WO2013036694A1 - A thermal conversion combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems are disclosed for a low cost combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system enabling the continuous and economical conversion of carbonaceous feedstock into usable solid, liquid, and gas by-products.

Description

A THERMAL CONVERSION COMBINED TORREFACTION AND PYROLYSIS REACTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/531,203, filed September 6, 2011 by the present inventors.

Background - Prior Art

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

U.S. Patents

Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee

4235676 Bl 1980-11-25 Chambers 4210491 Bl 1980- 07-01 Schulman 5411714 Bl 1995-05-02 Wu et al. 4840129 Bl 1989-06-20 Jelinek 4686008 Bl 1987-08-11 Gibson 4839151 Bl 1989-06-13 Apffel 5085738 Bl 1992-02-04 Harris et al.

4038100 Bl 1977- 07-26 Haberman 4412889 Bl 1983-11-01 Oeck 4865625 Bl 1989-09-12 Mudge et al.

4251500 Bl 1981- 02-17 Morita et al.

4122036 Bl 1978- 10-24 Lewis 4268275 Bl 1981-05-19 Chittick

Description of the Technical Field The present invention generally relates to integrated process methods, apparatus, equipment, and material reaction systems for converting various carbonaceous materials into gas, liquid, and solid residues using combined

torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions and separations. One embodiment of the present invention is a thermal conversion, combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system adapted for decomposing carbonaceous materials in an oxygen free environment at less than one atmosphere of pressure.

Background of the Invention

Two major problems facing the United States today are waste management and energy independence. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, each year the United States generates more than 250 million tons of waste and disposes nearly 136 million tons of that waste in landfills (see

http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_rev_factsheet.pdf). Locked inside that 136 million tons of disposed waste is approximately 1.6 quadrillion Btu's of energy (see

http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/mswaste/mswtablebl .html). In addition to our waste management and disposal problems, the United States is currently dependent upon foreign nations to meet our demands for fossil fuels to allow for the domestic production of liquid transportation fuels, electricity, heat, chemicals, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and various other petroleum-based products.

The nation's problems surrounding waste management and disposal, as well as the need to import foreign oil, has spurred the need for renewable waste stream processing and energy production technologies that are reliable and economical. Currently the market is littered with various technologies such as wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal to produce electricity and heat. Although these technologies address the nation's need to reduce the importation of foreign oil and produce electricity and heat domestically, they fail to address the ever-growing problem of waste

management and disposal. Currently the only source of renewable carbonaceous material is

lignocellulosic biomass that is found in various wood and agricultural wastes. These materials are accumulated from sources such as construction and demolition waste disposal sites, municipal landfill sites, industrial and commercial facilities, as well as farms and agricultural processing facilities. Carbonaceous materials include agricultural residues such as corn stover, forestry and mill scraps, wood, energy crops such as switchgrass, miscanthus, energy cane, algae, and refuse from industrial processes, to name a few. A significant amount of these waste products that are currently being disposed of in landfills throughout the United States can be used to produce a plethora of valuable products such as fuels, energy, heat, chemicals, and other bio-based products. This type of material recycling can dramatically reduce the nation's importation of foreign oil while significantly diminishing the demands associated with waste management and disposal.

Early in the development of alternative fuels, first generation biofuels were perceived as a viable substitute for the importation and/or production of petroleum based fuels. First generation biofuels, consisting of grain ethanol and biodiesel originating from food crops, were scrutinized based on the competition between the use of crops for food or fuel. In contrast, second generation biofuels use non-food crops for the production of fuels by means of biochemical or thermochemical processing techniques.

Biochemical conversion is a multi-step process that utilizes bacteria and microorganisms to break down the molecules of biomass into biofuels. The process starts by initially breaking down the biomass into sugars and lignin. The sugars are then metabolically transformed into biofuels by fermentation, while the lignin is passed through the system unconverted. Since the leftover lignin represents an untapped energy potential in the system, biomass conversion by biochemical conversion is inherently considered less efficient. Current biochemical conversion has not been proven outside of the laboratory due to the high costs of production associated with specialized processing equipment and difficulties related to enzyme and culture handling. Thermochemical conversion of biomass is a robust, high temperature pathway that can process 100% of lignocellulosic carbonaceous material. There are primarily three thermochemical conversion technologies: combustion, gasification, torrefaction, and pyrolysis. Each of these technologies differs in their process parameters, costs of construction and operations, as well as the valuable by-products that are produced.

Combustion is the chemical process that occurs when materials are heated in the presence of oxygen (i.e. materials are burned). During combustion, carbonaceous materials react with oxygen as it burns. There are many everyday examples of this, such as campfires, candles, and the burning of gasoline inside a car engine, as well as large-scale incineration facilities that process waste products. The primary products of combustion are carbon dioxide and ash; these have completely reacted with oxygen, and in general cannot be collected and utilized. Combustion technologies require expensive specialized boilers or costly conversion of existing boilers to handle biomass. In addition to the economic strain of utilizing carbonaceous materials directly in a boiler, the heat energy that is produced can not be stored and therefore must be used immediately onsite.

Gasification is the conversion of solid or liquid feedstock into either a useful and convenient gaseous fuel that can be burned to release energy; or a chemical feedstock used in production of value-added chemicals. A typical gasifier allows a small, carefully controlled amount of oxygen to enter the reaction chamber. In a high- temperature environment, the oxygen causes partial combustion of the feedstock, which generates the heat needed to sustain the reaction. During gasification, a gaseous mixture known as synthesis gas is produced that can further upgraded to advanced bio fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. The Fischer-Tropsch process, while innovative, is capital intensive and has not yet been proven on a large scale. Additionally, gasification requires massive, expensive facilities to become economical, and has limited demonstration history using biomass feedstocks (see Anex, R. P. Aden, A.; Kazi, F. K.; Fortman, J.; Swanson, R. M.; Wright, M. M.; et al. Techno-economic comparison of biomass-to-transportation fuels via pyrolysis, gasification, and biochemical pathways. Fuel 2010, 89, S29-S35). Due to the aforementioned reasons, combustion and gasification do not provide cost-effective and proven solutions that address the problems in the United States associated with the importation of petroleum fuels as well as the management and disposal of waste.

Torrefaction of carbon-rich materials can be described as a mild form of pyrolysis occurring at temperatures ranging between 200 and 320 degrees Celsius. Torrefaction is carried out in the absence of oxygen in much the same way as pyrolysis. During torrefaction, water and volatiles are removed from the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of carbonaceous materials such as biomass. The removal of these compounds prior to pyrolysis results in a much higher quality by-products and a more efficient conversion. Furthermore, the volatiles that are removed during torrefaction can be used to provide the heat necessary to carry out the pyrolytic reactions. The prior art in this field has used torrefaction as a drying mechanism prior to pyrolysis, but no system has combined the two technologies into one closed loop, continuous machine.

Pyrolysis is the term utilized to describe the process by which carbonaceous materials are converted to solids, liquids, and gases, without combustion or oxidization. Pyrolysis processes are utilized in order to obtain usable component materials from waste products while avoiding production of unnecessary oxygen compounds and pollutants. The prior art has focused on several general areas (including oxygen removal, heat transfer, viscosity, process inputs and outputs) in an attempt to produce a system capable of efficient pyrolytic production of gas, solids and liquids from carbonaceous waste streams.

Pyrolysis processes generally involve the pyrolytic conversion of

carbonaceous materials to hydrocarbon products. In order to avoid the introduction of oxygen into the reaction process, it is important that the input feed system for the waste materials be structured so as to minimize the ingestion of ambient air.

Subsequently, many attempts have been made to develop efficient processes to remove oxygen from the feedstock-pyrolysis interface. Several prior art patents describe mechanisms (such as air locks) for preventing incidental oxygen ingestion from the surrounding atmosphere. One of these chambers, United States Patent Number 4,235,676, describes an inert gas purge operation, which continually removes the oxygen from the input to the pyrolysis chamber. However, the use of an inert gas purge mechanism generally decreases the heating value of the hydrocarbon gases from the pyrolysis process and can also lead to difficulties in the handling of any fugitive vapors from the reaction region.

Heat transfer is another area of technology in which attempts have been made to increase the efficiency of pyrolysis processes to quickly and thoroughly decompose the carbonaceous materials. Many of these attempts have been focused on indirect heat transfer processes including fluidized beds as described in United States Patent Number 4,210,491; catalyzing diffusion materials as described in United States Patent 5,411, 714; rotary drums mechanism as described in United States Patent Number 4,840,129 and our structure described herein, which includes simultaneous screw conveyance, mixing and heat transfer within a pyrolysis chamber enclosed in a refractory furnace, combined with a torrefaction chamber for proper pretreatment of the carbonaceous material. An inverse application of the same principle is illustrated in United States Patent Number 4,686,008, which describes an inner cylinder containing the heated exhaust gases and an outer chamber containing carbonaceous materials. The Laws of Thermodynamics state that heat transfer will decrease with an increase in the ratio of volume to surface area being heated. Therefore, larger scale reactors will be generally less efficient than smaller ones since a smaller percentage of the carbonaceous material is receiving the heat transfer through the surface. This deficiency is magnified when the reaction material is a poor conductor of heat.

Because indirect heat transfer processes typically provide limited contact surface areas and have previously yielded only marginally successful results, attempts have also been focused on direct heat transfer processes. Some typical examples are United States Patent Numbers 4,839,151, 5,085, 738, and 4,038,100. These representative processes entail the use of superheated steam, thermal and microwave radiation to improve the pyrolysis yield. Other techniques, including liquid metal immersion and ceramic bead circulation have also been utilized but found to be unacceptable due to the production of undesirable pyrolytic reactions and byproducts.

The prior art has also addressed reactant and product flow issues including clogging of the mechanisms due to the temperature dependent viscosity of carbonaceous waste materials during the pyrolysis process. United States Patent Number 4,412,889 describes the application of a fluid cooled jacket to control the temperature and subsequent viscosity of the input material. Unfortunately, this process requires additional heat input downstream in order to achieve pyrolysis. The prior art also describes pipe-clearing mechanisms that while desirable in certain circumstances, increase the complexity of the system and subsequently decrease system reliability.

Various prior art patents address the nature and quality of the hydrocarbon products generated by the pyrolysis process. In many of these cases when the liquid phase output includes viscous oils and tars that may also be part of the solid phase output of the pyrolysis process, extra steps are required to convert these products to usable materials. Methods such as those disclosed in United States Patent Numbers 4,865,625 and 4,251,500 (which describe gasification processes similar but not identical to pyrolysis) catalytically destruct the viscous tars and oils into gases. These processes introduce an unnecessary level of complexity that can be easily avoided by preventing the generation of the undesirable viscous oils and tars in the original process.

Some types of feedstock, especially medical waste, may contain drug residues and various unstable hazardous chemical compounds. In many instances, these undesirable chemical compounds need to be incinerated in a controlled process, as conventional pyrolysis tends to vaporize the compounds with potentially undesirable effects. If medical waste is a common feedstock, the pyrolysis process must be modified in order to stabilize or detoxify the undesirable compounds, which will result in net inefficiencies. It has been shown in United States Patent Number 4,122,036, that using pyrolysis to convert sewage sludge into activated carbon, with the activated carbon mixed with the sludge to continue the pyrolysis process, can be effective.

Additionally, United States Patent Number 4,268,275 further discusses pyrolysis reactions for converting organic material into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, water vapor and other oils and tars. However, neither discuss a self-sustaining, high- efficiency, thermal conversion to stable, immediately useable products.

All thermochemical conversion technologies heretofore have a number of disadvantages:

(a) The prior art has not fully integrated pretreatment, processing, and storage of carbonaceous materials by the use of combined torrefaction and pyrolysis.

(b) The prior art processes or mechanisms have not successfully addressed the continuous combined vacuum torrefaction and pyrolysis of variable carbonaceous waste streams while providing the ability to consistently yield, and more importantly, optimize, high quality solid, gaseous, and liquid products.

(c) Many specialized processes have been proposed and machines constructed to solve specific problems associated with discrete input materials such as recycled rubber and medical waste, but no single process or mechanism has been successful in the efficient, simultaneous capture and subsequent optimization of three product phases.

(d) The prior art utilizes systems that that are costly and therefore not commercially viable.

(e) The prior art does not address the need to control the parameters as well as the environment in which the biochar product is cooled. It is this controlled environment that ensures the highest value biochar is produced and stored in a safe and efficient manner.

What is needed in the art are methods and apparatuses capable of combining both vacuum torrefaction and vacuum pyrolysis, in an integrated closed-loop system capable of yielding high-quality and high-value by-products. For this reason, there remains substantial room for improvement in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art by providing a novel and unique solution to the above challenges, as will now be summarized and then further described in detail below.

In some variations, the invention provides a method of combined torrefaction and pyro lysis, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing a feedstock of carbonaceous feedstock material;

(b) providing a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system in which the input feeding operation is mechanically simple, efficient, and reliable, while also providing for simultaneous evacuation, removal of atmospheric oxygen and excess water vapor;

(c) introducing carbonaceous feedstock into the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system yielding condensable gases, non-condensable gases, and solid biochar;

(d) separating the biochar from the condensable and non-condensable gases;

(e) providing a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system in which the carbonaceous feedstock material is preheated as required in order to optimize moisture content and reaction residence time;

(f) providing a fixed- volume, variable-speed, combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system utilizing efficient conveyance and heat transfer mechanisms;

(g) providing a process in which gaseous product may be recovered and re-used to provide a fuel source to the system, and additional unused gaseous product may be recovered and used as a fuel in another combustion apparatus;

(h) providing an integrated mechanism by which carbonaceous feedstock material is pyrolyzed completely into solid carbon and hydrocarbon gas, and that the hydrocarbon gas is further processed to yield low viscosity oil and hydrocarbon gas;

(i) providing an integrated mechanism by which the biochar product may be cooled, in a controlled manner to a specified temperature and then packaged for safe storage;

j) providing a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system that is mechanically simple, low maintenance and self-sustaining after initial start-up for all processes including heating, cooling, pressurization, and electrical power generation.

One embodiment of the current invention is comprised of a self-sustaining, continuous, combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system that is optimized for carbonaceous feedstock materials. The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system utilizes a virtually oxygen- free vacuum reaction environment to produce gaseous phase, liquid phase and solid phase by-products from the carbonaceous feedstock materials. One embodiment captures and cools solid biochar in a controlled, inert environment, and captures, scrubs, condenses, accumulates and recycles hydrocarbon gas that may be stuck therein. One embodiment consists of a

carbonaceous feedstock introduction subsystem, a torrefaction reaction chamber subsystem, a pyrolysis reaction chamber subsystem, dual vacuum and null point subsystem, a combustion subsystem, a carbon capture and cooling subsystem, a condensable / non-condensable gas separation subsystem, and a monitoring and control subsystem. Each of the component subsystems of the pyrolysis reactor system is constructed in accordance with specific principles in order to maximize simplicity, efficiency, reliability, and safety.

Advantages

Various embodiments have some or all of the following advantages. An advantage of the present invention is that the feed subsystem utilizes a unique, three- phase combination of compression, vacuum and heat in order to remove atmospheric oxygen, excess moisture, and fugitive vapors while pre-heating the feedstock with recycled flue gas from the pyrolysis process to reduce energy losses. This subsystem allows for complete torrefaction to occur prior to pyro lysis. All this occurs in a continuous closed loop process with no disruption in feedstock influx.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it combines torrefaction and pyrolysis into one continuous system maximizing by-product quality and quantity as well as increasing system efficiency.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the direct mixing of the feedstock in conjunction with conveyance, allows maximum direct heat transfer by conduction and increases overall heat transfer efficiency of the system. This increase in heat transfer efficiency is critical to maximizing product yield.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that the material transport mechanisms inhibit clogging and promote efficient mass flow and overall heat transfer efficiency.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the condensable and non-condensable gases as well as the solid biochar are captured separately, allowing for efficient post-processing and production optimization. The capture of the condensable and non-condensable gases as well as the solid biochar is carried out in inert atmosphere to ensure the quality of the by-products.

Another advantage of the system is that it integrates biochar cooling and packaging in a continuous process. Steady controlled cooling of the biochar ensures a higher quality by-product.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that it may be operated continuously with minimal scheduled maintenance. In the event of scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, the pyrolysis reactor chambers can be removed

individually without shutting down the machine and with no loss of mechanical, thermal or structural integrity. A further advantage of the system is that the non-condensable gaseous reaction product is combustible with a heating value suitable to be recycled as burner fuel for the reaction chamber making the system substantially self-powered.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art upon review of the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention.

FIG. 1 provides a process flow diagram of an integrated torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system.

FIG. 2 provides a diagrammatical view of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system.

FIG. 3 provides a diagrammatical view of an integrated carbon capture and cooling system of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The apparatus, devices, systems, and methods including the overall unique and novel integrated and continuous process of this invention will now be described in detail by reference to a non-limiting approach, including the figures hereto which are exemplary only. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing dimensions, capacities, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Without limiting the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. If a definition set forth in this section is contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with a definition set forth in patents, published patent applications, and other publications that are herein incorporated by reference, the definition set forth in this section prevails over the definition that is incorporated herein by reference.

Some variations of the present invention consist of an integrated method for transforming carbonaceous feedstock material into condensable and non-condensable gases as well as solid biochar. These by-products are thereby separated, captured, processed, and stored on-site for further sale into the open market.

"Carbonaceous feedstock material," for the purposes of the present invention, is any material not derived from fossil resources and comprising at least carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbonaceous feedstock material includes, for example, plant and plant-derived material, vegetation, agricultural waste, forestry waste, wood waste, paper waste, animal-derived waste, and poultry-derived waste. The present invention may also be used for a feedstock such as a fossil fuel (e.g., coal, petroleum, oil and tar sands) and municipal solid waste. Also, various mixtures of carbonaceous feedstocks may be utilized. The methods and systems of the invention can accommodate a wide range of carbonaceous feedstock material consisting of various types, sizes, and moisture contents. In some approaches of the invention, the carbonaceous feedstock material can include one or more materials selected from timber harvesting residues, softwood chips, hardwood chips, tree branches, tree stumps, leaves, bark, sawdust, off-spec paper pulp, corn, corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, soybean straw, sugarcane bagasse, switchgrass, miscanthus, commercial waste, grape pumice, almond shells, pecan shells, coconut shells, coffee grounds, grass pellets, hay pellets, wood pellets, cardboard, paper, algae, or the torrefied version of any biomass materials listed above. Industrial by-products such as corn fiber from a wet-mill ethanol process or lignin from a cellulosic ethanol plant can also be feedstocks. A person of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the carbon based feedstock options are virtually unlimited.

Carbonaceous Feedstock Material Pre-Processing

With reference to FIG. 1, the purpose of system 100 is to receive

carbonaceous feedstock material for conversion. Carbonaceous feedstock material is received via truck or rail and stored in bulk prior to pre-processing. The

carbonaceous feedstock delivery vehicle is unloaded using a dropfloor mechanism, a walking floor mechanism within the delivery vehicle, an auger system, or a conveyor belt system. Carbonaceous feedstock material may be stored in various facilities including but not limited to outdoor or indoor bulk piles, silos, warehouses, bins, tanks, pits, or any other form of storage deemed appropriate.

Once received, and prior to being feed into the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200, the carbonaceous feedstock material is reduced to a nominal consistent size in system 105. The carbonaceous feedstock material is feed into a hammermill, vortex grinder, knife mill, pulverizer, or other such device to first reduce the nominal size. In various approaches the nominal size is then further reduced to less than 21 mm using a second hammermill , vortex grinder, knife mill, pulverizer, or other such device. Pre-processed carbonaceous feedstock material is transferred from system 105 to storage 110 as shown in FIG. 1 by means of screw conveyors, belt conveyors, augers systems, pneumatic system, or any other such method as deemed appropriate. Indoor or outdoor bulk piles, silos, warehouses, bins, tanks, pits, or any other form of storage deemed appropriate may be used for storage. Storage of the carbonaceous feedstock material acts as a buffer for the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system should any unexpected down time occur for maintenance or repairs of process components. Nitrogen may be used to blanket the storage containers to prevent spontaneous combustion. In various applications air handling equipment fitted with filtration may be used to remove particulate from the air.

Upon demand form the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis unit, the pre- processed carbonaceous feedstock material is conveyed by means of screw conveyors, belt conveyors, auger systems, pneumatic systems, or other such methods as appropriate to the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 shown in FIG. 1.

Thermal Conversion

In various embodiments, combined torrefaction and pyrolysis is used to convert carbonaceous feedstock materials into usable solid, liquid, and gaseous products. The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200, as seen in FIG. 2 is a flow process reactor capable of processing a variety of carbonaceous feedstock materials in commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential environments.

Torrefaction is often described as a mild form of pyrolysis. Torrefaction reactions best occur at temperatures between 200 and 400 degrees Celsius.

Torrefaction reactions are carried out in an oxygen-deprived environment similar to pyrolysis. The end products of the torrefaction process are dried material usually consisting of less than 10 wt% moisture and volatiles that are driven off during the torrefaction process. The volatiles that are driven off are capable of being used to provide fuel to the burner subsystem of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 as seen in FIG. 2. Pyrolysis is comprised of a series of interdependent processes, carried out in a reduced oxygen environment, that allow for the thermal conversion of carbonaceous feedstock material into solids, liquids, and gases with a yield of 15-30 wt%, 40-70 wt%, and 15-30 wt%, respectively. Pyrolysis is carried out at temperatures ranging from 400 degrees Celsius to about 750 degrees Celsius. The residence time for the carbonaceous feedstock material varies depending on the material being processed, but generally ranges from a few seconds to several minutes. As with the above- mentioned residence time of the carbonaceous feedstock material, vapor residence time varies depending on the material being processed and the desired yield of byproducts. Usually vapor residence time varies between 1-3 seconds.

The solid carbon product derived from the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 is known in the prior art as biochar. Biochar is the natural carbon product that results from the pyrolytic conversion of carbonaceous feedstock material.

The condensable vapors evolved from the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 are collected, condensed, and recovered as a liquid known in the prior art as bio-oil. This liquid is comprised of a mixture of many different molecules (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, water, and phenolic compounds) derived from the fragmentation of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose found in the carbonaceous feedstock material. The exact nature and composition of the liquid depends greatly on the carbonaceous feedstock material as well as the pyrolysis conditions such as: heating rate, final maximum temperature, reaction residence time, carbonaceous feedstock material particle size, etc.

The non-condensable gas that is evolved from the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction system 200 is used to provide fuel for the system's combustion subsystem. The evolved non-condensable gas is comprised of methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide as well as several other volatile gases. These gases are produced from the reactions occurring in the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system due to the thermal degradation of various carbonaceous feedstock materials.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures. It may be seen that the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 is designed to receive input in the form of carbonaceous feedstock material.

Carbonaceous feedstock material is first received by system 100 shown in FIG. 1 and then conveyed to unit 105. System 105 sizes the carbonaceous feedstock material to a nominal size range of 1 mm to 21 mm by means of milling, grinding, shredding, or other means capable of reducing the nominal size of the carbonaceous feedstock material.

The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 as shown in FIG. 2 is designed to convert the carbonaceous feedstock material into a gaseous phase, a liquid phase, and a solid phase output. The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 operates such that the various outputs are in the form of usable materials, which require minimal additional processing. Although the byproducts of the system are useable as produced, further processing and upgrading may be desirable in certain situations.

The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor system 200 may be considered to be a combination of a variety of cooperating subsystems. In various embodiments, these subsystems include carbonaceous feedstock introduction subsystem, a torrefaction reaction chamber subsystem, a pyrolysis reaction chamber subsystem, dual vacuum and null point subsystem, a combustion subsystem, a carbon capture and cooling subsystem, a condensable / non-condensable gas separation subsystem, and a monitoring and control subsystem. The various subsystems overlap to a certain degree and operate in conjunction to achieve the efficient overall continuous flow torrefaction and pyrolysis.

Carbonaceous Feedstock Introduction Subsystem

As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the carbonaceous feedstock intorduction subsystem is adapted to efficiently input the carbonaceous feedstock material into the

torrefaction reaction chamber 214. The feed subsystem may include a shallow, pyramidal/conical input hopper 202 into which the carbonaceous feedstock material is delivered. In one embodiment of the current invention, the carbonaceous feedstock material is preprocessed in unit 105 as seen in FIG. 1 prior to input into the carbonaceous feedstock material hopper 202 in FIG. 2 such that it is reduced to a nominal particle size of about 1 mm to 21 mm in diameter. The carbonaceous feedstock waste hopper 202 is located at the top of the carbonaceous feedstock introduction subsystem to allow gravitational flow of the carbonaceous feedstock material into the airlock subsystem.

In one embodiment of the current invention, the airlock system 206 consists of two knife valves 204(a) and 204(b) separated by a feedstock-staging hopper. The feedstock staging hopper is isolated from the outside atmosphere as well as the atmosphere of the torrefaction reaction chamber by the knife valves 204(a) and 204(b) as seen in FIG. 2. The knife valves are manually operated. To fill the feedstock staging area 206, the bottom knife valve 204(b) is closed and the top knife valve 204(a) opens. The weight of the carbonaceous feedstock material forces the feedstock down into the feedstock staging area 206. Once the feedstock staging area 206 is filled the top knife 204(a) valve is closed. Once the feedstock staging area is filled and both knife valves 204(a) and 204(b) are closed, the feedstock staging area vacuum valve 208 is opened to evacuate any air within the feedstock staging area 206. Upon reaching a stable vacuum pressure of 7-1.5 torr, the bottom knife valve 204(b) is opened and the carbonaceous feedstock is introduced into the torrefaction reaction chamber 214, as seen in FIG. 2 free of any atmospheric air. By use of the airlock system, the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200 is capable of processing carbonaceous feedstock material on a continuous basis.

In another embodiment of the current invention, automated knife valves of an electric or pneumatic nature may be used to replace the manually operated valves 204(a) and 204(b) of the present invention. In another embodiment of the current invention a sealed feedstock hopper may be used to replace the pyramidal/conical input hopper 202 of the current invention.

Torrefaction Reaction Chamber Subsystem

The airlock system 206 feeds into a cylindrical torrefaction reaction chamber subsystem. The carbonaceous feedstock material is conveyed and compressed by means of a stainless steel, differentially-flighted torrefaction auger 212 shown in FIG. 2. The torrefaction auger's 212 pitch and flight spacing provides steady influx and conveyance in addition to compression of the carbonaceous feedstock material. A variable speed drive motor 218 drives the torrefaction auger 212. The flights of the torrefaction auger 212 rest on the inner ventral surface of the torrefaction chamber allowing for a single bearing attachment 220, and as such, the torrefaction auger 212 is designed to be a wear part by hardness. The torrefaction reaction chamber 214 is connected via a stainless steel vacuum line 252 along the dorsal spine of the torrefaction reaction chamber 214 that connects to an inline torrefaction cyclonic separator 300(a) that directly connects to the torrefaction vacuum pump 250 shown in FIG. 2. The torrefaction vacuum pump 250 creates a negative pressure ranging from 7-1.5 torr within the vacuum line 252 and accordingly creates a negative pressure in the torrefaction reaction chamber 214. As feedstock material passes through the torrefaction chamber, non-condensable and condensable vapors are evolved during the heating and drying processes. These vapors are pulled through the torrefaction vacuum line and into the torrefaction vacuum pump. After passing through the torrefaction vacuum pump 250, the gas is condensed and removed of any undesired moisture. The torrefaction vacuum pump 250 acts as a condenser by taking the gas at a vacuum ranging from 7-1.5 torr to atmospheric pressure. Upon reaching

atmospheric pressure, the gas looses all moisture, which is then subsequently drained from the torrefaction vacuum pump 250. Once the moisture has been removed, the dry torrefaction gas is then pumped through an inline gas scrubber 500(a) as seen in FIG. 2. After being scrubbed the torrefaction gas is then pumped into and

compressed by means of the torrefaction gas compression pump 505(a) and sudsequently into the torrefaction gas storage tank 510(a) for later use. The advantage of utilizing vacuum pressure and mechanical compression to evacuate gas from the carbonaceous feedstock material is that it prevents or minimizes oxygen ingestion into the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chamber system 200, facilitates the escape of excess moisture and also captures fugitive hydrocarbon vapors which may escape from the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chamber system 200, respectively. A vacuum control valve 248 is provided to allow air to be drawn into the torrefaction vacuum pump 250 through a bypass when the torrefaction reaction chamber 214 has been evacuated permitting continuous operation of the torrefaction vacuum pump 250.

After the carbonaceous feedstock material traverses the entire length of the torrefaction reaction chamber, the feedstock drops down through the null point 222, and into the pyrolysis reaction chamber subsystem. The null point 222 and its importance to the overall operation of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system shall be discussed later in detail.

Pyrolysis Reaction Chamber Subsystem

After exiting the torrefaction reaction chamber 214 and passing through the null point 222, the carbonaceous feedstock enters into the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 as shown in FIG. 2. The pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 is where the primary pyrolysis reactions occur. The pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 is fabricated from 316 stainless steel, which in addition to having the necessary strength and resistance to thermal deformation, is also resistant to material adhering to its surface, thus making the system relatively unsusceptible to clogging. The pyrolysis auger 224 is fabricated from 304 stainless steel. The pyrolysis auger 224 is driven by an auger motor and variable speed drive 230. The flights of the pyrolysis auger 224 rest on the inner ventral surface of the pyrolysis chamber allowing for a single bearing attachment 232, and as such, the pyrolysis auger 224 is designed to be a wear part by hardness. The pyrolysis auger 224 conveys the torrefied carbonaceous feedstock material through the pyrolysis reaction chamber at the desired speed to support the required residence time. The pyrolysis auger 224 also provides mixing of the carbonaceous feedstock material and maximizes direct heat transfer through continual surface contact. The dorsal surface of the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 provides multiple gas collection ports 240, which allow the escape of gaseous product from the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228, into the gas collection manifold 242, through the inline pyrolysis cyclonic separator 300(b), through the condenser unit 400, while not allowing egress of any significant amount of solid carbon from the pyrolysis reaction chamber into the condenser unit 400.

The gaseous product, which is created within the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 during the pyrolysis process, is pulled from the vent ports 240 to a larger diameter manifold 242 and into the cyclonic separation subsystem 300(b) by the pyrolysis vacuum pump 246. The pyrolysis cyclonic separation separator 300(b) is driven by the recirculation of gases evolved in the pyrolysis reactor system. The solid carbon product (the result of the thermodynamic ablation of the carbonaceous feedstock material) is conveyed to the end of the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 and falls by means of gravity into the carbon capture and cooling subsystem 305(a) and 305(b) described later in detail.

In another embodiment of the current invention, inert gases such as nitrogen may be used to drive the cyclonic separation subsystem.

In some variations the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions can be carried out in the presence of a catalyst. The use of a catalyst during the torrefaction and pyrolysis processes significantly enhances the reaction rates of each and thereby increases the efficiency of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200. By performing torrefaction and pyrolysis in the presence of a catalyst, it is possible to decrease the amount of energy required to complete the torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions. The prior art states several catalysts that are suitable for torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions. The addition of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system to the use of catalysts is a unique improvement over the prior art.

Dual Vacuum and Null Point Subsystem In one embodiment of the present invention, a null point 222 as seen in FIG. 2, must be created and maintained at the interface of the torrefaction and pyrolysis reactor chambers, 214 and 228, respectively. A null point must be maintained in the system where the flow of gases is in the opposite direction of one another. The null point 222 allows for the separation of the volatile gases being evolved during torrefaction to be separated from the volatile condensable and non-condensable gases being evolved during pyrolysis. The separation of the gases in the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers leads to higher value usable byproducts. If the gases are allowed to mix prior to going through post processing, the result will be lower quality gases, liquids, and solids from the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system.

To create the null point, a dual vacuum system is utilized, shown in FIG 2. The dual vacuum system allows for each of the vacuums to pull in opposite directions of one another developing competing gas flows, allowing for the separation of the torrefaction and pyrolysis gases. The torrefaction vacuum pump 250 pulls a vacuum through the torrefaction vacuum line 252, through the inline torrefaction cyclonic separator 300(a), through the torrefaction vacuum pump 250 where the pressure is brought back to atmosphere and any moisture is removed, through the inline torrefaction gas scrubber 500(a), and finally to the torrefaction gas compression pump 505(a). The torrefaction gas compression pump 505(a) then transfers the gas, under pressure, to the torrefaction gas storage tank 510(a).

The pyrolysis vacuum pump 246 pulls a vacuum through the pyrolysis gas manifold 242 connected to the dorsal side of the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228, through the inline pyrolysis cyclonic separator 300(a) and subsequent integrated condenser 400 exhausting through an inline heat exchanger before passing through the pyrolysis vacuum pump 246 as seen in FIG. 2. After exhausting out of the pyrolysis vacuum pump 246, the pyrolysis gas is passed through the pyrolysis gas scrubber 500(b), which exhausts to the pyrolysis gas compression pump 505(b). The pyrolysis gas compression pump 505(b) then transfers the pyrolysis gas, under pressure, to the pyrolysis gas storage tank 510(b). In the prior art, the preferred method of separating multiple reaction chambers is by means of gates and valves. The use of valves can be unreliable and costly due to the high temperatures associated with the torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions. The current invention does not use valves to separate reaction chambers; rather one embodiment of the current invention uses a null point, which has no moving parts to separate the reaction chambers. Prior art fails to recognize the need to separate the torrefaction gases from the pyrolysis gases. Further the prior art fails to integrate both torrefaction and pyrolysis into a system capable of continuous operation.

Combustion Subsystem

In one embodiment of the current invention, insulated, refractory, furnace chambers 216 and 226 enclose the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers 210 and 228, respectively. The furnace chambers 216 and 226 are constructed of mild steel and insulated with mineral fiber insulation in order to reduce energy loss and to maximize safety. The pyrolysis furnace chamber 226 houses the combustion burner. The pyrolysis furnace chamber 226 is vented through a damper 254 in order to allow exhaust gas to heat the torrefaction furnace chamber 216. In one embodiment of the current invention, the burner of the combustion subsystem 234, which is primarily illustrated in FIG. 2, provides the inventions needed process heat. The combustion subsystem of the current embodiment is comprised of a burner 234 capable of burning various fuels. The burner 234 is capable of start-up with LP and continuous operation utilizing the hydrocarbon gas product produced by the system. The burner also receives an air feed from a blower 236, as shown in FIG. 2. The blower 236 is always maintained at sufficient volume and pressure to fully fuel the burner 234 and further to maintain a relative positive pressure within the pyrolysis furnace chamber 226. The blower 236 provides sufficient airflow to provide the optimal burn pattern of the burner 234, reducing or eliminating incomplete convection in the pyrolysis furnace chamber 226. The furnace chamber 226 includes the flame end of the burner 234 and receives the combusted and un-combusted outputs there including noncombustible gases from the blower 234. The burner 234 is closely controlled to maintain a suitable reaction temperature range of approximately 550°- 800 degrees Celsius. The exhaust gases of the burner subsystem pass through the damper 254 to heat the torrefaction reaction chamber 216 and then exit to atmosphere through the exhaust 256.

In another embodiment, the gas burner may be replaced with a bank of burners to provide sufficient heat. The amount of heat necessary for complete reaction is dependent upon the type, particle size, and volume of carbonaceous feedstock material being processed. The pyrolysis furnace chamber 226 may be heated with a variety of fuel and heat sources such as electricity, steam, biochar, liquid pyrolysis oil, biomass, flue gas from other combustion systems, or any other source of heat.

Carbon Capture and Cooling Subsystem

In one embodiment of the current invention, the solid carbon product often referred to as biochar in the prior art is separated from the reaction product stream by means of the carbon cooling and separation subsystem integrated with the torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200 and depicted in FIG. 3. After being fed by gravity out of the pyrolysis reaction chamber 228 and into the carbon capture and cooling system 305(a), consisting of an auger that is jacketed with a cooling medium as seen in FIG. 3. The carbon capture and cooling system 305(a) reduces the temperature of the solid biochar to a temperature that is less than 100 degrees Celsius. The carbon capture and cooling system 305(a) maintains a zero oxygen environment allowing for an improvement on prior art by preventing ashing of the biochar. If the biochar is removed prior to being cooled to less than 100 degrees Celsius the product will ash over and have a value less than that of biochar that is not ashed. After being allowed to cool, the biochar then passes through an airlock 238 before exiting the system for post-processing, packaging, and storage of the biochar. The carbon capture and cooling system 305(a) may also directly transfer the heat of the biochar to a heat transfer medium. This heat transfer medium may then be circulated and used in other portions of the system where additional heat may be required. The heat transfer medium may be water, bio-oil, nitrogen, non-condensable gas, nitrogen, steam, air, or any other substance that can be circulated and will readily absorb heat. In another embodiment of the current invention, the solid phase output of the pyrolysis reaction chamber, which will be in the form of solid carbon, will be fed by gravity into the carbon capture and cooling subsystem 305(b) as depicted in FIG.3. The carbon capture and cooling subsystem 305(b) is primarily a Solex™ Thermal Science Bulk Solids Cooler (a previously patented device) that has been integrated and modified to accommodate our very specific cooling rate and capacity. After cooling, the solid carbon will drop through a collection chute and into a carbon collection hopper to be conveyed for further processing. The bulk solids cooler may also directly transfer the heat of the solid carbon to a heat transfer medium. This heat transfer medium may then be circulated and used in other portions of the system where additional heat may be required. The heat transfer medium may be water, bio- oil, nitrogen, non-condensable gas, nitrogen, steam, air, or any other substance that can be circulated and will readily absorb heat.

Condensable / Non-condensable Gas Separation Subsystem

The gas phases of the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers 214 and 228 shown in FIG. 2, respectively need to be isolated before being further used as a fuel. The gas phase of each reaction chamber is first passed through their own inline cyclonic separator to remove any unwanted particulate matter. This is an

improvement over the prior art in that the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200 does not need to use filters to remove this unwanted particulate. It has been shown in prior art that inline filters clog easily causing maintenance issues. The use of cyclones is a well-documented method of separating solids from a gas stream. The cyclones are maintained at temperatures close to that of the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers by heating with the torrefaction and pyrolysis gases evolving from the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers. Insulation may be used to keep the hot gases from condensing prematurely.

Upon leaving the inline cyclonic separators the torrefaction and pyrolysis gas streams take different paths. The torrefaction gas is passed through the torrefaction vacuum pump 250, through an inline torrefaction gas scrubber 500(a), into the torrefaction gas compression pump 505(a), and then ultimately into the torrefaction gas storage tank 510(a).

The pyrolysis gas, upon exiting the inline pyrolysis cyclonic separator, enters into the integrated condenser unit 400. The condenser unit is maintained under the same vacuum and reduced oxygen environment present in the torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200. The invention integrates the condenser improving upon prior art by allowing for the systematic condensation of the condensable gas oil improving quality and quantity of usable byproducts. Within the condenser unit 200, the gaseous output of the pyrolysis cyclonic separator, is separated into volatile hydrocarbon gases and condensable pyrolysis liquids referred to in the prior art as bio-oil. Further processing of the bio-oil is possible and will be discussed in more detail later.

Condensers are well known and are currently used in numerous processes. In one embodiment of the current invention the condenser is uniquely integrated to maintain the same vacuum environment of the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction subsystems 200. The maintenance of the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction environments is critical to the recovery of bio-oil that is of the highest quality and yield, which is an improvement over the prior art. The integrated condenser unit 400 may utilize oil quenching, water-cooling, shell-and-tube heat exchangers, or forced- air condenser technology. Temperature control of the heat exchanger and the condensate may be obtained through the use of water, water/glycol, oil, steam, or other techniques. Bio-oil in the condenser is maintained at a temperature between 30 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius varying depending on the end use of the bio- oil. The temperature regulation is achieved by the use of heat exchangers integral to the condenser unit.

From the integrated condenser unit 400 shown in FIG. 2, the non-condensable gas output is delivered through an inline heat exchanger 412, through the pyrolysis vacuum pump 246, into the inline pyrolysis gas scrubber 500(b), and then compressed with the pyrolysis gas compressor 505(b) before being stored in the pyrolysis gas storage tank 510(b). The gases that are stored in the pyrolysis gas storage tank 510(b) are primarily combustible hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, which are suitable for use as fuel for the burner 234.

The gases that are stored in the torrefaction and pyrolysis gas storage tanks 510(a) and 510(b), respectively may be used to supply fuel to the burner 234 as seen in FIG. 2. Prior to being used as a fuel for the burner 234, the gases must be mixed at a predetermined ratio with the gas-mixing valve 512. After being mixed the gases may then be transported via the combustion gas transportation pipe 516 to the burner 234 for combustion. The mixing ratio of the torrefaction and pyrolysis gases is controlled to maintain the highest levels of safety possible.

On system start-up and under circumstances in which the supply of gas from the storage tanks is insufficient to fuel the burner 234, an auxiliary LP feed is provided with an ancillary gas control system from an outside source. During normal operation, the auxiliary gas valve may be closed and the LP system returned to standby mode.

Typically, the pyrolysis reaction is so prolific and efficient that more combustible hydrocarbon gas is produced than can be efficiently combusted in the burner 234. To account for this excess gas, gas taps 514(a) and 514(b) are provided on the storage tanks 510(a) and 510(b), allowing adequate removal and storage of excess gas storage tanks for use offsite.

Biochar Processing and Storage

Biochar is received from the carbon capture and cooling subsystem 305(a) as seen in FIG. 3, between 125 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius by means of mechanical or pneumatic conveyance. The biochar is then processed into pellets, granules, briquettes, balls, or other similar forms to reduce airborne particulate matter. To achieve one of the aforementioned stable forms of the biochar a pelletizer, granulator, pin mixer, or other type of agglomerator may be used. Binders or additives may be added to create a uniform, compacted biochar that can withstand the pressures of being packaged. Binders used in the agglomeration process may include lignosulfonates, water, bio-oil, vegetable oil, biomass (i.e. ricehusks, coffee-husks, peat, sawdust, choir dust, leaflets, leaf powder and dung), clay, or other material. The binders may also act as a heat transfer medium to assist in the cooling of the biochar to a safe temperature for storage. After processing, agglomerated biochar may be exposed to ambient conditions when sufficiently cooled. Until the biochar is processed and ready for packaging, inert atmosphere must be obtained. Inert atmosphere may be obtained by means of vacuum or in some approaches by the introduction of an inert gas such as nitrogen.

The biochar product may be stored in steel bins, tanks, tankers, bulk bags, trailers, silos, railroad cars, or any other containment method as permitted by law. Biochar may also be bulk piled in ambient conditions if proper ventilation is provided. Inert gas may be used to purge oxygen from storage areas for safety. The preferred inert gas is nitrogen, but any inert gas can be used to substitute for nitrogen. Biochar in storage is ready for transportation and sale offsite of the biorefmery.

Biochar may be transported via belt or screw conveyor, pneumatic line, front- end loader bucket, bucket elevator system, or other method. Methods for conveyance directly depend on the method of storage as well as the volume of biochar to be moved.

Biochar may be used as a coal replacement, soil amendment, carbon black, or upgraded to activated carbon. As a coal replacement, biochar may be used as a direct substitute of coal or co-fired with coal to reduce emissions and harmful greenhouse gases. As a soil amendment, biochar has shown an increase in the retention of water and beneficial microbes in soil. Used as carbon black, biochar may be used to manufacture inks, dies, toners, rubber, or any other product that requires the use of carbon black. If upgraded to activated carbon, biochar may be used to produce water and air filters or any other product that utilizes activated carbon.

In one approach, the biochar may be collected from the carbon capture and cooling subsystem 305(a), shown in FIG.3 and then transported to a biochar- processing unit under inert atmospheric conditions. The purpose of the biochar processing unit is to prepare the biochar for storage and shipment. If desired the biochar may be sized by means of a grinder, hammer mill, press, or other similar device. After proper sizing, the biochar is transported to a surge bin under inert atmospheric conditions. The purpose of the surge bin is to supply the super sack filling station. The super sack filling station utilizes negative pressure and air filtering mechanisms to prevent the escape or accumulation of biochar dust particles. The biochar is dispensed into super sacks, then sealed and labeled before being conveyed to a warehouse for storage. This approach may be used for the post-processing and packaging of biochar to be used as a coal replacement, soil amendment, carbon black, or activated carbon.

In another particular approach, the biochar may be mixed or packaged with various inoculants after being cooled and processed into any of the aforementioned forms. These inoculants may consist of bacteria, fungi, or other organisms that help with the remediation of soil and the growth of plants. Inoculants may comprise a blend of various strains of microbes or a pure culture of a single species. Inoculants may be directly mixed with the biochar prior to storage and/or transportation, or the inoculants may be packaged with the biochar to be mixed prior to application to soils or plants. It has been shown that biochar mixed with various microbial inoculants aids in soil remediation and increases overall plant health. Inoculants may be grown and harvested onsite or bought from a commercial vendor.

Bio-Oil Processing and Storage

The purpose of the bio-oil processing subsystem is to recover bio-oil from the condenser unit 400 and then prepare the oil for storage and thereafter transportation for sale and use offsite of the biorefinery, as depicted in FIG. 2. Bio-oil has a variety of uses including but not limited to fuel oil sometimes referred to as bunker fuel in the art, boiler fuel, blending agent for petroleum fuels, and gasification feedstock producing synthesis gas. In addition to being used as a fuel replacement, bio-oil may be used as a starting material to extract chemicals such as resins, fertilizers, acetic acid, flavorings, food-browning agents, phenolic compounds, sugars, furfural and furfural derivatives, and various other chemical manufacturing precursors.

The bio-oil is received from the condenser by pump 402 as seen in Fig. 2. The bio-oil may be pumped with a variety of commercial pumps. After being removed from the condensing apparatus the bio-oil is pumped through a series of filters 404 to remove any trace amounts of unwanted carbon or particulate matter resulting from the torrefaction and pyrolysis reactions. After being filtered, the bio-oil is pumped through a heat exchanger 406 that maintains the temperature of the bio-oil between 30° Celsius and 50° Celsius varying depending on the end use of the bio-oil.

Following passage through the heat exchanger and stabilization at the appropriate temperature, the bio-oil is then pumped into the bio-oil storage tank 408. In some approaches, the bio-oil will be filtered prior to loading onto bulk transportation vehicles such as tanker trucks or rail cars. The preferred commercial transportation company will determine if and to what extent filtration is needed prior to loading. The bio-oil storage tank tap 410 allows for the draining of excess bio-oil for transportation offsite.

Prior to transportation offsite, bio-oil may be stored in bulk tanks, rail cars, tanker trucks, drums, bottles, or other storage containers as needed. The amount of storage available should be properly sized to the production of bio-oil. Bio-oil storage containers may be made of stainless steel, lined carbon steel, various polymers, or other materials that are resistant to corrosion and suitable for

combustible liquids.

Bio-oil in storage tanks may be kept under an inert gas atmosphere. The preferred inert gas is nitrogen, but any other readily available inert gas may be used to replace nitrogen. The inert gas prevents oxidation, aging, moisture absorption, as well as various other quality control issues associated with long-term storage of bio-oil. The inert gas also prevents the release and buildup of volatile compounds posing a risk for fire or explosion.

Bio-oil storage tanks may be insulated and heated to prevent coagulation. Bio-oil needs to be maintained at a temperature between 30° Celsius and 50° Celsius varying depending on the end use of the bio-oil. If the bio-oil is not kept with in this temperature range the viscosity will increase causing the bio-oil to resist pumping. Bio-oil storage tanks may be heated by the use of electricity, steam, or process heat derived form the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system 200 as seen in FIG. 2. In various approaches the bio-oil may be mechanically or pneumatically agitated to aid in uniform heating. Agitation has also been shown to reduce the bio-oil's tendency to coagulate.

In another approach, the bio-oil may be upgraded to higher value fuels by a process known as hydrodeoxygenation. Hydrodeoxygenation works by either the partial or total elimination of oxygen and hydrogenation of chemical structures.

Using such a process bio-oil is capable of being upgraded into fuel substitutes that may be used as drop-in transportation fuels or blended with petroleum fuels prior to distribution. The process of hydrodeoxygenation has been shown to be commercially feasible. The prior art depicts various uses of the hydrodeoxygenation process. In combination with the hydrodeoxygenation, steam reforming may be used to generate the hydrogen needed for the hydrodeoxygenation process.

In yet another approach, the bio-oil may be fractionated and distilled into its component chemical constituents. Bio-oil consists of water, hydroxy aldehydes, hydroxyketones, sugars, carboxylic acids, esters, furans, guaiacols, and phenolic oligomers, as well as various other compounds. Overall bio-oil may contain more than 300 compounds with each of these compounds having commercial viability in its purified form. Fractionation and distillation may be used to separate the compounds present in the bio-oil and prepare them for sale.

Monitor and Control Subsystem

The combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system may include an automated monitor and control system that maintains appropriate operating parameters throughout the system. The monitors may automatically control various components in the system to maintain control parameters within normal operating limits. In the event that any of these parameters move outside these normal operating limits, the control system may automatically adjusts various system components to either isolate the problem area (in the event of a non-catastrophic abnormality) or to shut down the entire system (in the event of a catastrophic abnormality). In addition there may be an emergency shutdown switch that, if pressed, will initiate an orderly shutdown of the combined torrefaction and pyro lysis system in as short a period of time as possible. System shutdown may involve a purging of the combustible gases with nitrogen.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various modifications and alterations of the specific structure described above as constituting the preferred embodiment may be utilized with acceptable results. For example, the specific structures of the chambers, valves and tubes described above may be modified substantially while still retaining the primary functional characteristics and providing results that are improved over those of the prior art. Additionally, the dimensions and materials may also be modified to support various feedstock, various required throughputs, and various business cases.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that numerous other

modifications and alterations of the specific structures, dimensions, materials and components may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure is not to be considered as limiting and the appended claims are to be interpreted as encompassing the entire scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS: We claim:

1. A method for the continuous processing of carbonaceous feedstock material by use of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system, said method comprising: (a) introducing said carbonaceous feedstock material to the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system in the substantial absence of oxygen allowing for the conversion of said carbonaceous feedstock material to a solid biochar, liquid bio-oil, and non- condensable gas; (b) separation of said biochar from the reaction mixture; (c) separation of bio-oil from non-condensable gases by introduction of said gas stream to at least one inline condenser; (d) recovering of said non-condensable gas for use as a fuel source for the reactor system; (e) recovery of said bio-oil for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery; and (f) recovery of said biochar for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising using gravitational delivery of carbonaceous feedstock material into an airlock prior to introduction into the torrefaction reaction chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising mechanically conveying the carbonaceous feedstock material into an airlock prior to introduction into the torrefaction reaction chamber.

4. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising the use of a null point isolating the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction products.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the systems null point is created and maintained by the use of dual vacuum pumps connected to the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising reducing carbonaceous feedstock materials nominal particle size to less than 21 mm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said torrefaction and pyro lysis reactors convey said carbonaceous feedstock material and subsequent reaction mixture by means of at least one auger extending through the reaction chamber and being driven by an auger motor such that the auger is rotated so as to mix and convey the carbonaceous feedstock material from the input to the exit end of said reactors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the torrefaction and pyro lysis reaction chambers are provided with ports thereof to allow the evacuation of condensable and non- condensable gases evolved in the reaction chambers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the torrefaction and pyro lysis reaction chambers are heated by the combustion of the non-condensable gases evolved from the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers are encased in two separate thermal reaction chambers wherein combustive heating is provided by a combustion burner to evenly heat the interior of the thermal reaction chambers and thereby the torrefaction and pyrolysis reactors.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the torrefaction and pyrolysis reaction chambers are encased and heated in two separate thermal reaction chambers wherein direct combustion heating is provided to the pyrolysis chamber and exhaust flue gas is passed to the torrefaction reaction chamber by means of a damper.

12. A method for the continuous processing of carbonaceous feedstock material by use of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system, said method comprising: (a) introducing said carbonaceous feedstock material to the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system in the substantial absence of oxygen allowing for the conversion of said carbonaceous feedstock material to a solid biochar, liquid bio-oil, and non- condensable gas; (b) separation of said biochar from the reaction mixture; (c) separation of bio-oil from non-condensable gases by introduction of said gas stream to at least one inline condenser for the stable, controlled condensation of said bio-oil; (d) recovering of said non-condensable gas for use as a fuel source for the reactor system by means of combustion of said non-condensable gas; (e) recovery of said bio- oil for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery; and (f) recovery of said biochar for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the gas reaction product evolved from the torrefaction reactor is passed through at least one inline cyclonic separator so as to remove excess fugitive particulate prior to use as a fuel source in the combustion burner of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the gas reaction product evolved from the pyrolysis reactor is passed through at least one inline cyclonic separator so as to remove excess fugitive particulate prior to use as a fuel source to the combustion burner of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the gas reaction product evolved from the pyrolysis reactor is passed through an integrated condenser so as to condense and separate the bio-oil from the non-condensable gas used as a fuel source to the combustion burner of the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the integrated condenser of the pyrolysis reaction chamber uses at least one heat exchanger to maintain a temperature low enough for the condensation of said bio-oil.

17. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising the treatment of bio-oil by aging, blending, filtering, reacting, upgrading, refining, fractionating, distilling, hydrotreating, adding chemical additives, and any combination thereof.

18. A method for the continuous processing of carbonaceous feedstock material by use of a combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system, said method comprising: (a) introducing said carbonaceous feedstock material to the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system in the substantial absence of oxygen allowing for the conversion of said carbonaceous feedstock material to a solid biochar, liquid bio-oil, and non- condensable gas; (b) separation of said biochar from the reaction mixture for the controlled cooling and processing of said biochar; (c) separation of bio-oil from non- condensable gases by introduction of said gas stream to at least one inline condenser; (d) recovering of said non-condensable gas for use as a fuel source for the reactor system; (e) recovery of said bio-oil for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery; and (f) recovery of said biochar for storage prior to transportation away from the biorefmery.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said biochar is removed from the combined torrefaction and pyrolysis system by means of an airlock so as to isolate said biochar from atmosphere.

20. The method of claim 18, where said biochar is isolated from atmosphere until said biochar has reached a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said biochar is cooled by means of a jacketed auger in conjunction with a heat exchanger to a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said biochar is cooled by means of a bulk solids cooler to a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said biochar is processed into agglomerated biochar by applying pressure and adding binders such as lignosulfonates, water, bio- oil, vegetable oil, biomass (i.e. ricehusks, coffee-husks, peat, sawdust, choir dust, leaflets, leaf powder and dung), clay, or other materials.