parameter in multiple biomass feedstocks by regulating their feed rates and blending those feedstocks to produce a cumulative biomass feedstock with an optimal value for the key parameter. The key parameter in the biomass feedstocks is measured and the feed rates of the multiple biomass feedstocks are adjusted in order to produce a cumulative biomass feedstock exhibiting optimal values for the desired key parameter. The key parameters can include compositional properties, such as lignin content or mineral content, and/or fluidization properties of the biomass materials, such as density, particle cohesion force, or particle size.

Process control by blending biomass feedstocks

A method for producing biomass and sequestering greenhouse gas includes providing a greenhouse gas, providing light energy, and growing algae in a growth container with the greenhouse gas and the light energy. The algae can be processed into a biomass feedstock. The biomass feedstock can be converted into a fuel or specialty chemical. At least a portion of the algae can be used as a fertilizer for a biomass growth source.

Growing aquatic biomass, and producing biomass feedstock and biocrude therefrom

A modular biomass treatment unit includes a first module having a pretreater and a first frame for transportation to and operation at a site adjacent to a solid biomass growth source. The pretreater is operable to process solid biomass to produce a plurality of solid biomass particles for conversion into a fuel or specialty chemical. The first frame supports the pretreater during transportation to and operation at the site adjacent to the solid biomass growth source. The modular biomass treatment unit can also include additional modules each comprising a reactor, a separator, and a frame for transportation to and operation at a site such as the site adjacent to the solid biomass growth source.

Modular biomass treatment unit

Disclosed is a process for small-scale operation of biomass catalytic cracking. The process is suitable for lab scale and pilot plant operation, as well as for small-scale commercial operation. The process is suitable for simulating a continuous biomass catalytic cracking (BCC) process. The process comprises a biomass conversion cycle and a catalyst regeneration cycle. A fluid bed reactor and a reaction feed fluidizer suitable for use in the process are also disclosed.

Biomass catalytic conversion process and apparatus for use therein

A process for producing bio-fuel from biomass is disclosed herein. The process includes processing the mean particle diameter of the biomass by mechanical processing to a size ranging from 1 &#x3bc;m to 1000 &#x3bc;m to form particulated biomass. The particulated biomass is mixed with a liquid hydrocarbon to form a suspension, wherein the suspension includes between 1 weight percent to 40 weight percent particulated biomass. The suspension is heated to a temperature between 50&#xb0; C. and 550&#xb0; C. The heated suspension is fed into a unit selected from the group consisting of a pyrolysis reactor, a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a delayed coker, a fluid coker, a hydroprocessing unit, and a hydrocracking unit; and then at least a portion of the particulated biomass of the heated suspension is converted into fuel.

Process for the conversion of solid particulated biomass materials

A process for producing fuel from biomass is disclosed herein. The process includes torrefying biomass material at a temperature between 80&#xb0; C. to 400&#xb0; C. to form particulated biomass having a mean average particle size between 1 &#x3bc;m and 1000 &#x3bc;m. The particulated biomass is mixed with a liquid hydrocarbon to form a suspension, wherein the suspension includes from 1 weight percent to 40 weight percent particulated biomass. The suspension is fed into a unit selected from the group consisting of a pyrolysis reactor, a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a delayed coker, a fluid coker, a hydroprocessing unit, and a hydrocracking unit, and then at least a portion of the particulated biomass of the suspension is converted into fuel.

Methods for co-processing of biomass and petroleum feed

A process is described including: contacting solid biomass with a first catalyst stream in a first reaction zone operated at a temperature T(from about 250 to about 400&#xb0; C.), for conversion of a portion of the solid biomass and forming a first gaseous product stream; downwardly passing unconverted biomass to a second reaction zone for contact with a second catalyst stream charged to the second reaction zone operated at a temperature T, for conversion to form a second gaseous product stream and a spent catalyst; burning coke off the spent catalyst in a regenerator to form a regenerated catalyst; charging a portion of the regenerated catalyst to each of the first and second reaction zones, as the first and second catalyst streams, respectively; upwardly passing the second gaseous product stream to the first reaction zone; and removing both first and second gaseous product streams from the first reaction zone.

Biomass conversion process

A method for converting solid biomass into hydrocarbons includes contacting the solid biomass with a catalyst in a first riser operated at a temperature in the range of from about 50&#xb0; C. to about 200&#xb0; C. to thereby produce a first biomass-catalyst mixture and a first product comprising hydrocarbons; a) separating the first product from the first biomass-catalyst mixture; c) charging the first biomass-catalyst mixture to a second riser operated at a temperature in the range of from about 200&#xb0; C. to about 400&#xb0; C. to thereby produce a second biomass-catalyst mixture and a second product comprising hydrocarbons; d) separating the second product from the second biomass-catalyst mixture; e) charging the second biomass-catalyst mixture to a third riser operated at a temperature greater than about 450&#xb0; C. to thereby produce a spent catalyst and a third product comprising hydrocarbons; and f) separating the third effluent from the spent catalyst.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Steve Yanik