Conversion Processes

9700 Elmira Circle

Sacramento, CA 96827-1120

Tele/Fax: 916-363-9705

Email: ROBSACROB@cs.com

 

BIOREFINERY FEEDSTOCK

Introduction:

Three steps are required to make synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from biomass. They are drying at 150°C., pyrolysis at 150°C - 700°C. and steam reformation at 800°C - 1100°C. The drying and pyrolysis can be performed in a much smaller size unit which can be trailer-mounted. The bio-char can be slurried in the bio-oil and transported to the Biorefinery much as crude oil is transported to a petroleum refinery. Biomass typically has 20% moisture and pyrolysis creates about 30% char, 30% oil and 30% combustible gas. The gas would be used as fuel for the drying and pyrolysis. A mobile dryer/pyrolyzer would have a capacity of 10 wet tons per hour . Thus, the slurry would reduce the volume of the biomass by about 50%.

 

Agricultural Residue Collection Site:

At an agricultural collection site, lignocellulosic residues from agricultural wastes  are pyrolyzed to pyrolysis oil for transfer by tank truck to a biorefinery. Cereal straws with high silica content  would coat the refractories of an incinerator with slag and are best suited to pyrolysis.

 

Forest Residue Collection

Slash can be comminuted, dried and pyrolyzed to pyrolysis oil for transport to a biorefinery.

 

Proposed  Waste Facility:

1. A burn site or landfill for agricultural residues or forest slash would create a bio-char/bio-oil slurry for transport to a biorefinery.

2.The  biorefinery would steam reform the slurry to synthesis gas for an integrated gasifier combined cycle power pland or for catalytic synthesis of ethanol or gasoline.

3. The year-around availability of forest slash would compensate for the seasonality of agricultural wastes.