Systems for generating energy using agricultural biofuel

Abstract

A process comprising, providing an agricultural biofuel to a fluidized bed reactor and combusting the agricultural biofuel to produce heat and/or steam is disclosed. In one embodiment systems for generating energy with agricultural biofuel are provided. In one embodiment, the agricultural biofuel is selected from the group consisting of agricultural crops, crop residues, grain processing facility waste, value-added agricultural facility byproducts, livestock production facility waste, livestock processing facility waste and food processing facility waste. In one embodiment, the heat and/or steam is used to generate electricity. In other embodiments, the heat and/or steam is used to power the grain processing facility, livestock production facility, livestock processing facility or food processing facility. In another embodiment, one or more environmental controls are used. In a particular embodiment, ethanol byproducts are used as the agricultural biofuel.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a fluidized bed reactor for combusting an ethanol byproduct containing at least 20% moisture in the presence of excess oxygen to produce heat, the ethanol byproduct produced in an ethanol production facility; and    a boiler for extracting the heat from the combustion gases to produce steam and cooled combustion gases.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a piping system for providing the steam to the ethanol production facility.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fluidized bed reactor contains a fluidizing media comprised of sand particles.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3  further comprising a burner for raising the temperature of the fluidizing media to about 1500° F. at start-up.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the ethanol byproduct is selected from grain stillage syrup and Distiller's Wet Grain (DWG).  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the grain stillage syrup is a corn-based syrup containing about 20 to 40% solids.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5  further comprising an environmental control connected to the system to control emissions from the system.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the environmental control is added limestone for burning with the ethanol byproduct in the fluidized bed reactor to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the environmental control is a filter for removing particulates from the cooled combustion gases.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the filter is a baghouse filter.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a dryer connected to the fluidized bed reactor for reducing moisture content in at least a portion of the DWG, grain stillage syrup or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the environmental control is volatile organic compound (VOC)-containing dryer vapors for providing to the fluidized bed reactor to reduce volatile organic compounds.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a blower for providing forced gas to the fluidized bed reactor.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a heat extractor for extracting at least a portion of the heat for a process load.  
   
   
       15 . A system comprising: 
 an ethanol byproduct produced in an ethanol production facility and containing at least 20% moisture;    a fluidized bed reactor for combusting the ethanol byproduct in the presence of excess oxygen to produce heat;    fluidizing media in the fluidized bed reactor;    a boiler for extracting the heat from the combustion gases to produce steam and cooled combustion gases; and    an environmental control connected to the system to control emissions from the system.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the ethanol byproduct is selected from corn-based syrup containing 20 to 40% solids and DWG.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the environmental control is added limestone for burning with the ethanol byproduct in the fluidized bed reactor to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the environmental control is a baghouse filter for removing particulates from the cooled combustion gases.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a dryer connected to the fluidized bed reactor for reducing moisture content in at least a portion of the DWG, grain stillage syrup or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the environmental control is volatile organic compound (VOC)-containing dryer vapors for providing to the fluidized bed reactor to reduce volatile organic compounds.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a blower for providing forced gas to the fluidized bed reactor.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a heat extractor for extracting at least a portion of the heat for a process load.